Examines the extent to which Japanese learners of English as a Second Language acquired a rule regulating the argument structure frames of novel English verbs after exposure to grammatical examples of sentences containing the verbs. Results showed significant differences in the extent of learning, with the focus-on-form conditions outperforming…

Presents a model of instructional design which links cognitive learning theory and instructional prescriptions. Topics discussed include knowledge types and knowledge acquisition; memory system components; learning time; learning objectives, including skills, cognitive strategies, and creative processes; instructional methods that relate to…

This article discusses how current theories of learning and memory can guide the application of integrated media (IM) to embellish a standard curriculum; considers theoretical reasons for "breaking the mold"; and offers examples of IM-based alternatives to curricula in the areas of adult literacy, language arts, social studies, language skills,…

Ten ways to design an effective Human-Computer Interface are explained. Highlights include material delivery that relates to user knowledge; appropriate screen presentations; attention value versus learning and recall; the relationship of packaging and message; the effectiveness of visuals and text; the use of color to enhance communication; the…

System-initiated adaptive advice and learner-requested nonadaptive background information were investigated in computer simulation game experiments with 64 seventh graders, 38 college students, and 80 seventh and eighth graders in Germany. Results are discussed in terms of theories of problem solving, intelligence, memory, and information…

Presents a diagnostic teaching unit in general science designed to identify effective learning strategies for seventh-grade students with learning disabilities or behavior disorders. The unit is intended to identify effective strategies for students in reading comprehension, mathematics problem solving, and memory. Detailed instructions for four…

Explores the "translation-recognition" task, using two experiments, one for adult Dutch learners of English and the second for people from the same population. Results suggest that translation recognition and translation production respond to the same manipulations, except when cognates and noncognates are focused on separately. (23…

This exploratory study of graduate students attempts to quantify some of the interactions that take place between learners and a computer-based instructional lesson teaching basic memory skills. Variables studied include age, undergraduate grade point average, sex, and standardized test scores. (Author/LRW)

Background: Individuals with Down syndrome consistently perform less well than appropriately matched comparison groups on tests of verbal short-term memory, despite performing relatively well on non-verbal short-term memory tasks. However, it is not clear whether these findings constitute evidence for a selective deficit in verbal short-term…

Data on the relationships between cognitive and physical phenotypes, and a deficit of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene-specific protein product, FMRP, are presented and discussed in context with earlier findings. The previously unpublished results obtained, using standard procedures of regression and correlations, showed highly…

Recently a number of quasi-experimental studies have investigated the potential of a cross-modality transfer of second language competency between real-time, conversational exchange via text and speech (Abrams, 2003; Beauvious, 1998; Kost, 2004; Payne & Whitney, 2002). Payne and Whitney employed Levelt's (1989) model of language production and…

The dissociative reactions in acute stress disorder purportedly impede encoding and organization of traumatic memories and consequently impair the individual's ability to retrieve trauma-related details. A qualitative examination was conducted on trauma narratives of individuals with acute stress disorder (N = 15) prior to cognitive behavior…

The current paper examines the design process that led to an unusually successful interactive tutorial for older people. The paper describes the issues that make designing for older people different. These include differences between the designer and the target population and the difficulty that older people have in interacting with low-fidelity…

Child sex abuse increasingly is recognised as a societal problem that can no longer be ignored. In this paper definitions, prevalence, trends, assessment, and available diagnostic procedures are described and critically evaluated. It is argued that the lack of reliable diagnostic procedures remains one of the main difficulties in dealing…

Current neuroimaging and neurophysiologic techniques have substantially increased our possibilities to study processes related to various language functions in the intact human brain. Learning to read and write influences the functional organization of the brain. What is universal and what is specific in the languages of the world are important…