Instructional Problems Research Articles

Handling Physical Problems among Students with Behavioral Disorders

Some students exhibit behavioral disorders because of physical problems and not because of instructional problems. When this occurs, instructional efficiency can be reduced until the student receives the treatment he needs. Because physical problems among school-age children often go undetected, teachers working in programs for the behaviorally disordered must be prepared to identify and handle any physical problems which interfere with the instruction of their students.

Use of the TV Magnifier in the Netherlands: A Survey

Persons with low visual acuity can read with a TV magnifier, according to a survey of 280 users of the aid in the Netherlands. Survey respondents found the TV magnifier indispensible for such tasks as reading, writing, and looking at photographs. The survey also identified structural and instructional problems, and the authors offer suggestions for improving the aid, which will lead to its wider use.

An approach for structuring instructional developer-client consulting experiences

The need for a dependable population of "clients" for instructional design seminar students led to the idea of engaging student teachers in this role. Graduate students in instructional supervision who were taking an ID course were paired with middle school student teachers. The under-graduates were taught how to identify and articulate instructional problems and the ID students were trained in instructional design and consulting skills as regular components of their respective seminars. Structured interaction between the two groups was on an individual basis via personal contact, telephone, audio tapes and written reports. Instructional problems encountered ranged from motivation to knowledge of resource materials and teaching strategies. Alternatives presented by the developers included flexible grouping, contracting for interest and motivation, and action plans for the student teachers’ perceived self-inadequacies. This approach was highly successful both in terms of the ID course objectives for an early consulting experience and in that it became something of an entry vehicle for establishing the credibility and demand for instructional developers within public school systems.

Individualizing instruction: A systematic approach

AbstractClasses with large numbers of passive, part‐time students pose an important instructional problem. Engaging diverse individual students in a productive learning process can make a difference.

The Need for Standards in Foodservice Sanitation Education

At present there is only one guideline for determining what information should be taught in foodservice sanitation courses. This basic document is the Food Service Sanitation Manual, including a model foodservice sanitation ordinance, 1976 revision, by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, and Food and Drug Administration. However, this manual is not written in terms of educational outcome and is not truly based on sound educational principles. This paper approaches the problem of prevention of food borne illness from the educator's point of view. It discusses the instructional problem in sanitation, why people must learn, who the students are, the values and benefits of this educational program, and what should be taught if the educational outcomes are to be attained.

A prospectus for instructional research on visual literacy

MODALITIES Among the areas that have been mentioned as contributing to the study of visual literacy are aesthetics, anatomy of the eye, body language, cognitive psychology, communication theory, cultural anthropology, instructional technology, mental imagery, neurophysiology, perceptual development, psycholinguistics, semantics, and visual perception. While an interdisciplinary approach can be beneficial to a scholarly area during its early phases of development, such eclectic periods must evolve into periods with clear conceptual foci if a field is to have an identity of its own. In this prospectus I attempt to define one such focus for the study of visual literacy. My suggestions are directed primarily to those concerned with instructional problems in visual literacy; they are less germane to those concerned with such problems as the impact of mass media on society and the aesthetic function of pictorial media. One of the most apparent implications of the term "visual literacy" is that it has something to do with visible (see-able) stimuli. Therefore, one logical place to begin an analysis is to question the nature of these stimuli. The most widely publicized definition of visual literacy is one that was tentatively offered by Jack Debes at the first convention of what is now the International Visual Literacy Association. Debes (1970)

The Testing of a Prototype System for Outcomes-Based Instructional Supervision

Widespread implementation of outcomes-based instruction is rapidly increasing in the nation's schools. Recent experience has shown, how ever, that while some classes achieve the intended outcomes, other classes, often within the same school or district, do not. This study reports the results of a large-scale empirical test of a prototype cur riculum supervision system. The system was developed to enable school administrators and supervisors to efficiently monitor class per formance of outcomes-based instruction during a school year, and to assist teachers in quickly identifying and correcting instructional problems when they occur so as to improve class achievement of in tended outcomes.

Structural approach to instructional problems.

Structural approach to instructional problems.

Structural approach to instructional problems.

Structural approach to instructional problems.

