Examines Astington and Olson's proposal under the context of von Wright's and Hempel's theories of explanation and understanding. Suggests that for taking children's meaning making seriously, researchers should find a principled way to acknowledge the role of interpretation in scientific thinking even in the making of explanation itself. (AA)

Examines the relationship between causal-explanatory and interpretive-hermeneutic approaches to how we understand our own and others' minds. Suggests that the two approaches discussed by Astington and Olson are mutually enlightening but, contrary to the proposed position, are irreducible to each other. (AA)

Points out agreement that the concepts a child acquires are variants of those exemplified by the cultures in which they grow up. Suggests, however, that learners interpret these cultural practices in terms of models causally determined by their cognitive or representational capacities and by the stock of concepts currently available. (AA)

Evidence from test results of 3,604 sixth and seventh graders is provided for the generalizability and validity of the Quantitative Understanding: Amplifying Student Achievement and Reasoning (QUASAR) Cognitive Assessment Instrument, which is designed to measure program outcomes and growth in mathematics. (SLD)

Analyses of students' social and motivational interpretations of interaction during classroom teaching and learning are reported. The interactive learning was organized according to the principles of a cognitive apprenticeship and applied to a technology-based learning environment. The purpose as to promote the mediation of modern technological…

This article provides a brief overview of recent literature on the cognitive and neurocognitive profile characteristics of autism spectrum disorders. Emphasis is placed on potential links between cognitive profiles and social or adaptive functioning. Suggestions for cognitive assessment measures are provided, along with supplementary measures for…

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…

Reports on the follow-up study of a two-part project designed to study the decision-making process underlying how academic researchers select documents retrieved from online databases, consult or read, and cite documents during a research project. Findings indicated that all but one of the criteria reoccur in connection with reading and citing…

Proposes a model to explain the underlying theoretical foundation by which Internet learning takes place in an educational environment. Central to this model is the hypothesis that learning and teaching are distinguishable consequences of Internet use in education. The "orbicular model" not only enunciates this hypothesis, but extends the process…

Presents a framework for using media to create experiential learning in multicultural and diversity issues based on cognitive-experiential self-theory. Offers several lessons and a media resource list aimed at training counseling students in multicultural and diversity issues. (Author/GCP)

First-grade children at risk for a learning disability (LD) in mathematics, reading, or both were compared to a control group on experimental tasks assessing number comprehension and production skills, counting knowledge, arithmetic skills, working memory, and ease of retrieving information from long-term memory. Found different patterns of intact…

Focuses on student and in-service primary teachers' learning about balanced and unbalanced forces in a range of contexts and identifies significant features of the learning process from the learners' perspectives. (Contains 33 references.) (DDR)

In developmental research, the family has mainly been studied through dyadic interaction. Three-way interactions have received less attention, partly because of their complexity. This difficulty may be overcome by distinguishing between four hierarchically embedded functions in three-way interactions: (1) participation (inclusion of all…

Socioscientific issues encompass social dilemmas with conceptual or technological links to science. The process of resolving these issues is best characterized by informal reasoning which describes the generation and evaluation of positions in response to complex situations. This article presents a critical review of research related to informal…

Focuses on the Jigsaw elementary secondary classroom model developed for desegregated classrooms experiencing hostility and competition. Describes the use of two small group sets to facilitate learning for promoting cooperation, summarized in four steps. Explains the Reverse Jigsaw method developed for higher education courses and outlined in…