A control group of 40 eighth graders completed a unit on elements and compounds. An experimental group of 42 completed concept maps on the same topic. Results of a one-tailed T test demonstrated the usefulness of concept maps as advance organizers. (KR)

This study has three purposes: (1) to determine whether the graphic organizer (a schematic representation of text structure using key vocabulary terms) could be used to compensate for the effects of a passage organized with a description top-level structure; (2) to explore the effectiveness of providing students differing in reading ability with…

The survey step in the SQ3R study reading strategy consists of scanning the reading material and its organizational features to establish the nature/magnitude of the reading task and to formulate guidelines for accomplishing that task. When the chapters of six history textbooks were examined for the presence, absence, and number of organizational…

This study investigated the effects of training in the use of advance organizers and interspersed questions on the comprehension and attitudes of good, average, and poor eighth-grade readers who were randomly assigned, by intact classroom units, to one of three treatment groups. The first treatment group received eight sessions of training in the…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of pre-reading guides would effect better comprehension in the reading of short stories by ninth grade public school students. Four pre-reading guide sheets were prepared and validated for use in this study for each of the following stories: "The Interlopers" by Saki, "The Necklace" by…

Reports on a study designed to investigate how the use of computer assisted instruction (CAI) tutorial programs, incorporating advance organizers and involving various sizes of groups of subjects, would affect achievement scores, retention scores, and rates of learning. (TW)

Suggests ways of diagnosing problems in students' study habits and offers strategies for improving study skills and test taking strategies. (SRT)

This paper offers a rationale for modifying textbooks for secondary students with learning disabilities who are taught in general education classes. Recent research on the uses of study guides, graphic organizers, vocabulary drills, and computer-assisted instruction is reviewed, and guidelines for selecting appropriate uses of these strategies are…

This study addressed problems of context organization and learning mediators in planetarium classrooms by testing a hypothesis that advance organizers and clustering singly and in combination would be more effective learning mediators than traditional planetarium instruction lacking these mediators. Subjects (N=832) received one of four treatments…

A study investigated the effects of a spatial adjunct aid--maps--upon probed comprehension and free recall with respect to a text in which map-related information (macropropositions) could be clearly distinguished from more abstract information (micropropositions). Forty-eight tenth grade students were randomly assigned to either a control group…

Tests the applicability of Ausubel's theory to the meaningful learning of intellectual skills. Results of three studies of high school students indicate that advance organizers enhance learning of skills related to solubility product problems. This effect was removed if prior teaching in relevant background knowledge was included. (Author/WB)

This article applies results of a previous meta-analysis of effective instructional practices with adolescents who have learning disabilities focusing on the factor, "Organization/Explicit," which contributed significant variance to effect size. This factor included the important instructional components of advance organization and explicit…

Investigated was the effect of concept mapping on science achievement. It was concluded that mapping concepts prior to, during, and subsequent to instruction led to greater achievement. (CW)

This study compared the effects of an advance organizer and a prerequisite knowledge passage on learning and retention measured at low and high levels of the cognitive domain. The advance organizer group performed better on the framework test; the prerequisite knowledge group performed better on prerequisite knowledge test. (Author/YP)

Discusses five instructional strategies for increasing the meaningfulness of technical or scientific information. These include organization of prose, use of concrete analogies as advance organizers, use of inserted questions in prose, elaboration activities such as note-taking and discovery learning. (JN)