The Interactive Learning Model illustrates how we process information (cognition), perform learning tasks (conation), and develop a self when performing difficult learning tasks (affectation). Individuals approach learning tasks with varying degrees of sequence, precision, technical reasoning, and confluence. These ingredients are embedded in the…

Measures the effects of presentation mode and perceived difficulty on retention of academic content material. Finds the main effects of presentation mode and difficulty to be significant; however, pairwise comparisons of means for mode did not show significant differences. (NH)

Vygotskian theory suggests that maturation and learning are not mutually exclusive; rather together they constitute development and are thus dependent on each other and interactive. The concept of the zone of proximal development involves determining two developmental levels of mental functions for each learner--the actual and the potential…

The New Jersey Task Force on Thinking has taken the first steps toward statewide assessment of students' thinking skills. Efforts were made to (1) define requisite thinking competencies, (2) explore measurement of thinking competencies, and (3) make recommendations accordingly. Preliminary findings are reported. (TE)

Mentally retarded persons in sheltered workshops in West Virginia were studied in order to determine their learning styles and how these learning styles related to the populations studied by Witkin and others. (Witkin classified learning styles as either field independent--i.e. task oriented--or field-dependent--i.e., oriented to the social…

The Analogical Reasoning Learning Test (ARLT) was developed for use with individuals with IQs lower than 55. A study involving 58 students (ages 6-19) with moderate to severe mental retardation found the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of this measure are high. Discriminant and predictive validity are satisfactory. (Contains…

Research summarized here demonstrates how similarity thinking can be used in training programs to help ethnic minority children acquire basic skills. Current achievements are often attenuated by poor language skills, especially when English is not the first language of the child. Similarity thinking assesses the child's ability to learn without…

The associations among cognitive automatization, abstract problem solving, and educational performance were studied using 127 fourth to ninth grade students. A number of measures of fast, automatic, and fluent performance (FAF measures) were used: writing the alphabet; reading from a word list; and mentally performing arithmetic operations. The…

Discusses the process of increasing academic standards of students and broadening their knowledge in a balanced science education program. Describes assessment levels of knowledge with understanding and the basis for choosing course content material. Cites problems arising from management of project. (RT)

Recent theorists have begun to re-conceptualize the construct of "intelligence." This paper reviews recent theories of intelligence and indicates implications for practitioners, educators, and individuals. Theories and theorists discussed include the following: (1) Robert Sternberg has advanced the "triarchic theory" of…

The Conceptual Learning and Development (CLD) Model specifies four levels of concept attainment (concrete, identity, classificatory, and formal) and three uses of concepts (problem solving, subordinate-supraordinate, and principles). Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of concept attainment may be conducted. The results of this study of 300…