Examines how the aquarium has attempted to move from a transfer view of knowledge to a constructivist approach in its most popular general public program--the killer whale presentation. The process of change that staff underwent is similar to conceptual change processes among learners of science. Describes constructivist strategies of conceptual…

Explores how research in learning styles can benefit from findings in cognitive psychology. Discusses difficulties of research on learning styles and two relevant findings in cognitive research: the influence of prior knowledge on learning and the potential value to learners of metacognitive awareness. Urges rigorous conceptual and empirical…

Describes early research examining the validity of the original Inventory of Learning Processes. Presents a revised version of the inventory with reliability and validity data. Discusses reflective and agentic processing as the two major routes to academic achievement. Concludes that the smooth flow of cognition depends on the student's…

This response to Englert's article (EC 602 935) on sociocultural factors in teaching writing to students with learning disabilities addresses the application of social constructivist theory. It notes that the success of the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing program may be not only attributable to its holistic social emphasis but also to…

Described is an activity that categorizes a two-digit number as "sneaky" if the continued process of taking the difference of the squares of its digits leads to a difference of zero. Other categorizations are determined by whether the difference process ends in a one-digit number or continues in a loop of numbers. (MDH)

Study described what and how preservice teachers learned during a field-based elementary physical education methods course. Interviews, observations, and written work indicated they felt the development of pedagogical content knowledge was salient in learning to teach. They linked inadequate pedagogical content knowledge to problems observing and…

Focuses on the enhancement of chemistry students' skill in problem solving utilizing problem categorization techniques. Indicates that explicit training in categorization skills can lead to higher achievement in complex problem-solving situations but that such achievement may be limited by the lack of linkages between students' conceptual…

Describes the procedures and results of a two-year project to improve the learning skills of first-year college students, focusing on aspects of students' daily lives and on effective study actions, strategies, and attitudes. Student achievement was higher than a comparative cohort, and differences were maintained into the second year. (DMM)

Presents a classroom activity in which students calculate the amount and types of trash thrown out by their class at school to investigate how much trash is generated, where it goes, and speculate about alternatives. Students need to be familiar with the concepts of weight, volume, and numbers. (MCO)

Studies of the relationship between students' propositional knowledge (as measured by concept mapping tasks) and their study strategies (as measured by self-report questionnaires) for electricity in first-year university courses are described. The effect of propositional knowledge and prior knowledge on both conceptual knowledge and study…

Discusses the increasing need for professional development and retraining in Australia, especially for inservice teacher education, and describes new methods that may be more effective than traditional methods. Highlights include open learning; the modularization of courses and programs; the adaptation of instructional materials; and distance…

This study, involving 34 third graders, assessed the differential effects of a specific and general strategy on experts and novices' transfer and maintenance performance of part-whole addition and subtraction word problems using dynamic assessment. Dynamic assessment indicated important differences between experts and novices. (Author/JDD)

The diversity of cognitive style and learning strategies will become a guiding principle for the organization of language discovery environments that have a dynamic and adaptive learner profile as their core. This article describes a model for these environments and details the contents of a technologically based language learner profile.…

A study found systematic, structural gender differences between male (n=266) and female (n=144) college students in perceptions of and approaches to learning. It is argued that gender variation in study behavior is an important but often neglected source of variation in student learning that can and should be managed by educators. (Author/MSE)

Microcomputers in education are only valuable if there is software to stimulate each specific student. Teachers must understand each student's learning style then use computer software to meet individual needs. Students should become aware of their individual learning preferences and apply specific techniques to acquire knowledge more efficiently.…