"Mental modeling" refers to a student's ability to visualize or comprehend the information research process. This article reviews 50 years of changing conceptions of how we learn: behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist perspective; describes the application of three "mental models" to interactive technology; and discusses…

Students in higher education are faced with rapidly changing societal conditions. As the nature and structure of the workplace and the family have changed, the specific knowledge and skills people need for the future have become less predictable. Teachers can address these changing conditions by applying cognitive theory to learning and…