Symposium on Neuro-Ophthalmology

Essentials of Clinical Neuro-Ophthalmology, by Arthur H. Wolintz, 198 pp, with illus, $12.50, Boston, Little, Brown, 1976. This symposium-type book of the 1975 New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology belongs about midway between useful reference and "filler" for collectors of the unbroken series. It is almost a verbatim transcript of lectures by experts in neuro-ophthalmologic diagnosis and management. Over 100 pages record round-table discussions and comments on instructive clinical cases and other problems. Some of the conversational language is so informal that forest conservationists might complain about using such high quality paper for such purposes! Any trainee in ophthalmology or practicing eye specialist will appreciate the excellent chapter on assessment of vision in optic nerve and chiasmal disease, as long as they are not intimidated by seeing the author's face staring out at them in eight of the illustrations. There are summary chapters on various optic nerve diseases, chiasmal syndromes, and

PSI and the Generic Method of Programmed Instruction

Responsiveness of higher education to an increasingly heterogeneous student population requires the solution of a series of instructional design problems. When relationships among instructional methods, features of individualized instruction, and design problems are examined, it is apparent that programmed instruction is the generic method from which other methods of individualized instruction are derived. Distinctive contributions of each method to the solution of instructional design problems are identified within the General Model of Individualized

The localization, diagnostic, and monitoring functions of student ratings in a model for improving university teaching

A diversity of student questionnaires are used by colleges and universities to provide data on faculty teaching performance. Yet the purposes for collecting this data are frequently unclear, and at times superficial. Rarely is student rating data used as a tool to improve faculty teaching. A more relevant approach incorporates a variety of types of student ratings into a model for improving university teaching. One type of student rating data is used to identify broad instructional problem areas. Another type pinpoints probable causes and solutions for the instructional problems. Instructional improvement procedures are designed on the basis of this data. A third type of student rating data evaluates the instructional improvement procedures and indicates when modifications are needed. In addition to these three types of student ratings, and the generation of appropriate questionnaires, this paper presents an overview of the teaching improvement model and discusses its effectiveness.

Bilingualism and Pluralism between a Rock and a Hard Place

BILINGUALISM AND PLURALISM BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE Richard Pratte Curriculum and Foundations The Ohio State University Insofar as this is the first issue of an occasional paper by The John Dewey Society, the lack of an established response format leaves me relieved and yet anxious. Relief is experienced in terms of feeling free of the vexing problem of format constraint, but anxiety is felt in terms of the personal judgment that the response should be such that it might be worthy of future replication. Hence, bearing these thoughts in mind, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to Professor Pizzillo's paper because the topic he has chosen appeals, perhaps fascinates, huge audiences, not solely because bilingualism and pluralism "are in the air" but because each offers "the glimpse behind the curtain" in terms of what it is to live a different way of life, to perceive oneself and the world in quite a different way. Each reveals aspects of American life rarely caught except in certain novels or in movies like The Goodfather and the Swedish import, The Emigrants. In his paper, Pizzillo has set forth a description of the prevalent state of bilingual education and has proposed reasons for directing our attention and effort toward asking some hard questions and making bilingual education a muchneeded and vital part of the American educational experience. His general aim, I take it, is to provoke each reader to self-inquiry; to realize that there is no single culture in the United States whose symbols, values, roles, attitudes , or general life-style, are acceptable to all. In short, Pizzillo wishes to alert us to a new ethnic consciousness , one that delights in the glory of America's recently rediscovered pluralism. These are most provocative considerations , demanding our attention and critical judgment. I want, therefore, in the first part of my response, to offer a critical account of some of Pizzillo's basic ideas, which seem to me 2 intrinsically interesting and, moreover, important for education. In the second part of my response, I will formulate certain criticisms and reservations concerning the basic features of Pizzillo's descriptive account. My remarks in this section will be grouped under three headings: "Conceptual and Moral Difficulties ," "Cultural Diversity and Cultural Pluralism," and "Instructional Problems." A Critical Account We have much to learn from Pizzillo's paper. It is readily agreed that it is perhaps impossible to exaggerate the importance of language acquisition in the education of our children. He warns us that bilingual education is not new in the United States, having its roots in America's diversity of an earlier period . The commitment to bilingual education , according to Pizzillo, was choked off by the rising tide of American nationalism that emerged along with World War I. The return or reinstatement of bilingual education came about, at least in part, by the awareness that the educational level of Mexican-Americans, revealed in the data of the 1960 national census, was considerably below the national average. After considerable effort in Congress, the Bilingual Education Act Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed. Bilingual education, according to Pizzillo, is demanded and quite fashionable today. Public interest and support continue at high levels. He gives short shrift to glorified versions of remedial reading programs or English-as-a-SecondLanguage programs, and proposes that increasing the student's competency in two languages, his native tongue and English , employing both as a vehicle for content instruction, is called for. But along with the instructional use of language should go an emphasis on culture . Pizzillo, following Rodriguez, informs us that "language is not just an instrument for communication and learning ; it is a set of values. Bilingual education is, then, best viewed as bilingual -bicultural education." Pizzillo's definition of bilingual education is crucial, for the entire thrust of his argument turns on the acceptance of bilingual education as bilingual -bicultural education. In such a program, there is no merit in learning a new language just for the sake of exercising certain skills. If the bilingual -bicultural education program does anything at all, it is to develop an integrated personality, enhance a...

