In the first of this presentation's two parts, an attempt is made to clarify the meaning of constructivist education, an approach based on a theory which explains learning as a process of construction from within the individual, rather than one of internalization or absorption from the environment. In the second part, a personal view of why…

Information on research efforts concerning higher education in Sweden is presented. The development of the research program has involved a shift of emphasis among four major problem areas (the role of higher education in society, the organization of higher education, the educational function, and the research function). While in the early 1970s…

In an attempt to identify parent-child interaction patterns that might differentiate bright from below-average elementary students, 16 high achievers and 16 low achievers were paired with their mothers and then videotaped whilst engaged in 3 sets of task situations, which involved copying of Block Design models and categorization of words and…

The ways in which students in grades five and six solve problems is the focus of this paper, which provides background for the staff of the Skills Essential to Learning Television Project, (a multi-level series of video and print resources for classroom use). It considers the problem-solving process categories of understanding, transformation, and…

Some basic concerns about the proliferation of computers in schools are stated: (1) Educational goals for children should be established as a first priority, then what computers can do to help achieve those goals should be examined; (2) Very few pieces of software are useful in schools, and teacher education programs should explore what is needed…

If microcomputers are used as automated testing stations, for use in psychometric assessment, there are economic advantages. Discussion follows, however, on whether it is possible to improve the quality of cognitive assessment by extending the range of cognitive abilities to be assessed. Two types of extension are considered: modifying and…

This discussion of questions related to the most appropriate role for the computer in undergraduate postsecondary education begins by describing the Educational Testing Service's evaluations of two large-scale funded projects intended to stimulate the incorporation of computer assisted instruction (CAI) into undergraduate instruction--the…

As consciousness becomes a more viable field of investigation and research, more attempts are being made to examine states of consciousness and their effects on certain abilities. A meta-analysis was used to examine the state of relaxation and its effects on learning, performance, and academic achievement. A search of PsychINFO, the data base of…

This paper compares three analyses of stimulated-recall data gathered in interviews with 24 elementary school teachers who were reporting their interactive decision making (IDM). Two analyses were quantitative--one an experimental design, the other a content analysis--and one was qualitative. The experimental study found that teachers' reflection…

Examines the way children learn from each other in the science classroom, and in particular deals with the question: "What can we do in teacher training to help teachers learn how to foster child-child learning?" (JR)

This paper develops the thesis that the knowledge a person possesses has a potent influence on what he or she will learn and remember from exposure to discourse. After outlining some assumptions about the characteristics of the structures (schemata) in which existing knowledge is packaged, a theory of the processes involved in assimilating the…

This paper presents the thesis that information gained from the extensive research on conservation training can be utilized in planning curriculum content and teaching strategies, especially in concept acquisition. It is suggested that precise teaching techniques have been created and evaluated in studies of conservation training, and that every…

Documentation of classroom processes and interaction plays two roles; it is helpful in classroom/program evaluation, and in the continuing personal and professional growth of the teacher. Documentation in the evaluation context is not primarily concerned with narrow objectives or with standardized tests, but rather seeks to determine meaning over…

A vast literature in educational psychology attests to the fact that individual differences in learner aptitudes predict learning outcomes. A substantial body of literature also demonstrates that aptitude variables often interact with instructional treatment variables in these predictions. Aptitude main effects and aptitude-instructional treatment…

Three interrelated processes; storage, retrieval, and judgment, are distinguished in an attempt to describe stereotype formation. The results of four experiments are described. These experiments were designed to answer some of the questions about what information is learned, how it is stored, how it is retrieved, and, once retrieved, how it is…