Reviews the criterion referenced test VICTA and concludes that it should be used with caution because of, among other things, the limited sample of questions per critical thinking skill, and the lack of a well integrated instructional program based on the test. (JC)

Reviews several principles of learning theory and the characteristics of a good learning situation. The evaluation checklist included provides a list of characteristics that could be expected in any learning program which uses a particular medium such as the computer. (MER)

This article reports findings from a "meta-review" and synthesis of research on variables related to learning, including both cognitive and affective schooling outcomes. Results confirm that distal policy variables are less important to schooling outcomes than quantity and quality of instruction, home environment, or student characteristics. (IAH)

Assessed were second grade students to determine whether their beliefs about causes of success in mathematics were related to their personal goals in mathematics. One class that experienced mathematics instruction consistent with a constructivist view rated higher than traditional classes on Task Orientation, attempting to gain understanding.…

Describes an exploratory study to identify determinants of elementary student's intentions to perform laboratory and nonlaboratory science activities. Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action was used as the basis for the study. (PR)

An exploration of the rhetorical contract--i.e., the expectations for appropriate interaction--as it develops in human-computer interaction revealed that direct manipulation interfaces were more likely to establish social expectations. Study results suggest that the social nature of human-computer interactions can be examined with reference to the…

This paper examines some of the dominant discourses related to poverty and education such as those offered by the prominent political ideologies, those presented by educators who write about poverty, those embedded in popular culture, and those surrounding current teacher education curricula. Furthermore, this study evaluates the impact these…

This paper is informed by Deweyean pragmatism, critical pedagogy, Marxist humanism and social constructivism, all of which see teacher professional learning as a process of constructing knowledge and identity through critical interdependence. In addition to presenting the philosophical root of the reflective approach to teaching and the structure…

This study investigated the degree to which beliefs about democratic theory and practice taught in a social studies methods course would persist after the transition to in-service teaching. The 27 participants were pre-service teachers at initial data collection and first-year in-service teachers at final data collection. Data were collected…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role of social networks in promoting or inhibiting student achievement. The study was based on the convoy model--a "convoy" is a dynamic, hierarchical structure of social relations that provide the individual with a supportive base from which to develop personal competencies. The premise of…

The two-part activity outlined in this paper reveals to undergraduate students that assumptions made in theory building remain unquestioned until one steps outside the initial realm of expectations, and that theories adopted have a demonstrable impact on behaviors. Part I defines a theory, describes the roles of assumptions and knowledge in…

Possible integrated and independent tasks were pilot tested for the writing section of a new generation of TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) examination. This study examines the impact of various rating designs as well as the impact of the number of tasks and raters on the reliability of writing scores based on integrated and…

To assess the value of professional writing internships, a pilot study at Michigan State University will administer pre- and post-tests to students involved in internships, as well as to control groups composed of professional writing majors who do not participate in internships, and other English majors following a traditional curriculum of…

This packet of forms, instruments, and guidelines has been assembled to aid in the determination of the articulation status and needs existing in elementary-junior high school and junior-senior high school programs. The term "articulation" is understood to mean the smooth transition from one grade or subject area into the next with as little…

Organizations or individuals who operate independently but who have common links, such as a shared clientele, a shared funding source, or common ownership, form "loosely organized systems." Organizational theory has concentrated on the nature of tightly organized systems, which generally need help reducing the rigidity of role definition and of…