Understanding the role of prior knowledge in human learning is essential for predicting, improving, and explaining competence acquisition. However, the size and breadth of this field make it difficult for researchers to glean a comprehensive overview. Hence, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 13,507 relevant studies published between 1980 and…

A wealth of research has been conducted into emergent literacy (i.e., precursors to formal reading) skills and development in typically developing (TD) children. However, despite research suggesting children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of reading challenges, limited research exists on their emergent literacy. Thus, we aimed to…

Comments on this special issue on cognitive load theory and suggests three new basic directions for research: (1) the potential of cognitive load theory (CLT) to ground approaches to learning and instruction; (2) monitoring activities that occur in the learning process; and (3) the study of the notion of prior knowledge in the context of CLT. (SLD)

Briefly describes how students use their prior knowledge of conventions in making inferences about literature. Outlines some techniques that could be employed in conducting descriptive research studies to determine what students do or do not know and how that difference affects their response to literature. (RL)

Discussion of user-friendly computer systems focuses on the use of learners' mental models to help in the design of interactive learning systems. Topics addressed include interactivity; human factors research; human-computer interface issues; individual differences, including learning styles and prior experience; cognitive load; measuring mental…

Reviews previous research to compare the instructional effects of multiple-try feedback (MTF) forms to single-try feedback forms and no feedback in both traditional and in computer-based instruction. Interaction between students' prior knowledge and the number of feedback trials is examined, and future MTF research is suggested. (Contains 59…

A discussion of schema theory as it relates to the learning of English as a Second Language reviews related research and its implications for classroom instruction. The first section looks at schema theory in general and content schemata in particular, focusing on how they affect reading comprehension. Studies of non-native speakers, schema…

Considerable attention has been devoted in recent years to theories of text comprehension and recall that stress the importance of preexisting knowledge structures or schemata. While the valuable contribution such research has made to the understanding of the reading process and the various disabilities that often attend its acquisition must be…

This paper reviews the function of literary allusion and examines how this device helps readers relate to texts. Questions are raised about children's ability to understand allusions, particularly Biblical references. Suggestions for research to improve understanding of the role of allusions are given. (PP)

Reviews research related to content organization and learning and identifies some strategies for designing meaningful content organization that research has suggested might be useful to instructional designers. Forty references are listed. (Author/CHC)

The impact of high school and college students' prior knowledge of literary and social conventions on their attitudes toward fictional characters is examined. Differences were found in attitudes toward the teaching of literature and in evaluations of a fictional teacher's behavior. A model for research in this area is proposed. (PP)

Research suggests that computer anxiety and computer experience are related. Some relationship between age and gender and computer anxiety has been suggested but not sufficiently examined. Other relationships have been explored with little result, and little is known about mediating computer anxiety. A model of the development of computer anxiety…

Presents a taxonomy of 11 sources of information used during library and database searching based on observations of 49 searches in a variety of libraries and search situations. Three categories of sources are identified: those internal to the searcher, those created by the searcher, and those external to the searcher. (Contains 54 references.)…

Reviews current literature about personal, demographic, situational, and cognitive attributes that affect computer-aided decision making. The effectiveness of computer-aided decision making is explored in relation to decision quality, effectiveness, and confidence. Studies of the effects of age, anxiety, cognitive type, attitude, gender, and prior…

A model, derived from the literature, is presented of the influence of learners' preconceptions on the amount of mental effort invested in learning from television. The proposed model suggests that learners' preconceptions are influenced by the characteristics of the media, the characteristics of the task, and the characteristics of the learner.…