In French, the transcription of the same sound can be guided by both probabilistic graphotactic constraints (e.g., t is more often transcribed ette after -v than after -f) and morphological constraints (e.g., t is always transcribed ette when used as a diminutive suffix). Three experiments showed that pseudo-word spellings of 8-to 11-year-old…

The aim of this paper is to offer an additional perspective to the understanding of educational change processes by clarifying the significance of identity learning. Today's innovations require changes in teachers' professional identity. Identity learning involves a relation between social-cognitive construction of new meanings and individual,…

This paper reviews a body of work conducted in our laboratory that applies functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to better understand the biological response and change that occurs during prototype-distortion learning. We review results from two experiments (Little, Klein, Shobat, McClure, & Thulborn, 2004; Little & Thulborn, 2005) that…

This article describes Cecilia Braslavsky's role in the development of theoretical frameworks based on empirical research that, in the stage of restoration of democracy in Latin America, made it possible to advance in the construction of a Latin American socioeducational paradigm. This article discusses some propositions that may systematize the…

Four experiments required participants to keep track of the locations of (i.e., update) 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 15 target objects after rotating. Across all conditions, updating was unaffected by set size. Although some traditional set size effects (i.e., a linear increase of latency with memory load) were observed under some conditions, these…

Currently there is much debate about the gap between business schools and the business world (Gosling and Mintzberg, 2004; Bennis and O'Toole, 2005). One argument is that business schools focus too much on "scientific" research and lack relevant business context and real-world experience. The proposition in this paper is that the dynamics in the…

Specifications and standards for e-learning are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex as they deal with the core of the learning process. Simple transformations are no longer adequate to successfully implement these latest specifications and standards for e-learning. IMS Learning Design (LD) (IMS, 2003b) is a representative of such a new…

This article elaborates a presentation made upon reception of the E. L. Thorndike Career Achievement Award in Educational Psychology from Division 15 of the American Psychological Association. It considers how value aspects of motivation apply to efforts to develop students' appreciation for school learning. Currently, we have only limited…

There is growing recognition that models play a fundamental role in the comprehension of science concepts. This paper aims at enhancing students' understanding and thinking by model construction. Seventh grade middle school students from an urban public school participated in this study as a part of their weekly science club that met after the…

For decades the National Science Foundation has been funding the development of instructional materials whose design is based upon the recommendations of educational research. These recommendations include the idea that learning be sequenced and organized using an experiential learning cycle or an instructional model such as the Biological Science…

Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement, but this impact can be either positive or negative. Its power is frequently mentioned in articles about learning and teaching, but surprisingly few recent studies have systematically investigated its meaning. This article provides a conceptual analysis of feedback and…

During a study designed to examine the processes of learning English as an additional language as manifest in the interactive behaviour of small groups of bilingual school children playing specially designed board games, several instances of "private speech" were captured. Private speech is commonly described as speech addressed to the self for…

This study has three major purposes, including designing mobile natural-science learning activities that rest on the 5E Learning Cycle, examining the effects of these learning activities on students' performances of learning aquatic plants, and exploring students' perceptions toward these learning activities. A case-study method is utilized and…

Concepts, propositions, proposition sets, and process patterns are discussed as elements of a model of language-related basic thinking skills. The term "concept" is defined and illustrated, and a model of concept attainment is briefly described. Illustrations are offered for a set of 430 basic concept clusters intended for use as a…

Learnability theory involves the construction of formal mathematical proofs whose goal is to demonstrate how the child can successfully induce a mature grammar. An empirically adequate learnability proof constitutes a detailed hypothesis concerning the boundary conditions within which acquisition proceeds and can provide a general framework for…