Creative thinking, recognized as a fundamental life skill, is a complex process influenced by cognitive load. While literature has addressed the integration of cognitive load theory into creative thinking research, a comprehensive synthesis is lacking. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and deductive thematic analysis, drawing…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of open-book examinations (OBE) in higher education has increased compared to closed-book examinations (CBE), raising questions about the relative efficacy of these two major examination formats. We review the effects of CBE and OBE on learning and examine potential moderating variables related to study,…

Shared book reading (SBR) contributes to key developmental outcomes in children. However, little is known about how parents choose books and how those choices shape parent-child interactions. This scoping review synthesizes findings from 18 studies retrieved from five databases, focusing on three main book characteristics -- genre, format, and…

Academic writing is a complex and often painful process, made more difficult by the alienating pressures placed on academics to publish. In this paper, we offer an analysis of this pain that is both phenomenological and realist. We draw on literatures from several disciplines and our own experiences as academic writers to identify seven 'pains',…

Mathematics textbooks play an important role in providing learning opportunities for students, and connections have been emphasized in the curriculum reforms of many countries. However, few studies have conducted comparative research on mathematics textbooks from the perspective of connections, particularly with respect to the difficulty of the…

Retrieval practice is well-established as a powerful tool for reinforcing long-term learning. Most previous research has concentrated on the effectiveness of overt retrieval, involving recalling information from memory and generating overt responses by writing, typing, or speaking aloud the retrieved information. Here we ask whether covert…

Generative drawing, or drawing-to-learn, has been studied as an effective learning strategy primarily used in science learning. However, drawing can be cognitively demanding, requiring instructional support to ensure good learning outcomes. The present meta-analysis encompassed 14 studies with 16 statistically independent comparisons between…

This systematic review is a consolidation and organization of literature pertaining to the cognitive load theory and its applicability in a classroom setting. Theories such as the flipped classroom, the spacing effect, and learning by teaching have been staples in the classroom for decades, but the literature connecting these theories to cognitive…

Visual problem-solving is an essential skill for professionals in various visual domains. Novices in these domains acquire such skills through interactions with experts (e.g., apprenticeships). Experts guide novice visual problem-solving with scaffolding behaviours. However, there is little consensus about the description and classification of…

Designing and constructing pedagogical tests that contain items (i.e. questions) which measure various types of skills for different levels of students equitably is a challenging task. Teachers and item writers alike need to ensure that the quality of assessment materials is consistent, if student evaluations are to be objective and effective.…

In organizational anarchies (i.e., public institutions) decisions are typically made by oversight or flight. Decision makers and choice opportunities exist simultaneously but on separate tracks resulting in few problems being solved. This paper presents the findings of a study surveying current literature on organizational anarchy as well as…

GAM, combining games and agent-based models, shows potential for investigating complex social phenomena. Games offer engaging environments generating insights into social dynamics, perceptions, and behaviours, while agent-based models support the analysis of complexity. Games and agent-based models share the important ability both to input and…

Rigor evaluation in mixed methods research is a growing need. Linking rigor to Hong and Pluye's (2019) concepts of methodological and reporting quality, the purpose of this article is to operationalize and expand Harrison et al.'s (2020) Rigorous Mixed Methods Framework. Drawing from a systematic methodological review of 66 inclusive education…

This paper studies the effect of learning efficiency through various animations in conjunction with instructional teaching of traditional Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) crafts projects. The germane cognitive load (GCL) is defined as an investment in cognitive resources for schema development and automation. This study employs four…

Example-based learning is a well-known instructional method for effective cognitive skill acquisition in complex domains. "(Contrasting) erroneous examples" are a promising extension that embed errors in instructional material, potentially fostering not only positive but negative knowledge. However, the mechanisms and conditions for…