A new test theory for performance-based assessment is proposed. Criteria for "good" performance-based items, ways of measuring cognitive complexity, methods for determining maturity levels of understanding, and scaling systems are discussed. A performance-based task completed by 51 ninth and tenth graders in June 1993 was studied.…

This report examines the learning styles of Caucasian and African-American students. While research supports the claim that low academic achievement is prevalent in the minority community, there is no consensus regarding the causes. There are two schools of thought that involve (1) the cognitive deficit or genetic cause, and (2) the cultural…

This manual provides basic information on the cognitive, academic, and behavioral issues which may follow brain injury and suggests practical techniques for remediation within the educational setting. The guide stresses that the success of educating children with brain injuries is largely dependent on family members and educators understanding…

The first-year experiences of minority-group college students are often highly stressful and may influence decisions about remaining in college. M. R. Louis' model of meaning and sense-making provides a framework for examining the experiences of American Indian college freshmen and for evaluating interventions aimed at lowering student attrition…

The term "conative" is used to describe constructs that span both motivational and volitional aspects of human behavior, distinguished from constructs that emphasize cognition and affection. Among the conative constructs are achievement strivings, beliefs about self-esteem and self-efficacy, interests and attitudes about learning,…

Based on the theory that teachers can help children to become active, responsible learners, this book emphasizes the value of the process of reflection--of analyzing and making judgments about what has happened--and explores strategies to raise awareness of reflective thinking processes. The book provides teachers with practical examples of how…

Building on the assumption that there is cognitive organization to social abilities, two studies analyzed stability and change of this organization in children. The first study focused on children who attended the first year and second year of nursery school, and the first year of elementary school. The second study focused on those children who…

This study was designed to determine students' abilities and difficulties in articulating the relationship between function and derivative. High-school students were presented 15 problems during two 75-minute interviews in which they were asked to construct functions experimentally in three different contexts: motion, fluids, and number-change. In…

The concept of mediated learning is examined, focusing on the work of L. Vygotsky (1896-1934) and R. Feuerstein (born 1921). Mediated learning is the subtle social interaction between teacher and learner in the enrichment of the student's learning experience. Both theorists take a strong sociological approach to the development of intelligence and…

This review explores the factors of cognitive processing, style, and metacognitive organization as they contribute to academic success. Specific discussions consider aspects of short- and long-term memory, including how these affect learning and academic performance, and the keys to attaining long-term memory capability by involving redundancy,…

This study investigated the role of problem structure and metacognitive control in the analogical transfer of performance of 40 13- and 14-year-old gifted and highly gifted math students. Average and above average 16-, 17-, and 18-year-olds served as comparison groups. Students were given three algebra problems with solutions, followed by two…

This collection of articles by 15 leading researchers and teachers explores the social, cognitive, and pedagogical aspects of developing biliteracy--literacy in two languages. Chapters include the following: "Inheriting Sins While Seeking Absolution: Language Diversity and National Data Sets" (Reynaldo Macias); "Sociolinguistic…

This curriculum outline is designed for trainers of practitioners who use technology with students with disabilities. It offers an alternative approach to technology-specific training, with the student as the focus, the technology as one potential solution for providing better access to instruction, and the matching of functional tasks required in…

The technical reports and working papers published by the Center for Children and Technology that are listed in this guide focus on educational technology and its relationship to student learning and school restructuring. Technical reports share research results, describe prototype designs, and address issues crucial to the Center's research…

The Politics and Mass Media section of the proceedings contains the following 14 papers: "Voter Learning in the 1990 Off-Year Election: Did the Media Matter?" (David Weaver and Dan Drew); "Televised Political Conventions as Pseudo-Events: Proposals for More Substantive Campaign Coverage in 1992" (John M. Arwood); "Media…