People are self-learning on the Internet and the various eLearning freeware tools of the 21st century diffuses a whole new pedagogy; yet, generational trends from organizations, corporations, and academic institutions minimally show implementation of various blended learning approaches online into their organizational culture and climate. The…

Discovery and expository learning were compared in a study of independent and dependent learners enrolled in a college chemistry course. Discovery learning was found to be superior for both groups of learners, with independent students performing better than dependent students using discovery learning. (Author/DF)

Discussion of educational games that can be configured to accommodate changes in the structure of the game focuses on MANAGEMENT 500, a microcomputer-controlled prototype business simulation game. Three modes of learning that can be emphasized through a configurable simulation game are explained: learning by discovery, by perseverance, and by…

Describes how to organize learning expeditions, based on wilderness expedition principles, to benefit schools and campuses. Outlines the principles for designing learning expeditions, how to apply the wilderness expedition model, and how the process can be put into effect. Emphasizes the importance of faculty training in making learning…

This study seeks to establish which scientific reasoning skills are primarily domain-general and which appear to be domain-specific. The subjects, 12 university undergraduates, each participated in self-directed experimentation with three different content domains. The experimentation contexts were computer-based laboratories in d.c. circuits…

Using 198 college students, this study investigated the effects on performance of four variables in a concept-learning task. The variables were (1) passive and active learning; (2) contextual specificity and variability; (3) rule-examples sequences; and (4) near and far transfers as critical outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of the…

The keyword method was compared to the context method of learning new vocabulary in two experiments with undergraduate subjects. In both experiments the keyword method produced significantly greater definition recall. Implications for vocabulary learning theories in particular, and discovery learning approaches in general, are discussed.…

Describes a methodology for creating and using instructional activities enhanced by the use of problem-specific scenarios that include electronic templates for use in both large group and individual modes. Examples of templates used for instruction in planning, decision making, statistical concepts, and software evaluation are presented. (13…

The effectiveness of three tutorial strategies was evaluated by experimentally manipulating the strategies used in a 2 X 3 factorial design. Two tutors taught 48 college undergraduates a basic optics lesson about "how lenses work," using three instructional methods which varied the amount of tutor control. In the lecture condition, tutors assumed…

Presents a laboratory in which students are provided with cultures of three bacterial strains. Using the results, students will determine which of the strains corresponds to a mutant lacking a particular functional gene. (DDR)

Reviews psychological research on learning by doing, noting the role that learning-by-doing can play in education and training. Discusses how one University of Pittsburgh professor/researcher and his colleagues and students implemented this approach and describes lessons learned from the experience, explaining how improved forms of…

This conference paper reports on research related to inquiry and how to infuse this approach into teacher training for pre-service elementary teachers. By using personal experiences of a three month visit to California elementary schools and a driving tour of England, these experiences are correlated to inquiry training with a model adapted from…

The effects of rule knowledge were investigated using Braille inkprint pairs. Both recognition and recall were studied in three groups of subjects: rule knowledge, rule discovery, and no rule. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) that the group exposed to the rule would score better than would a discovery group and a control group; and (2) that all…

This paper summarizes a pair of studies titled "The Impact of Longer Term Intervention on Reforming the Approaches to Instruction in Chemistry by Urban Teachers of Physical and Life Sciences at the Secondary School Level" (William J. Priestley, Holly D. Priestley, and Joseph S. Schuckler) and "Profile of Instructional Practices…

Inquiry teaching requires students to engage in hypothesis formation, collection and evaluation of evidence, and the drawing of logical conclusions. Prerequisite skills for inquiry learning are discussed, and examples of inquiry learning in a college level general psychology course are presented. (RM)