This study examined the effect of goal-orientation on subjects' metacognitive activities during problem solving. Twenty female undergraduate students were randomly assigned to a learning or performance goal-orientation condition. The subjects were given an open-ended problem-solving task with instructions highlighting their respective…

Designed for those students who do not know how to study effectively, this book emphasizes practical, proven ways of learning. The book explains key concepts and gives examples, followed by graded exercises to let the student build a successful study program. Students will learn how to: (1) manage time; (2) set study goals; (3) listen actively;…

This longitudinal study examined the question of change and stability in students' used learning strategies during the first 2 years of study at the university. A total of 188 students from Tilburg University in the Netherlands took part in the study, including 90 in law, 27 in art, 48 in economics, and 23 in the social sciences. The students…

This paper examines the role of motivation in the way mental retardation is defined and treated. It reviews evidence that mental retardation involves a motivational self-system and a self-regulatory influence which, interacting with cognitive and metacognitive factors, result in inefficient learning. It suggests that individuals with mental…

This brochure explains a number of aspects of the standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics for mathematics education. The three sets of standards are: (1) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards; (2) Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics; and (3) Assessment Standards for School Mathematics. Contained in the…

One of a series of workplace education modules, this document presents the Mind Fitness module, designed to help determine students' learning styles and create successful learners in the workplace. An introduction describes the framework of the module, indicating that it utilizes four types of exercises to work with feeling-directed,…

Four preschool children with developmental delays were taught to name the numerical value of sets of geometric figures, the corresponding numeral, the corresponding number word, and the corresponding Roman numeral. Half of the stimuli were taught with instructive feedback and the other half without, as two conditions were established: the future…

The six editions of this newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University on issues connected with critical thinking. Topics addressed include alternative program designs for critical thinking instruction, a philosophical exploration of what critical thinking is,…

The coded elaborative outline (CEO) was evaluated as a strategy for helping students learn from text. CEOs are outlines of main points that include the coding of information read and elaborate on that information to enhance meaning. The following five conditions were compared: (1) required CEOs; (2) voluntary CEOs; (3) CEO instruction only; (4)…

A discussion of the utility of research on language aptitude and learning style begins by examining the concept of language aptitude and the controversy surrounding it, which focuses on the nature of language aptitude, what characterizes it, and its significance. The research reviewed dates back to the 1920s. Tests used to assess aptitude are then…

Societal trends and personal characteristics are facilitating movement from corporate to self-employment. The entrepreneurship movement is characterized by several trends that are influencing the way people work: such as younger workers expecting shorter-term commitments to work, expanding career options, opening of worldwide operations, and…

Noting that transfer and motivation are mutually supportive in creating an optimal learning environment, this Digest discusses transfer (the application of prior knowledge to new learning situations) and motivation (the impetus to create and sustain intentions and goal-seeking acts) in relation to language learning. It discusses the relationship…

Intended as a comprehensive collection of knowledge about managing college-level reading and study strategy programs for practitioners, administrators, and researchers, this book provides a review of the theoretical, empirical, and programmatic issues in the field. Chapter 1 ("Reading, Writing, and Academic Literacy" by Sharon L. Pugh…

This study seeks to establish which scientific reasoning skills are primarily domain-general and which appear to be domain-specific. The subjects, 12 university undergraduates, each participated in self-directed experimentation with three different content domains. The experimentation contexts were computer-based laboratories in d.c. circuits…

The study reported in this paper examined the effects of teaching learning strategies integrated with courses content on the study habits, attitudes, and mastery of course content of 122 students. Students enrolled in the experimental section of a freshman level course were taught learning strategies and course content; students in another section…