Describes a study of the similarities and differences in graph-related interpretations between scientists and college students engaged in collective graph interpretation. Concludes that while many students learned to provide correct answers to scientific graphing questions, they did not come to make linguistic distinctions or increase their…

Discusses online teaching and the learning process. Topics include distance education and the teacher's role; creating a detailed class syllabus; moderating online discussions; authentic assessment; and cultivating critical thinking skills. Includes a pre-discussion paper and post-discussion summary. (LRW)

Describes the development and implementation of a Web-based calculus course at Texas A & M University. Discusses the course design, layout of content and the contrast with textbook structure, results of course surveys that included student reactions, and how students learn form Web-based materials. (Author/LRW)

Although increasing feedback specificity is generally beneficial for immediate performance, it can undermine certain aspects of the learning needed for later, more independent performance. The results of the present transfer experiment demonstrate that the effects of increasing feedback specificity on learning depended on what was to be learned,…

A Korean science teachers' discursive practises were examined with a view to identifying pedagogical roles performed through his talk. Data came from the video recordings of classroom sessions where students presented their science projects and exchanged questions and answers during the presentations. Transcripts were developed and analysed in a…

Investigations with the computer can have different functions in the mathematical learning process, such as to let students explore a subject domain, to guide the process of reinvention, or to give them the opportunity to apply what they have learned. Which function has most effect on mathematical level raising? We investigated that question in…

The naturalist's journal is a collection of writings and sketches that captures selected thoughts or observations of nature and represents both immediate learning and raw material that is available for more polished work. This article talks about a naturalist's journal as an effective teaching and learning tool. Creating a naturalist's journals…

Progress assessment aims to assess students' performance and progress during a course of study. Its purpose is primarily developmental--to help students improve learning. Progress assessment is of special value in distance education in that it can motivate or pace distance learners throughout their course of study. It can help the tutor monitor…

Student learning is a complex incremental cognitive process; assessment needs to parallel this, reporting the results in similar terms. Application of fuzzy sets and logic to the criterion-referenced assessment of student learning is considered here. The constrained qualitative assessment (CQA) system was designed, and then applied in assessing a…

The publication and subsequent distribution and dissemination of "Birth to Three Matters, A Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years" (DfES, 2002) marks a significant breakthrough in government recognition of the importance of the years from birth to three in shaping children's later learning. However, the Curriculum…

People's mental models are viewed as being significant in achieving organizational outcomes, on the assumption that mental models influence people's acts. A fundamental issue in the area of organizational learning, then, is the relation between mental models, learning and performance. We contend that a fruitful line of work is to study persons as…

Building Blocks is a National Science Foundation-funded project designed to enable all young children to build a solid foundation for mathematics. To ensure this, we used a design and development model that drew from theory and research in each phase. Our design process is based on the assumption that curriculum and software design can and should…

Traditional assessment methods are not always suitable for diagnosing learners' knowledge structures at different levels of their expertise. This paper describes an alternative schema-based rapid assessment technique and its application in the area of arithmetic word problem solving. The technique is based on an assessment of the extent to which…

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate about how to tackle the issue of "the teacher in the teaching/learning process", and to propose a methodology for analysing the teacher's activity in the classroom, based on concepts used in the fields of the didactics of mathematics as well as in cognitive ergonomics. This…

Encouraging students to participate during class time is important to facilitate the learning process and encourage deep learning to take place. However, students with certain cultural and education backgrounds are often reluctant to participate in class discussion. This article provides some initial insight into the use of the Personal Response…