This conference report contains the following 18 papers: "State Policies and State Vocational Education Director Perceptions Pertinent to Career-oriented Education in the Middle Grades" (Barrick, Hughes); "Complying with Perkins: Using Existing Tests To Measure Academic Gains for Vocational Education Students" (Bergstrom, Gershon); "Teachers'…

This study was conducted to investigate pupil responses to lessons taught by preservice teachers, and it addresses teachers' concept mapping as related to interactive behavior or effectiveness in the classroom. Lessons taught by student teachers (N=10) were examined for what pupils thought were the lesson's key ideas and for two things pupils…

Humankind has become accustomed to reading and learning from printed books. The computer offers us the possibility to exploit another medium whose key advantage is flexibility through extensive memory, computational speed, and versatile representational means. Specifically, we have the hypercard application, an integrated piece of software, with…

This study investigated the effect of the study skill strategies of concept mapping and cooperative learning on students' academic achievement. Forty fifth grade students were placed in three groups: (1) cooperative concept mapping groups (N=9--3 students in each of 3 small groups); (2) a standard concept mapping group (N=11); and (3) a control…

This eight-chapter book clearly presents a theory of how children learn and, therefore, how teachers and others can help children think about science as well as other topics. Its ideas and techniques may be adopted for preschoolers when objects are conceptually ordered, or for theoretical physicists when findings are conceptually organized. In…

Many students have difficulty in science because they are passive readers, readers who receive information without understanding. Passive readers begin reading assignments without thinking about the subject. Their counterparts, known as active readers, interact with text to construct meaning. They make predictions, ask questions, generate…

Summarizes current developments in alternative frameworks research in science education. Covers concept maps, learning as conceptual change, classroom strategies, problem solving in physics and where research should be going. (CW)

Making connections becomes increasingly important as students proceed through middle school and high school. This book shows ways of embedding connective processes in instruction in grades 9-12. Problems invite mathematical modeling, unify diverse content, call for different representations, and encourage students to look back at their work to…

This paper focuses on the purposes, theoretical model, and functionality of the SMILE (Solution Mapping Intelligent Learning Environment) Maker--a World Wide Web-based problem-solving tool. From an instructional design point of view, an attempt to establish a balance between constructivism/instructivism, content-treatment…

This paper examines how conceptions regarding the legitimate purposes and day-to-day course of science influence students' evaluations of science in the popular media. The students involved in this project attend a secondary all-girls school. Their concept of science focused on practical, life-enhancing goals pursued through the complex,…

Describes the use of concept mapping (CM) in design, instruction, and assessment related to microbiology lessons prepared for high school students in Israel. Indicates that students utilizing CM displayed an overall, higher achievement gain than students in traditional classes. Recognizes that some teachers did not thoroughly exploit the potential…

Presents a framework to help media specialists and other educators facilitate the process of integrating computer technology and the Internet into classroom instruction and curriculum design. Highlights include planning, including concept maps; research, including critical thinking; development, including knowledge construction and higher-order…

Describes a study of university students that examined the influences of navigation in hypertext learning environments and discusses advantages and disadvantages of hypertext as instructional media. Discusses active (self-directed) versus passive (pre-sequenced) access; knowledge acquisition; emotional outcomes; and knowledge utilization with a…

This investigation was designed to determine the influence of metaphorical priming on students' comprehension of issues and concepts pertaining to the U.S. Constitution when students studied the subject matter in a problem-based hypermedia instructional system. Sixty-five high school seniors studied the system for 5 days after receiving relevant,…

A content analysis of 46 early learning standards documents developed by state-level organizations and available for review in January 2005 was conducted to determine the specific areas of development addressed within the standards documents. The authors contend that this type of analysis is important because early learning standards that define…