This reflective position paper explores teaching and learning of compassion in educational institutions following the theory of enaction proposed by Varela, Thompson, and Rosch (2016). In the enactive view, information processing and cognition are situated in the dynamic relationship between the embodied organism and its environment. Following…

A truism of school reform has long been the promise that technology, properly applied, will fuel dramatic improvement in teaching and learning. When tech-enabled schools or online learning programs haven't delivered the hoped-for results, some have dismissed these shortcomings as implementation problems--or evidence that we haven't yet deployed…

The investigations described in the ten fascinating research studies contained in the current volume of "ZDM Mathematics Education" evoke some perspectives in response. I consider the articles thematically in relation to a suggested set of important or pressing questions about creativity and giftedness in mathematics education, grouped…

Advanced technologies have made it possible for neuroscientists to make remarkable discoveries regarding how our brains learn. This research should provide new insights into the designs of learning environments. This essay is an attempt to suggest how the possibilities of neuroscience might be employed to meet contemporary educational demands,…

Based on a critical re-analysis of cognitive load theory (CLT), Schnotz and Kurschner identified the need for research on more sensitive ways of assessing learner characteristics, both prior to and during instruction, in order to understand learning processes and outcomes. One emergent theme of the papers in this special issue is that the "same"…

Designers of interactive learning environments face the issue of managing the learner's cognitive load, reducing irrelevant sources while optimizing useful sources of load. I propose a conceptual framework aimed at organizing the contributions of the papers presented in this special issue. The framework identifies three main dimensions, namely…

When children are securely attached and feel safe within a group, they are free to use their cognitive capacities in ways that are unimaginable. While there is no secret formula for creating genuine learning environments, the author of this paper offers a few ideas for fostering a positive and caring learning environment in the classroom.

Educators must provide conditions which encourage the practice and demonstration of intelligent behaviors. Twelve characteristics of intelligent behavior are discussed, such as persistence, decreasing impulsivity, listening to others, metacognition, questioning and problem posing, etc. A summary of the school conditions in which intelligent…

This conceptual framework for occupational competence and qualification views competence as individual attribute, job requirement, or competence-in-use. Other components include cognition and metacognition, developmental rather than adaptive focus, and creation of a learning environment that allows reproductive, productive, and creative levels of…

Major discontinuities exist between the way learning is conceptualized in most school settings and the way learning and meaning-making happens outside of school. The author challenges educators to engage in a serious conversation about methods for mending the mismatch. The challenge for educators is not simply to imagine a different way of looking…

Explores cultural institutions as educative environments for adult lives and situations for cognitive apprenticeship. Suggests ways that cultural institutions can be subject to the designs of reflective educators. (JOW)

In earlier times, practically everything was taught by apprenticeships. Schools are a recent invention that use many fewer teaching resources, but the computer enables us to go back to the resource-intensive mode of education, in a form called cognitive apprenticeship. This involves the use of modeling, coaching, reflecting on performance, and…

Discussion boards have the unique capacity to support higher-order constructivist learning and the development of a learning community, This chapter provides ten conditions that support the effective use of an online discussion.

Discusses telecommunications-supported cooperative learning environments for distance education. Topics addressed include computer-mediated communication; computer-supported cooperative work; distributed learning environments; frameworks for supporting telecooperation, including cognitive processes, social processes, and managerial processes; and…

An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) must: (1) represent the relevant knowledge domain; (2) represent the student's state of knowledge of the subject matter; (3) represent an expert tutor; and (4) communicate with the student. Such systems reflect a cognitive orientation or information structure oriented (ISO) approach to instructional design. In…