Outlines Willard Van Orman Quine's theory of language in the generation of empirical knowledge, gleaned from two works from his voluminous ouvre. Draws connections between Quine's theory and that of Richard Rorty, the American pragmatist philosopher. Sketches how this theoretical perspective can be applied in the technical communication classroom…

Describes the goals and nature of school mathematics reform and the philosophy and nature of the constructivist classroom. Suggests that math teachers who are interested in creating reformed classrooms can look to constructivist theories of learning and content-area literacy theories and methods to provide the structure needed to make reform…

Offers a framework for faculty and planners of distance learning programs to understand the impact of visuals and constructivist methods in distance learning and to guide effective practice and decision-making. Topics include interaction; constructivist learning, including active learning and authentic learning; authentic student assessment; and…

Investigates the experience of 8 teenage participants on a 12-day adventure trip through observation and semistructured post-trip interviews. Reports that the teen participants conceptualized nature as a place out there as undisturbed, natural, unfamiliar, without people, relaxing and with a sense of freedom. Includes 31 references. (Author/YDS)

Ponders whether there exists a knowledge base for teaching others how to teach reading. Discusses the distinction between "social constructionism" and "social constructivism." Notes that literacy teacher educators who conceive of literacy as critical social practice do not deny the cognitive or behavioral aspects of reading, writing, and speaking,…

Discusses objective knowledge and reality; objective experience and objectivity; objectivity without representation; and problems with constructivism. Argues that at issue with Muller, Sokol, and Overton's model is dispensability of the representation concept in an account of knowledge development during infancy. Concludes that a constructivist…

Four criteria for evaluating the Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training are proposed: (1) Can the SCMCT further our knowledge base? (2) Is the SCMCT clinically useful for practitioners and supervisors? (3) How closely does SCMCT adhere to SCT? (4) Is new knowledge gained by bridging beyond SCT? Presentation of SCMCT is related to these…

Replies to Lerman, who presented Vygotsky as an irreconcilable opponent to Piaget's genetic epistemology and von Glasersfeld's radical constructivism. Argues that Lerman's stance does not reflect von Glasersfeld's opinion of Vygotsky's work, nor does it reflect Vygotsky's opinion of Piaget's work. Establishes compatibility between analytic units…

Teachers in constructivist mathematics classrooms actively engage students in the learning process. Although constructivist teachers use different methods, most employ five contextual teaching strategies: relating, experiencing, applying, cooperating, and transferring. Students learn that even in mathematics, the "right" answer can be a matter of…

Discuses five premises for a qualified theory of democratic leadership. Discusses the essential characteristics of American pragmatism, especially that of John Dewey. Describes concept of constructivism and results of constructivist research. Lists givens of postmodern theory of democratic leadership. Posits a reconstructed theory of democratic…

Reviews some of the conceptions about boys, masculinity and English that are to be found in the academic literature, before going on to discuss the media constructions of the issues at stake (and why these are problematic). Describes some of the expected and counter-expectational findings that arose from a study of a Year 8 coeducational English…

Explains the Constructivist Planning Self-Reflective Tool (CPSRT) that supports preservice teachers using a constructivist lesson planning approach. Grounded in social cognitive and constructivist theoretical perspectives, the CPSRT facilitates self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and organization from a self-regulatory perspective, and cognitive…

Discussion of multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders involved in the production of electronic learning materials focuses on a constructivist methodology for course design. Explains concept mapping that provided the basis for an electronic learning development project at the University of Surrey (United Kingdom) and includes examples of concept…

Discusses the use of the constructivist model for teaching the effective uses of computer technology. Details five computer-based constructivist projects based on a problem-solving format: Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE), Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis), Computer Clubhouse, JASPER, and…

Presents emergentist coalition theory of language development characterizing lexical acquisition as the emergent product of cognitive constraints, social-pragmatic factors, and global attentional mechanisms. Details 12 experiments with 12- to 25-month-olds using the development of reference as test case of the theory. Presents evidence that…