Discussion of learners' prior knowledge focuses on a method for exploring common-sense reasoning by engaging secondary school students in the development of an expert system representing their own intuitive expertise. Students' intuitive concerns are discussed; patterns of reasoning are examined; and epistemic planes are described. (23 references)…

Discusses problems in creating the information retrieval mechanisms used in constructivist computer-based learning environments to support knowledge discovery: (1) subject can not always be pre-specified and the learner may not know what to seek; (2) retrieval strategies differ considerably from conventional ones, with the search including data,…