Although observational learning by children may occur through imitating a modeler's actions, it can also occur through learning about an object's dynamic affordances- a process that M. Tomasello (1996) calls "emulation." The relative contributions of imitation and emulation within observational learning were examined in a study with 14- to…

This review describes parts of our research program on example-based learning that relates to recent efforts to incorporate interactive elements into learning environments designed to support learning from worked-out examples. Since most learners spontaneously study or process examples in a very passive or superficial manner, this review focuses…

Members of a site of the California Writing Project conducted the study in this article in partnership with a large, urban, low-SES school district where 93% of the students speak English as a second language and 69% are designated Limited English Proficient. Over an eight-year period, a relatively stable group of 55 secondary teachers engaged in…

In the artistic process the artist verifies and exemplifies his or her perceptions and conception of their work. This paper discusses the model of the artistic process which describes the repertoire of perceptual clues that the artist develops. The rationale for the development of the model is for the art teacher to be able to explain in simple…

Four aspects of the study of mnemonic devices are discussed: (1) justification for research; (2) classification of common mnemonic devices; (3) description of properties of effective cognitive cuing structures; and (4) discussion of methodological problems in past research. Also included is a description of the recent history of research on…

A variety of memory strategies can be used to retrain an individual's ability to process information in working memory. This article provides step-by-step instructions for various memory encoding strategies. These strategies include training in perceptual grouping of number series, organization, mediation, mental imagery, and associative memory.…

Provides a theoretical overview of self-regulated learning, considering prospects of developing self-regulation within novice learners. The paper discusses students' self-regulation as a way to compensate for their individual differences in learning, defining the essential qualities of academic self-regulation, describing the structure and…

As codirector of Harvard University's Project Zero, David Perkins has conducted long-term research programs on creativity, problem solving and reasoning, and learning in the arts, sciences, and everyday life. He explains a new program designed to help teachers connect thinking strategies with subject matter, so that students can better manage…

The investigation of cognitive factors responsible for the arithmetic learning problems of fifth graders found that children with arithmetic learning problems were characterized by very slow operation execution. No support was found for theories that inefficient number encoding or inappropriate strategies are characteristic of this population.…

Argues that saying that students have "thinking problems" is hardly a useful diagnostic statement or even a sensible description of flawed cognitive development. Maintains that what is needed to encourage students to think are some sensible models and attractive opportunities to do it in contexts that matter to them. (RS)

"Give an example" tasks invite students to consider mathematical concepts in relation to their properties according to the data collected by interviews and a questionnaire asking students' strategies for generating the example. Examines how these tasks contribute to the construction of links which in turn lead to construction of more webbed and…

Examines mnemonic transfer in the form of knowledge generalization in the context of an artwork-learning task. Results reveal that mnemonic instruction produced memory benefits on a direct test, and that on a transfer task, mnemonic students who were directed to focus on the general style of the artist outperformed students who focused on details…

Comments on four articles in a special issue of the Journal of the Learning Sciences on methodology in learning sciences. Analyzes the articles within a general model seeking to analyze human activity across multiple time scales. (Author/MM)

Most accounts of the Stroop effect (Stroop, 1935) emphasize its negative aspect, namely, that in particular situations, processing of an irrelevant stimulus dimension interferes with participants' performance of the instructed task. In contrast, this paper emphasizes the fact that, even with that interference, participants actually can (and…

Emerging parallel processing and increased flexibility during the acquisition of cognitive skills form a combination that is hard to reconcile with rule-based models that often produce brittle behavior. Rule-based models can exhibit these properties by adhering to 2 principles: that the model gradually learns task-specific rules from instructions…