A theory of the components of verbal intelligence is developed and tested in this series of experiments. After reviewing alternative theoretical frameworks for understanding verbal intelligence, a componential theory of verbal comprehension is proposed. This theory specifies the information-processing components, context cues, and mediating…

The Discussion Development Group (DDG) at Moray House College of Education, Scotland, is a resource center designed as an open learning system to provide inservice training, consultancy support, and resources on classroom discussion. A case study involving 17 teachers and recently conducted by the DDG explored features of process innovation and…

After observing secondary school students having great difficulty learning geometry in their classes, Dutch educators Pierre van Hiele and Dina van Hiele-Geldof developed a theoretical model involving five levels of thought development in geometry. It is the purpose of this monograph to present English translations of some significant works of the…

To examine the role of elaborations in learning a procedural skill (i.e., using a personal computer) from an instructional text, 88 members of the Carnegie-Mellon University community (students, faculty, and staff members) participated in two experiments. Experimental sessions consisted of a reading period followed by a task performance period in…

This paper presents a general framework for the process of answering questions from memory. The focus is primarily on verification and recognition tasks. Six experiments support the assumptions of the proposed framework. The experiments are designed to address the following categories of inquiry: (1) Can we adjust our strategy preference to mirror…

Focusing on how expert writers in various disciplines convey complex ideas, this paper shows how the techniques used by the mathematician, Clark Kimberling, in various writings can (1) be transferred to other disciplines, (2) show learning taking place, and (3) provide models for students to re-enact learning in all subject areas. The paper…

Taking the lexicogrammatical resources (i.e. the vocabulary and syntax) of English as a starting point, this report explores the demands those resources put on the design of the part of a text generation system that supports the process of lexicogrammatical expression. The first section of the report notes that a reason for using the lexicogrammar…

Ascertaining changes in cognitive correlates of learning as students advanced through hierarchical instruction, 24 individual difference measures were obtained from 166 Navy trainees who had completed a computer-managed mastery course in electricity and electronics. Three types of cognitive characteristic measures were used in the study--tests of…

Focusing on the social nature of reading instruction provides another direction to research and study that both differs from and adds to cognitive research. H. Mehan's theory of social constructivism emphasizes that the development of cognitive processes occurs within the individual through the internalization of interactions between learners and…

Recent research has shown that when individuals hear an impoverished, atypical, or disorganized story and are asked to recall it, they can and do produce a canonical version of it. To determine if this "strategic" manipulation of story structure undergoes developmental changes, two experiments were conducted using second and sixth grade children…

In both within-network and between-network analyses of the self, research results have indicated internal consistency, construct and discriminant validity in terms of multitrait-multimethod techniques, with discriminating weights for gender and age. Factor analyses have yielded a variety of clusters, including most often a self concept of ability.…

The study of alternative conceptions, or interpretations of ideas which differ significantly from the accepted scientific view at any time, has made rapid progress in the last few years. A detailed review of the field is not provided, rather achievements made and challenges for the future are noted. Areas addressed include: (1) the elucidation of…

Part of a continuing series intended for use by reading professionals interested in understanding and improving the reading of adolescents, this report contains four articles dealing with subjects of current interest. Topics covered in the articles are (1) the effects on readers' recall of directions describing passage structure, signaling, and…

Part of a continuing series intended for use by reading professionals interested in understanding and improving the reading of adolescents, this report contains five articles dealing with a variety of subjects. Specific topics discussed in the articles include (1) remedial readers' comprehension during silent and oral reading, (2) recall and…

This paper describes counselmime, a therapeutic cognitive-focusing technique for career and life style planning, in which mimes perform skits designed to heighten self-awareness, enhance communication, and enable viewers to cognitively restructure situations of psycho-social importance to them. The key components of this technique are presented in…