1: Studies of Problem Solving, Judgment, and Decision Making: Implications for Educational Research

Bruner (1971) quotes an aphorism he attributes to the English Platonist Weldon. It is apt as a prolegomenon to this chapter: . . there are three kinds of things in the world: there are troubles which we do not know quite how to handle; then there are puzzles with their clear conditions and unique solutions, marvelously elegant; and then there are problems-and these we invent by finding an appropriate form to impose upon a trouble (p. 104). Educational researchers attack problems for which convenient exist. As evidence for this assertion, witness the continuing preoccupation with studies of paired-associate learning, adjunct questions, learning hierarchies, and social-class differences in intelligence and achievement. Research typically slights the of how teachers think about their pupils and instructional problems; it concentrates instead on how teachers act or perform in the classroom. It is our hope that by providing a number of puzzle forms for the study of individual judgment and solving, we can make it possible for more of our colleagues to pursue educational research in these areas. In this chapter we shall review representative studies and theoretical proposals on thinking, human and making. Since judgment, decision making, and problem solving are used in so many ways, the scope of our treatment will be outlined here. First, the focus will be mostly

The cross-situational validity of risk as a value

Demand characteristics and risk are confounded on the choice dilemma items. Thus, it is difficult using that instrument to determine if individuals view themselves as more risky than others because of a cultural value of risk or instructional demand characteristics. The present study asked Ss to make judgments for themselves and for others on either the choice dilemmas (with risk-oriented or risk-neutral instructions) or on one of three other measures of risk taking (behavior prediction scale, risk of aversive consequences, zero expected value bets) which have exhibited the risky shift but do not have the instructional problems of the choice dilemmas. Only on the choice dilemmas did Ss view themselves as being more risky. On all other measures, Ss viewed themselves as either equal to or more conservative than others. These findings cast doubt on the validity of value type theories as general explanations for the risky shift.

Enriching Elementary Quantum Mechanics with the Computer: Self-Consistent Field Problems in One Dimension

The use of a computer in undergraduate physics courses opens the door to a large number of instructive problems which were once precluded due to the necessity of numerical analysis. One such example for elementary quantum mechanics is the problem of a bound system of more than two particles which may be solved by the method of the self-consistent field (SCF). This paper discusses one-dimensional systems of particles whose solutions are obtained by the SCF method using the Hartree approximation. The procedure is shown to be a simple extension of programs which many undergraduates already use to obtain computer solutions of the Schrödinger equation in one dimention. Calculations for these systems serve as a useful introduction to iterative techniques, and the results provide the student with insight into the nature of atomic calculations for multi-electron atoms.

Seraph, Snake, and Saint: The Subconscious Mind In James' Varieties

N a life which some feel was consecrated to conceptual confusion, William James never produced a more troublesome text than The Varieties of Religious Experience. Even the much maligned Pragmatism lectures pale before the submerged assumptions, hazy distinctions, and aweinspiring overstatements of the Varieties. Among the many instructive problems provided by this book is a prime example of a neglected distinction growing up to cause trouble: the unwary reader does not realize until too late that there is something wrong with James' conception of the subconscious mind, a conception that plays a central role in his final conclusions. In this paper, I will first briefly indicate the fuzziness of James' conception of the subconscious; next, I will show how James puts the subconscious to good use early in the Varieties and how his fuzzy conception later turns into the rotten apple which spoils his conclusion; finally, I will discuss a brief passage in which James unwittingly suggests a different approach to the gods than the rather murky tunnel of the subconscious.

