Analysis of communicative interactions of community residents using interviews, diaries, and tape recordings revealed how learning may occur incidentally in social organizations, chance meetings, and other community interactions. Such community learning serves to transmit skills, knowledge, and values. Community groups provide pathways to skilled…

Describes and compares three models used in planning interpretive environmental experiences: an intuitive program-planning model; an interactive communications model; and Cherem's model, in which the audience directly influences program goals and techniques. Cherem's model includes managerial realities, but doesn't recognize the social aspect of…

Seeks to discover whether listening to songs over an extended period of time contributes to a greater integration of words and music in memory among preschool children. Finds more accurate recognition of songs performed without text when they had heard them previously with texts and that melodic content influenced song-recognition ability. (DSK)

Observations of mentor-apprentice interactions in a secondary youth apprenticeship program revealed the following: (1) apprentices had opportunities for socially shared, hands-on applied activities; (2) mentors instructed, demonstrated, coached, and explained; (3) no mentors had formal training in instruction; and (4) apprentices were able to…

Discusses changes in education that are occurring as a result of the rapid growth of information technology, resulting in learning processes focused on the learner. Highlights include implementation issues, developing critical information literacies, use of the Internet, and the role of teacher-librarians. (LRW)

Describes a new synchronous collaborative environment that combines interactive learning and Group Support Systems for computer-mediated collaboration. Illustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, and describes how teachers' roles are changed. (Author/LRW)

Examined aspects of dyslexia as they became apparent during the construction of geometrical figures by one student as described by another, one of whom had dyslexic symptoms. Found that both dyslexic and non-dyslexic children encountered many communication problems, but that directional confusion of dyslexic students was one of the major…

Considers how well cerebral palsy students learn high school geometry. Finds that one student needed a lot of time to process visual information. Concludes that the orientation of angles, complexity of the diagram, and the length of the side of an angle all had an impact on understanding. (Author/CCM)

Discussion of the use of the Internet to deliver instruction and multimedia opportunities for Web-page design focuses on working memory and its implications for Web-based instruction. Topics include media overload; cognitive load theory; static visual displays; animations; audio; and research questions. (Author/LRW)

Tests for alternative conceptions of students enrolled in a second course of sciences at the Teacher Training School in Pamplona, Spain of a geological topic (silicates) that had been studied at previous educational levels. Students' concept maps showed the existence of a large number of alternative conceptions. Contains 26 references. (Author/ASK)

Presents a study of design questions that children ask as they work technologically in school. Discusses school aged children's technological work on "cubby building". Supports the view that children's design questions and briefs arise at various points throughout the lesson sequence, demonstrating the iterative nature of design, make,…

Describes ways of thinking about probability and some common student misconceptions. Suggests ways of addressing students' misconceptions and illustrates these ideas with an example. (ASK)

Explores the successive and progressive changes in the structural complexity and propositional validity of knowledge held by students enrolled in an advanced undergraduate university-level biology course. Finds that in general, a significant amount of weak restructuring occurs and that the most radical type of strong restructuring occurs during…

Proposes a new vision of higher education for the "Age of Transformation." Suggests that the primary issue facing higher education is the need to initiate, implement, and manage meaningful, planned change. Offers an expanded view of strategic planning, contrasting the traditional teaching paradigm with a learning paradigm. Stresses that managing…

The adventure field has long recognized the influence of the mind on the body. The state of "relaxed alertness" induced by fun and humor facilitates the integration of mind and body for learning. The perspective of the whole, aided by humor, is key to achieving goals and creative problem solving, essential leadership skills that…