Education Commons^™

Two Treatment Approaches For Young Children With Autism : Common Ground?, Jodi Suzanne Bronson

Graduate Research Papers

Students with autism display extreme difficulties with communication skills, social interactions, and often engage in restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior (DSM-IV, 1994 ). As a result of these behaviors, and the often comorbid mental retardation, students with autism have many complex educational needs.

This paper will provide a complete literature review of the historic development of autism, possible etiologies of autism, and current diagnostic criteria. In addition, specifically the literature regarding one current behavioral approach to intervention, the Lovaas Method, and one method of antecedent controlled intervention, the TEACCH model will be reviewed. Additionally, research on other successful interventions …

Motivational Characteristics In Distance Education, Karis E. Collins

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature is about motivational characteristics of the distance education learner. Provided is a brief overview of literature in the areas of distance education, the adult learner, and motivation of the adult learner in a distance education setting.

Teachers' Attitudes Toward Computer Technology And Factors Influencing Their Attitudes And Adoption Of Computer Technology In Classroom Instruction : A Literature Review, Huiping Ding

Graduate Research Papers

With the introduction of computer literacy into curriculum, teachers' attitudes toward computer technology and computer adoption in the classroom teaching remain major concerns for educators. This paper is intended to review the literature on teachers' attitudes toward the use of computer technology as an instructional tool in classroom teaching and factors influencing their attitudes toward their use of computers. Their attitudes differ but are positive about teaching with computers if some barriers are overcome and some problems are solved, such as lack of training and accessibility.

The literature review reveals that teachers have concerns and anxieties concerning computer technology, its …

Personal Learning Preferences, Perceptions, And Multiple Intelligence Profiles : Affect On Educators' Attitudes About Computer Usage, Mary J. Dove

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between teachers' learning preferences, self-perceptions of multiple intelligence profiles, and attitudes toward computer usage, including the incorporation of computer technology into their classrooms. Data for this survey were obtained from a population of teaching and administrative faculty from a small, Midwest, rural public school district. Access and education that results in higher levels of experience were found to be critical variables, in agreement with professional literature to date. These factors, however, did appear to influence personal learning preferences in some instances and the multiple intelligence profiles provided valuable insight into …

How Can E-Mail Be Used To Facilitate Communication Betweeen Teachers And Students, Nathaniel Anthony Moultrie

Graduate Research Papers

Electronic mail, e-mail, or Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) is an electronic communication medium that is starting to emerge in the educational system. The use of e-mail between students and teachers is growing steadily and rapidly. In just a few years, the number of K-12 students involved in networking has grown close to one million with a rate of increase of over 10% per year. With the sudden burst of technology within the school system, a transition period of experimenting with innovative ways of communication is before us. This research paper will address the use of e-mail as a viable means …

Backpacking To Reading Success : Parents And Teachers Working Together To Promote Literacy Development, Anita M. Ott

Graduate Research Papers

Literature has stressed the importance of reading at home to guide achievement in reading (Paul, 1996, Nichols, 1991, Anderson, Wilson & Fielding, 1988, Henderson, 1988, and Hewison and Tizard, 1980). However the pace of society in the United States today has made it difficult for families to make time for reading at home. In addition some families do not know the importance of reading at home, or have not made reading a priority.

This project provides a suggested home reading program to foster literacy development in elementary-aged students. Four major components are addressed: a) identifying a continuum of literacy development, …

The Use Of Multiple Intelligences In Designing Curriculum For An Early Childhood Classroom, Dawn Osterhaus

Graduate Research Papers

Early childhood curriculum implementation is not yet well represented in the literature pertaining to multiple intelligences. For purposes of this project, the literature pertaining to early childhood classrooms where the seven multiple intelligences were implemented was reviewed, and a preschool implementing the seven multiple intelligences has been written. This curriculum makes a difference in how the authors' lesson plans are designed and classroom activities are chosen. The resulting curriculum may also make a difference in how other early childhood educators set up their overall curriculum, and provides an easy-to-follow resource guide of potential use when planning individual units and activities.

How To Plan For Library Automation, Ann Petersen

Graduate Research Papers

An understanding of various library automation issues will help guide the media specialist to a successful automation effort. This paper is designed to offer basic guidelines for such an effort. It is not the aim of this paper to cover all the details and obligations for undertaking an automation project, nor to discuss specific automation systems. Its main purpose is to assist library media specialists in the decision making process concerning automation systems designed specifically for school libraries.

Finding The Way : Navigation In Hypermedia, Janet Marsh Pine

Graduate Research Papers

If navigation is recognized as a fundamental problem experienced by hypermedia users, then navigation merits further investigation. This review will identify observed navigational problems, suspected causes, and proposed solutions. To investigate the problem, it is necessary to examine methods used to sequence hypermedia components and to identify the various schemes used for navigation.

Information resulting from the review of literature will serve as the basis for a project evaluating current multimedia software packages designed to develop reading skills. The findings will also provide the media specialist or professional educator with a framework for evaluation and subsequent utilization of multimedia learning …

Promoting Gender Equity In The Elementary Learning Environment, Amy Elizabeth Roberts

Graduate Research Papers

This research review discusses the importance of teaching in a gender equitable manner. It examines the negative interactions teachers have with their students, many times without being aware of it. The effects of each of these negative teacher behaviors are explained and practical strategies and interventions are suggested to reduce the negative interactions.

Many of these strategies can be teacher directed, but strategies involving students, colleagues, and parents are also presented. The interventions are beneficial not only to female students but to male students as well. The Gender Expectations and Student Achievement (GESA) teacher training program is discussed and many …

Building And Implementing A Program Review For Gifted Education In An Urban School District, Anna Mae Bagby

Graduate Research Papers

In June of 1996, the Board of Education of the Waterloo School District, which is considered an urban school district, requested that all externally funded programs be reviewed. This included the Expanded Learning Program (ELP). The emphasis was to determine strengths and needs of ELP and the needs of gifted students in the regular classroom. A committee was formed, composed of ELP staff and parents of identified gifted students, who developed surveys which were sent to all ELP parents (K-12), all identified students, (K-12), and selected classroom teachers and specialists (K-8). Data were compiled and summarized according to (1) major …

Parent/Teacher Communication In A Middle School Setting, Christine Joan Bailey

Graduate Research Papers

This paper discusses the importance of parental involvement in a child's education. It examines the barriers that occur which prevent communication from taking place between parents and teachers. Effective communication strategies are presented to foster genuine interaction between families and schools. This paper explores the following question: How do effective middle school teachers create and maintain a positive working relationship with parents.

The purpose of this study is to: 1) research current literature to find different communication techniques being used by teachers, with an emphasis at the middle school level, and determine why parents and teachers communicate less often as …

User Disorientation Related To Instructional Hypermedia Programs, Sandy S. Sutterer

Graduate Research Papers

Instructional hypennedia programs seem to define the current trend in today's educational institutions. These multimedia programs, most often found on CD-Roms (compact disks, which can be read, but not written to), make use of the computer to coordinate and present text, graphics, audio, animation, and video within a single document. They are classified as "hype1media" because of the way in which the various elements can be accessed. Rather than being limited to a linear presentation, in which each element is dispensed in a predetermined sequence to all users, Yang and Moore (1995) define hypermedia as a "non-linear association of information …