Using the General Examinations of the College Level Examination Program to recognize prior learning can increase institutional income while reducing student costs. Recent studies at the University of Toledo are described. (MLW)

A model of how the human cognitive system operates in its natural social context is presented. The model focuses on both input and output variables that have been ignored in the development of most other cognitive theories. Unique predictions of the model and empirical evidence bearing on them are discussed. (Author/LMO)

A survey of students who completed portfolios of self-acquired competencies to earn credit for prior learning at Indiana University reveals the benefits derived from the process including self-esteem, ability for self-evaluation, and better focus for their degree programs. (SK)

Indicates that the format and use of the informal reading inventory need to be modified in order to address recent research findings of schema theory, text analysis, and metacognition. (FL)

Examines the effect of refutation text structure (text that contrasts correct ideas with incorrect ones) on students' misconceptions of Newtonian mechanics, noting that refutation text is efffective in getting students to change their prior misconceptions. Also suggests two ways to help students abandon misconceptions that are not refuted in a…

Portfolio assessment has become a standard mechanism for the evaluation of prior learning for experienced students. An informal survey of portfolio narratives receiving faculty approval for credit at various postsecondary institutions indicates a wide range of declarative, analytical, and interpretive assertions recognized as "learning" in these…

Explains semantic feature analysis, a technique that helps students learn a new vocabulary by seeing how words are alike and how they are different. (HOD)

Two unresolved issues in first language and second language research on the role of background knowledge in comprehension are discussed: (1) the theoretical distinction between "content" and "formal" schemata and their interrelationship in texts and (2) the relationship of effects measured in cross-cultural research to background knowledge that…

Laments journalism students' lack of general world knowledge and describes an abbreviated general knowledge curriculum implemented in a newswriting course. (HTH)

Thirty six senior students in chemical engineering were randomly assigned to three treatment groups in an experimental study that examined the impact of different instructional strategies for troubleshooting malfunctions in a computer-based simulation of a chemical processing plant. In two groups, different types of worked examples,…

Everyone knows that students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are not well prepared for school, have the toughest time making the grade. But what hasn't been so clear is what schools can do about it ... until now. Here at last is a book that spells out how to overcome the deficiencies that hamper the achievement of so many students. Learn why…

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) allows students to obtain credits toward their formal education for nonsponsored learning (i.e., material they have learned through non-traditional settings such as work experience or the home). Within the PLA framework, community colleges have implemented the portfolio development process as a way to assess prior…

At West Virginia State College, the majority of women one professor teaches are first generation college students who arrive in the classroom full of rich cultural stories. These Appalachian women use what they already know as a frame of reference to explore and process the new material of their teacher education program. As part of the final exam…

Four studies examined the relationship between students' ability and the learning processes the students engaged in when they acquired knowledge from their classroom experiences. The research was based on a model of learning processes during knowledge acquisition that identifies critical learning experiences and predicts what is learned and…

In order to name an animal they see, children must use their existing mental models to provide the animal with a name. In this study, pupils between the ages of 4 and 14 are presented with preserved specimens of 6 different animals and asked a series of questions about them. The results indicate that pupils of all ages mainly recognize and use…