This paper describes how a target group of seven students in a combined fourth and fifth grade mathematics class used structured representations to solve fraction problems situated within various realistic contexts. Emphasis is given to the ways in which students' thinking about rational number concepts influences and is influenced by the…

Instructional systems design (ISD) is the integration of general systems theory, instructional theory, and communications theory. Edgar Dale, a leader in the fields of reading and journalism and a pioneer in the humanistic/communications tradition of the field of instructional technology, related the concrete to abstract continuum to media…

The purpose of this report is to outline the state of the art in calculus assessment and to indicate directions for explorations in assessment that will enable educators to gain a deeper understanding of student learning in order to improve student learning through calculus instruction. The purpose is accomplished in the context of two major…

This paper discusses the capabilities of the Internet, including the ability to combine textual with visual presentation information, that make it an especially useful learning tool for students with hearing impairments. Instructional design recommendations are made for effective computer-assisted lessons that will help to develop and expand…

An instructional program was constructed that explored the responses and perceptions of preservice elementary school teachers while finding and using characteristics to construct categories or concepts. The program integrated ideas about teaching thinking skills using computers. HyperCard and videodisk images were used to develop a program so that…

This paper is concerned with understanding how a scaffolding process is utilized in the natural setting of a middle-school mathematics class. Wood, Bruner, & Ross (1976) characterize scaffolding as a learning process of a novice which is assisted and dominated by the adult. Rogoff and Gardner (1984) also point out that "to make messages…

Instruction should be designed to incorporate learning theories that explain how intellectual skills are developed. Through these appropriate learning theories, students learn to think conceptually, critically, and creatively when analyzing situations, developing solutions to problems, and learning from their experiences. Several critical issues…

This document reports a project, entitled Workshop Physics, that involved the development and testing of introductory physics materials to enable instructors to abandon the traditional separation of lecture and laboratory in favor of a workshop format. The Workshop Physics courses emphasize cognitive development enhanced by direct experience and…

This document presents the results of three studies about how children interpret observations of the biological phenomena of decay. The objectives of this report were to: (1) document and compare the ideas used by elementary school children in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada; (2) document how these ideas changed from age 5 to 16;…

The relationship between language, thought, and concept formation has been a central issue in many studies and theoretical discussions in various domains--philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and linguistics. The relation between language and concept development can be framed as two opposing questions: (1) Does the child learn concepts first and…

A study investigated a model that takes into account the influence of conceptual, cultural, and linguistic variables in formation of verbal and nonverbal concepts in bilingual children. This triple-interaction model states that concepts are represented in three ways: (1) nonverbally as abstract categories; (2) symbolically by means of…

A study investigated changes in prospective elementary teachers' conceptions about projectile motion. The preservice teachers (enrolled in reading methods courses) were either told or not told that they were expected to teach a videotaped lesson on projectile motion. In addition, they either participated in a combined demonstration-reading or in a…

This research investigated the teaching of concrete chemical concepts and procedures to beginning chemistry students. Data were collected for this study from students enrolled in a university-level course for nonscience majors (n=171). In the topic studied, chemical bonding, four different teaching strategies were investigated: remediation of…

Students lacking formal training in physics have great difficulty predicting the paths of various projectiles. With respect to pendulum-bobs that are released from various points in a swing, a previous experiment found that empirical feedback (i.e., resultant trajectories) produced transfer-of-training to other pendular-based tasks. However, such…

This teacher's guide is part of a program of activities that help secondary-level students develop the complex thinking skills needed to succeed in science. This program can be used with current curriculum materials. It is designed to help students integrate ideas and develop concepts that demonstrate higher level thinking. A rich environment of…