Describes experiments with Australian high school students that investigated differences in performance on chemistry word problems between two learning strategies: text editing, and conventional problem solving. Concluded that text editing had no advantage over problem solving in stoichiometry problems, and that the suitability of a text editing…

Describes a study of computer conferencing where learners interacted over the course of four log-in sessions to acquire the knowledge sufficient to pass a learning test. Studied the number of messages irrelevant to the topic, explicit threading of messages, reading times of relevant messages, and learning outcomes. (LRW)

Discusses the current information processing conceptualization of memory, the process of learning by analogy, and the overall desired outcomes of their use to acquire and retain new information. Instructional implications of how to use analogies are discussed, and a set of prescriptive guidelines for using them is presented. (69 references)…

Describes three experiments with college students that compared the learning potential of text, outline, and matrix displays. Explains the theoretical framework, reviews related research, and discusses results that show matrix displays produced greater relational learning. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of learning from hypertext focuses on a study that investigated three approaches for inducing learning goals: a tutorial that provided external and specific learning objectives; a goal-based scenario; and a strategy training leading to internal goal generation. Compared the three conditions regarding learning outcomes and motivational…

Describes a study of students in grades three, four, and five that tried an educational application derived from the social constructivism view based on theories of Vygotsky and Piaget to improve cognitive development in a heterogeneous class. Path analysis showed that complex learning techniques are related to cognitive development. (Author/LRW)

Describes a programming environment called Tinker, in which a beginning programmer presents examples to the machine, distinguishing accidental and essential aspects of the examples. Examples of programming in Tinker are presented in which programmers demonstrate how to handle specific examples and the machine formulates a procedure for handling…

Describes ALICE (Acquisition of Linguistic Items in the Context of Examples), an interactive computer system which relies on a pragmatic representation of conceptual differences of linguistic terms in several languages, and offers diagnostic and remedial strategies for mistakes made by students. Subordinate conjunctions in English, French, and…

Introduces the Cognitive-Motivational Model of Decision Satisfaction that extends work on closure and the motivational aspects of instruction and learning. Recognizes the importance of information processing in judgmental tasks and specifies confidence as a major contributing factor to learning satisfaction. Suggests potential applications to…

Considers two basic models of the teaching-learning process, described as the didactic and the communication models, and applies them to computer assisted learning. Conventional and intelligent tutorials and simulation are used as examples to compare the amount of control students have over learning strategy, content manipulation, and domain…

Describes two aspects of metacognition, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, and how they relate to domain-specific knowledge and cognitive abilities. It is argued that metacognitive knowledge is multidimensional, domain-general in nature, and teachable. Four instructional strategies are described for promoting the construction and…

Describes a study that factor analyzed questionnaire data and compared factor scores of good and poor college-level readers to determine the text-learning strategies of each group. Results, which indicate poor readers rely heavily on study strategies without an understanding of the text to be studied, have implications for remedial reading…

Discusses paradigmatic teaching, or teaching for analogical transfer, which requires teaching a basic structure by appropriate examples, as well as teaching its application in various fields and contexts. Examples for problem solving, inductive thinking, and learning to learn are given, and a training program with adult learners is described. (15…

Describes two studies that were conducted to investigate the relationship between confidence in the language of instruction and approaches to learning: one with university students in Hong Kong, and one with high school students in Nepal. The use of English as a Second Language both in and out of the classroom is examined. (13 references) (LRW)

Examines the role of cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational skills in problem solving. Cognitive skills include instructional objectives, components in a learning hierarchy, and information-processing components. Metacognitive skills include strategies for reading comprehension, writing, and mathematics. Motivational skills include motivation…