Some major learning theory principles are reviewed and suggestions are made for integrating them into the process of education at the college or graduate school level. The theories deal with reinforcement, behavior modification, reactive inhibition, cognitive maps, incidental learning, retroactive inhibition, proactive inhibition, and spontaneous…

An English teacher conducting research for a masters degree participated in a high school chemistry class and organized student journal writing in that class so that she could observe the effects of writing as a learning process. Based on the "thinkbook" writing that she and other classmembers did, especially two students who served as…

Critical thinking alone is reactive, in that it lacks the creative elements necessary for social progress. Accordingly, the author has developed the CoRT (Cognitive Research Trust) program to teach the two aspects of perception: breadth (developing a perceptual map) and change (using the map to discover solutions). (TE)

The authors describe an experimental curriculum they developed, whose central core is the child's recognition of his uniqueness, identity, and legitimacy as a real person. The curriculum is based on the belief that the basis of a child's learning is himself and his need to get information about his world. (JB)

Reported is an investigation of the perceived-importance and perceived-presence of consultant activities via teachers, principals, and consultants. The selected consultant behaviors focused on classroom interactions with teachers and children. Three groups of educators were selected: 65 teachers who had implemented the process-oriented curriculum;…

The effects of the availability of behaviorally stated objectives on the learning process were studied. It was hypothesized that objectives would serve as orienting stimuli which would help students to attend to, process, and organize relevant aspects of displayed information in accordance with stated objectives. Therefore, the presentation of…

Documents a seven-year-old child's early activities as a writer from the perspective of (1) intentionality, (2) conditions and production, (3) learning strategies, (4) composing patterns in other semiotic activities, (5) availability, and (6) literacy community, and attempts to analyze those activities through narrative, explication and argument.…

Critically examines the "English ethnographic tradition's" view that classroom instruction transmits propositional knowledge. Uses observed classroom discourse to argue that instruction in fact produces knowledge, both propositional and "how-to". (MCG)

Offers practical suggestions for a coherent approach to the teaching of grammar in foreign language classrooms. As a context for the ideas offered, the article synthesizes some of the views expressed by recent writers on this subject. The model outlined provides a basis for work designed to focus more on accurate use of language than on…

This paper discusses the benefits of teaching literature through levels of understanding so that teachers can more quickly and efficiently determine the operational levels of individual students. The seven levels of understanding and some of the generic questions by which they can be determined are: (1) perceptual level: "What happened, when,…

This paper discusses a pilot program for a writing course taught by four teachers at Drexel University. One of the primary assumptions was that a course in writing was also one in language. The object of the course was to ask the students to become conscious of themselves as learners and writers and to attempt to discover the function of language…

Analyzes the time children of different ages, sex, and proficiency levels spent on various compositional processes while creating a melody. Suggests that the amount of time used for exploration, development, repetition, and silence has an effect on the subject's ability to replicate the melody. Finds developmental differences in strategies for…

After a discussion of the creativity often found in those outside the mainstream, this article describes the five stages of the Laureate learning cycle model of talent development: romance, inquiry, involvement, expansion, and insight. The importance of individual ownership of the learning process is emphasized. (DB)

This paper contains the results of a study on the importance of discovery learning using computer simulations. The purpose of the study was to identify what constitutes discovery learning and to assess the effects of instructional support measures. College students were observed working with an assignment and a computer simulation in the domain of…