Research and various studies have showed that using multimedia in the classroom increases creativity, innovation problem solving and improves communication between people. Technology addresses equity and access issues for learners. Using technology allows educators to refine teaching strategies and learning processes, and to be more inclusive of…

Many recent articles, research papers, and conference presentations about Lev Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) emphasize the "extended" version of the ZPD that reflects human emotions and desires. In this essay, Michael G. Levykh expands on the extant literature on the ZPD through developing several new ideas. First, he maintains that…

Discusses instructional strategies that can be used in any skill domain and uses Gagne's conditions of learning as a model to suggest internal and external conditions of expertise. Differences between experts and novices are examined, including the amount of information they can bring to a new situation, the organization of that information, and…

Discusses three assumptions that relate to constructivism and instructional design which are based on articles in an earlier issue: (1) an emphasis on learning rather than on performance and instruction; (2) the changing role of technology for promoting learning rather than to teach content; and (3) the changing roles of instructional designers.…

Involuntary mental rehearsal of foreign language words, sounds, and phrases is found consistent with current second language acquisition theory and case history reports. It is suggested the "din in the head" results from stimulation of the language acquisition device set off when the acquirer receives enough comprehensible input. (Author/MSE)

Defines metacognition, discusses its importance in reading, and provides suggestions for its development. (FL)

Discusses theories of constructivism, educational technology, and instructional design that were raised in an earlier issue. Topics discussed include process versus content of learning; collaboration; prespecification of knowledge in building instruction; and the design of learning environments. Two examples contrasting objectivist and…

Reviews literature from neuroscience and mass communications regarding how media affects learning and memory and relates research findings to interactive multimedia. Topics discussed include knowledge and media; neurological conceptions of memory; media and memory; and interactive multimedia and memory. (Contains 24 references.) (LRW)

Arguing that technology in education can free teachers to teach, this paper reviews the literature and discusses both the role of the teacher as a facilitator who uses judicious applications of educational technology to ensure that student learning is maximized, and the effects of various factors such as emotional problems and nutritional…

This paper describes three models of brain function, each of which contributes to an integrated understanding of human learning. The first model, the up-and-down model, emphasizes the interconnection between brain structures and functions, and argues that since physiological, emotional, and cognitive responses are inseparable, the learning context…

The article reviews the popularity in networked learning designs for values of collaboration, and in particular, of community. Examples of this are drawn from the networked learning literature, highlighting corresponding arguments for networked learning providing the basis for a more democratic ethos within higher educational programmes. The…

The persistence of the constructivist agenda within learning and developmental theory suggests that underneath the seemingly disparate views of Piagetian, socioculturalist, and ecological perspectives lie some unifying concepts that find their mutual expression in constructivism. The paper contends that semiotics provides the conceptual means to…

The recognition of teaching as a special relationship among individuals is currently being overlooked in much contemporary educational research and policymaking. The author examines the philosophy of rationality in teaching and relates it to the educational vision presented in George Orwell's novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four." (CB)

Discussion of learning how to solve problems focuses on instructional design models and how students construct their knowledge and learn skills. Topics discussed include conceptual knowledge; procedural knowledge and skills; knowledge representation; causal knowledge; types of knowledge and relevant skills; knowledge acquisition; prediction and…

Reviews programs such as the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and literature on the scholarship of teaching at the higher education level. Suggests that the scholarship of teaching is not synonymous with excellent teaching, but requires faculty to "go meta," to systematically investigate questions of student learning.…