Describes a study that examined five influences on college students' schemata to determine what affected their ability to make effective use of instructional thematic maps. Topics include use of the Group Embedded Figures Test to determine field dependence/independence; sex differences; student preferences for data representation types; and…

Examined the effect of functional values of stimuli on orienting response elicitation. Subjects were 50 4-month-old infants and were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions. Results suggested the importance of taking into account the functional value of stimuli when analyzing infant attention. (MOK)

Describes the results of part of an ongoing study to find and document "new literacy" classrooms. Seeks to describe new literacy classroom practices (i.e., assignments, assessments) as well as types of learning experienced by students and teacher in such classrooms. (SG)

Maintains that recent theoretical and methodological advances have sparked renewed interest in studying children's learning. Describes consistent and interesting findings regarding how children learn and intriguing proposals regarding mechanisms underlying learning. Argues that increasing the focus on children's learning promises practical…

Explains learning-by-Web design, an emerging approach to learning-by-design that uses the Web as a vehicle to conduct a project. Discusses student's motivation, the effects of group collaboration on student learning, the effects of content structure, the effects of Web publicity, visual design considerations, and balancing learning both design…

Current cultural, social, and economic trends challenge traditional concepts of learning and lifelong learning. This paper draws on the twofold nature of learning in a knowledge society and explores options for technological support. The concept of Second-Order Learning Objects is introduced as a potential means to foster generative learning.…

The inquiry-focused learning is a process that provokes deeper thinking and investigation and greater student motivation to learn. Inquiry is a process of learning that embraces features such as learning experience, assessment, and questioning thus embodying an educational philosophy that directly responds to the national emphasis on high…

In this article, we address four main questions, including: What is self-regulated learning for? What key strategies do students need to guide and direct their own learning process? What cues in the learning environment trigger self-regulation strategies? What can teachers do to help student to self-regulate their learning, motivation, and effort…

In our cognitive motivational process model (Vollmeyer & Rheinberg, "Zeitschrift fur Padagogische Psychologie," 12:11-23, 1998) we assume that initial motivation affects performance via motivation during learning and learning strategies. These variables are also central for self-regulation theories (e.g., M. Boekaerts, "European Psychologist,"…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural test of three U.S.-based immediacy--learning models and to compare a proposed integrating model with the existing models in Chinese classrooms. The findings suggested that the affective learning model provided a better fit than the learning model, which had a better fit than the motivation…

Traditionally, Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has focused on instructional methods to decrease extraneous cognitive load so that available cognitive resources can be fully devoted to learning. This article strengthens the cognitive base of CLT by linking cognitive processes to the processes used by biological evolution. The article discusses recent…

Because the spelling of many words in the English language (and in many other languages as well) depends on their morphemic structure, children have to have some knowledge about morphemes in order to learn to read and write. This raises the possibility that children gain much of their explicit knowledge about morphemes as a direct result of…

This document is a summary of the "First Experts' Meeting: Defining Areas of Action to Enhance Learning--From Access to Success," which took place at UNESCO Headquarters from March 26 to 28, 2007. The meeting brought together some 30 experts from around the world including researchers, educators, educational planners, representatives of United …

The Assessment is for Learning programme has been implemented by Learning and Teaching Scotland over recent years and there will be further developments throughout the Scottish curriculum up until and beyond 2007. This article re-examines the techniques of formative assessment that can progress pupil learning and appeals to teachers to review…

Little research has been conducted on how students work when they are required to plan, build and evaluate artefacts in technology rich learning environments such as those supported by tools including flow charts, "Labview" programming and Lego construction. In this study, activity theory was used as an analytic tool to examine the social…