Describes an empirical study based on a phenomenographic perspective that examined college students' understanding in relation to their thinking about concepts. Examines the relation between words used and their meaning in the process of understanding and learning. Results of qualitative interviews and contextual analysis are discussed.…

Describes an empirical study which considered the different ways in which 26 university teachers intended to constitute a subject, how they then taught the subject, and how consistent their intentions and practice were. Considers the context of teaching and learning and the influence of conceptual change on teachers. (Author/LRW)

Explains a nested hierarchy of conceptions of teaching and suggests a process of expanding awareness among academic staff of the relation between learning and teaching. Presents a case study of one lecturer's changing conceptions and discusses how conceptual change may be encouraged in academic staff. (Author/LRW)

Explains three worlds of instructional design: the world of knowledge, including knowledge structures and instructional strategies; the world of learning, including learning processes; and the world of work, focusing on real life task performance. Discusses implications for future research, stressing the promise of mental models as a theoretical…

Discusses the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) for foreign language instruction, and describes the development of a Foreign Language Instructional Design Environment (FL-IDE) that uses hypertext to organize the domain knowledge structure. The development of the original IDE as an intelligent tutoring system is also described. (20…

Describes research on the reflection of six professors regarding their thinking about teaching. Topics include the model of the metacognitive process of reflection; the role of reflection in knowledge construction; the role of reflection in teaching development, including conceptual change; and the relationship between reflective teaching and…

Describes two aspects of metacognition, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, and how they relate to domain-specific knowledge and cognitive abilities. It is argued that metacognitive knowledge is multidimensional, domain-general in nature, and teachable. Four instructional strategies are described for promoting the construction and…

Describes a study of medical school students in The Netherlands that tested the assumption of problem-based learning that learning issues, generated by students while discussing a problem, are used as guides for self-directed learning activities. Faculty objectives and student-generated learning issues are compared. (LRW)

Examines the potential of online methods for hypermedia research that allow the recording, analysis, and interpretation of learner/hypermedia interaction. Discusses discourse comprehension research, comprehension of printed text, reading time, verbal protocols, event-related potentials, and interaction protocols in hypermedia research. Contains 56…

Describes a study that was conducted to characterize the approaches to teaching of university lecturers and to examine the relationship between lecturers' approaches to teaching and their conceptions of good teaching. Highlights include a model relating beliefs, teaching and learning; motivational distinctions; accommodation for student…

Describes self-regulatory processes that promote achievement in the basic skills of reading (clarifying purpose, understanding meanings, drawing inferences, looking for relationships, reformulating text) and mathematical problem solving (clarifying problem goals, understanding concepts, applying knowledge, monitoring progress). Experiences in…

Discussion of how visual analogies aid students' understanding of math and science focuses on new types of representations that use computers. Topics addressed include understanding and cognitive performance; the role of representations in understanding, including examples; evidence of instructional effectiveness of new representations; and…

Examines how different internal learner characteristics (prior knowledge, self efficacy, and interest) and different external constraints (learner control, instructional design, and level of control) influence the learning process. Discusses learning from multimedia environments (video, hypertext, kiosk, and other hypermedia) within a schema…