Described is a project in which architectural students designed and constructed a sensory environment for young multihandicapped children. It is explained that the architectural students were exposed to general curriculum information, teacher reactions, and experiences with the children. Benefits from this cross-disciplinary effort are seen to…

The Building Blocks Model for promoting basic literacy in young children is a three-dimensional model comprised of building blocks, one for each step of the process of laying the foundations for literacy. Each of the small blocks within the large solid cube represents a unique ability that can be distinguished in terms of the three…

THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES INFLUENCE THE PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION IS DISCUSSED. THE ROLE OF PARTIAL AND FULL SENSORY ISOLATION AND DEPRIVATION AND ITS NEGATIVE EFFECT ON LEARNING IS SHOWN TO BE SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH. THE INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY IS ENGAGED IN RESEARCH DEALING WITH THE…

Described is the use of a general purpose hybrid computer in controlling and monitoring certain experiments on human subjects. In these investigations, researchers produce various sensory stimuli and measure participants' responses as voltage produced at a scalp node. The computer system discussed facilitates implementation of these experiments as…

BECAUSE AVERAGE AND BELOW-AVERAGE STUDENTS DO NOT FIND THE WRITTEN WORD ESSENTIALLY MEANINGFUL, AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO THAT OF THE TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE-AND-LITERATURE ENGLISH PROGRAM IS NEEDED. SUCH A PROGRAM BEGINS WITH AND FOCUSES ON THE STUDENTS' OWN PAST AND PRESENT EXPERIENCES. STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH VIVID AND SIGNIFICANT…

Western psychologists define "set" as a group of items, a disposition toward certain stimuli or certain responses, and the establishment of habitual actions. D. N. Uznadze explains "set" by postulating a general tendency toward habitual action, but qualifies this by stating that the tendency is governed by special factors…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategy of allowing a student to choose the sensory channel in which he learns most efficiently and to determine if this choice results in increased learning rates. It was hypothesized that allowing a student to learn in channels of his choice would result in higher learning rates than when he was…

There are at least four reasons why the stereotype of Henry David Thoreau as an ascetic and a stoic have been perpetuated: (1) Emerson, in his eulogy of Thoreau, emphasized these qualities by saying, "Few lives contain so many renunciations...he ate no flesh, he drank no wine, he never knew the use of tobacco; and, though a naturalist, he…

Concurrent with the increasing interest in the training group (T-Group) as a source of growth and personal awareness for its participants, is a need to examine the effects of the T-group on certain personality types. This paper presents a rationale for examining the effects of the T-group on introverts and extroverts. Two T-group styles were…

The author summarizes and reviews seven research studies which seek to determine the role of individual modal preference as related to learning to read. The seven studies are by Bateman (1968); Robinson (1968); Jones (1970); Bruininks (1968); Cripe (1966); de Hirsh, Jansky, and Langford (1966); and Bursuk (1971). Of these studies, only Bursuk…

The author examines the characteristics of aesthetic factors operative in theatrical art. He views the theatrical event as an auditory, graphic, and kinetic stimulus complex derived from prolonged, violent, emotional situations. The theatrical event is conceptualized as a sign process in which a specific line of dialogue or piece of action…

Constructed and experienced by students engaged in an outdoor education class at East Stroudsburg State College in Pennsylvania, the "Owl Trail" is a self guided rope trail (600 yards in length) employing such devices as sensory corrals, bridges, and "go to" ropes (ropes attached to the main rope which provide side trip…

The author proposes a series of rooms (including Common Sense Room, Fantasy Room, Excavation of Dead Days Room, etc.) for personal growth and development. (MB)