Critical thinking is an important learning outcome for college students. A review of the literature shows that this skill is affected by a number of factors, including exposure to cultural diversity. The University of Guam (UOG) located in the western Pacific is multicultural and multilingual. Using data from focus groups, this study examined the…

Based on part of a line of research on children's prior knowledge and thinking (including misconceptions) about topics addressed in the traditional K-3 social studies curriculum, a study was designed to provide such information with respect to the topic of government. Individual interviews were conducted with K-3 students (n=96), stratified…

This study investigated patterns and effects of cognitive tools usage during engagement with an open-ended hypermedia learning environment. Seven technical institute students engaged in problem-solving tasks concerning anatomy and physiology. They used 16 cognitive tools embedded in a hypermedia system and their tool use patterns and corresponding…

This study identified instructional strategies that family and consumer science teacher candidates found useful, noting why the strategies aided their learning. A 2-hour lesson on classroom management using small group theory was selected based on its ties to constructivist pedagogy. Before teaching the lesson, the instructor described her…

The traditional K-3 social studies curriculum has focused on food, clothing, shelter, communication, transportation, and other cultural universals, but little information exists about children's prior knowledge and thinking (including misconceptions) about these topics. This study was designed to provide such information with respect to the topic…

This lesson supports third- through fifth-grade students' exploration of multiple online sources to gather information about the life of a well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus. During the two 50- to 60-minute sessions, students will: use prewriting (a K-W-L chart) to prepare for research; use prior knowledge to extend the depth of inquiry;…

This book describes the classrooms and homes of working class children struggling not only to learn to read but also to deal with the kind of subjectivity that literacy simultaneously holds out to and refuses them. One theme threaded throughout the book concerns the ways in which students' engagements with literacies are connected with their own…

This paper attempts to compare the nativist approach on the contextualization of vocabulary with approaches by behaviorists, empiricists, and neofunctionalists. It considers such themes and issues as the following: cognition, comprehension, and communication; prior knowledge and content; the process of contextualization; the skill and process of…

By measuring the performance of 62 students enrolled in a community college introductory algebra course, this study challenges the generally accepted assumption among mathematics instructors that mastery of arithmetic is necessary for the learning of algebra. Study subjects were 35% male, 74% Hispanic, 16% Black, 8% white, and 2% other. A pretest,…

A cooperative project, involving Empire State College and other institutions within the State University of New York, is described that introduces faculties and administrators at traditional campuses to the nontraditional modes and methodologies of instruction at Empire State. Participants' evaluation of the project are provided. (MLW)

Third grade children (n=24) who were administered the standard, simultaneous version of the Matching Familiar Figures test committed fewer errors when administered a sequential version of the same test than did subjects (n=24) who took the more difficult sequential version first. (PN)

Entry level and senior students given identical pharmacy law units were compared and effects of prior internship and externship experience assessed. Seniors' achievement gain was greater, but prior practical experience showed little effect on achievement. Retention was statistically significant for sophomores 9 to 12 months post-instruction, and…

Describes an independent study program for college students who wish to pursue a truly independent course of studies. Gives examples of individual programs which grew from students' needs and professional experience. Outlines guidelines for independent study. (Author/RC)

A national survey reported on institutional practices in awarding credits for extrainstitutional learning. Results reveal that 98 percent of respondents award credit for extrainstitutional learning, with credit-by-examination, general exam, institutionally developed exams, College Board placement exams, and others used, in that descending order.…

Adult students, it is suggested, are not adequately prepared to plan their education and relate it to the assessment of prior learning. Educational goal clarification enhances a student's ability to participate actively in educational planning and to integrate prior learning into the total plan. (Author/MLW)