Cost evaluation of instructional strategies

Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses are rapidly be coming more common in the field of education. With the economic problems of education continuing, it is safe to assume that calls for such analysis will continue. If cost eval uation is to be used effectively to solve instructional prob lems (rather than as a threat to intimidate educators), those working at the design level need to become aware of the analysis process and start developing solutions to some of the problems that have been discussed or touched on above. First among these problems is the need for output measures that are educationally as well as economically justifiable. Until a learning measure is developed that can be related to both instructional strategies (therefore instructional costs) and to the “higher” goals of education, there will be legitimate criti cism of cost evaluation. Also, there is a need to establish standard terminology and procedures for determining and re porting instructional costs. The development of such stand ards should lead to the establishment of a consistent and ac cessible data base on the costs of instructional technology and make possible the application of cost-effectiveness evalu ation in the formative stages of instructional development where it has the highest potential payoff.

Readings on Effective Teaching: An Annotated List of Readings on Teaching, the Teaching of Economics and Research on Teaching Economics

The preparation of graduate student instructors and new young faculty members for their initial teaching experience is still largely ignored in most graduate Ph.D. programs, including those in economics. When finally thrust into the teaching role, neophytes must live by their wits as they seek to develop those elusive skills that will enable them to present effectively the knowledge and thinking processes they have worked so hard to acquire in graduate study. Unfortunately, the results are probably quite mixed: A number turn out to be first-rate teachers, a few fall into the mediocre category, and the vast majority rank somewhere between these extremes. Unless we accept the view that good teachers are born rather than made, we must develop ways by which people can improve their teaching skills. The time is now ripe for this, given the widespread concern about the quality of undergraduate teaching. Wellpublicized student evaluations of professors are increasing these pressures, while at the same time the greater weight given to teaching performance in the setting of salaries offers an incentive for people to seek improvement. Instructors may be ready to respond to these changes but all too frequently, they simply don't know how. Several approaches offer hope. One is for colleges and universities to establish teaching improvement centers which provide professional help on instructional problems. A number of institutions are already moving in this direction. Another more direct approach is for departments to institute their own training programs, such as those at the University of Minnesota and elsewhere. These programs, though designed largely for graduate students, will almost certainly have some spillover effects on the teaching faculty. Both of these approaches are likely to have a substantial impact, although they require a strong commitment of energy and resources to the improvement of teaching. It is unfortunate but true that with budgets as tight as they are, and the antipathy displayed by academics to formal programs for teaching improvement, progress is not likely to be rapid. In the interim, then, individuals will have to rely almost exclusively on their own efforts at self-improvement. But where can they turn'? Interestingly, there exists a vast literature on teaching that is largely unknown to most of us. From this literature much can be learned, from the narrow tricks of the trade to the larger issues of what makes for effective teaching. I have gone through at least a portion of this literature in an effort to develop a short annotated list of inexpensive and accessible books designed to be helpful to both new and experienced teachers. I hope you will find some of these readings valuable in your on-the-job investment in teaching improvement.

Freedom and Play: Catalysts for Creativity

Previous articleNext article No AccessFreedom and Play: Catalysts for CreativityJohn F. Feldhusen and Sandra K. HobsonJohn F. Feldhusen Search for more articles by this author and Sandra K. Hobson Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Elementary School Journal Volume 73, Number 3Dec., 1972 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/460748 Views: 3Total views on this site Citations: 6Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1972 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Olga M. Khessina, Jack A. Goncalo, Verena Krause It’s time to sober up: The direct costs, side effects and long-term consequences of creativity and innovation, Research in Organizational Behavior 38 (Jan 2018): 107–135.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2018.11.003Raija Hämäläinen, Katja Vähäsantanen Theoretical and pedagogical perspectives on orchestrating creativity and collaborative learning, Educational Research Review 6, no.33 (Jan 2011): 169–184.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2011.08.001Michael D. Mumford, Michele I. Mobley, Roni Reiter‐Palmon, Charles E. Uhlman, Lesli M. Doares Process analytic models of creative capacities, Creativity Research Journal 4, no.22 (Jan 1991): 91–122.https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419109534380Norman Frederiksen Implications of Cognitive Theory for Instruction in Problem Solving, Review of Educational Research 54, no.33 (Jun 2016): 363–407.https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543054003363Norman Frederiksen IMPLICATIONS OF COGNITIVE THEORY FOR INSTRUCTION IN PROBLEM SOLVING, ETS Research Report Series 1983, no.11 (Sep 2014): 363–407.https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1983.tb00019.xEunice Alencar, John F. Feldhusen, Fred W. Widlak Creativity Training in Elementary Schools in Brazil, The Journal of Experimental Education 44, no.44 (Jan 2015): 23–27.https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.1976.11011544