Examined in two studies infants' reenactment of intended acts in failed-attempt paradigm. Found that when only first actions were counted, infants who observed the full-demonstration model produced more target acts. When all target acts produced within the response period were counted, infants in emulation-learning and spatial contiguity…

Describes and compares various assumptions of instructional design and of constructivism, some of which have been raised in other articles in this issue. Topics discussed include instructional design theory; instructional systems theory; mental models; categories of knowledge; knowledge representation; instructional strategies; collaborative…

Four studies compared preschoolers' fast mapping of new proper and common names following indirect exposures requiring inference with their learning new names following ostensive cues. Found that inferential learning of names and learning by direct instruction were largely equivalent: learning from a situation with clear joint references…

Three studies examined 2-year-olds' ability to learn novel words when overhearing these words used by others. Found that children ages 2.5 years were equally good at learning novel object labels and action verbs when they were overhearers as when they were directly addressed. For younger 2-year-olds, this was true for object labels, but results…

This article presents the findings from an interpretative study of an Australian offshore leadership development programme conducted in China from 2002 to 2003. The study explored the conceptions of learning and leadership brought by a group of Chinese educational leaders to the course and investigated the perceived influence of the course upon…

To extend the reach of the second language (L2) classroom, learners may be given opportunities to interact with native speakers through contact assignments or volunteer work organized through their L2 program. An underlying assumption of these practices is that "real-world" and classroom experience offer different but complementary opportunities…

The goal of this study was to examine incidental and intentional spatial sequence learning during middle childhood and adolescence. We tested four age groups (8-10 years, 11-13 years, 14-17 years, and young adults [18+ years]) on a serial reaction time task and used manual and oculomotor measures to examine incidental sequence learning.…

Research on second language acquisition (SLA) and research on foreign language learning (FLL), often regarded as different and separate fields of inquiry, are compared in a brief review of literature. Perceptions about the scopes and characteristics of the research are examined. Concerns about the relationship between SLA research and theory and…

Observes that writing students are often confronted with a great many variables that preclude their attention to specific stylistic details. Explores professional journals that suggest that students in content areas also experience the same difficulty when confronted with abstractions or contexts different from those taught in the classroom. (HT)

The purpose of this study was to research the purported effects of reduction of "mind set" and achievement of greater consistency in data classification when using Simon's Problem-Solving Approach. (Author/JC)

Study of processes by which Liberian apprentice tailors learn their craft is the basis for questioning the traditional dichotomy of "formal" and "informal" education. Used as an analogy to demonstrate that anthropologists need not leave the study of learning to the psychologists, but can make valuable contributions by pursuing…

Two experiments investigated whether instructions to students about how and what to learn can facilitate learning as effectively as adjunct postquestions. Adjunct-question, instruction, and adjunct-question plus instruction groups performed significantly better than the control group in recall of verbatim factual information and in responding to…