The focus of this special issue is on the cognitive load underlying processes of interactive knowledge construction in a wide range of instructional multimedia platforms. Multimedia comprehension involves the parallel processing of auditory-verbal and visual-pictorial channels within working memory. By means of integrating multimodal information,…

To examine the relationship between syntactic processes in language comprehension and language production, we compared structural persistence from sentence primes that speakers heard to persistence from primes that speakers produced. [Bock, J. K., & Griffin, Z. M. (2000). The persistence of structural priming: transient activation or implicit…

Theme-based learning (TBL) refers to learning modes which adopt the following sequence: (a) finding the theme; (b) finding a focus of interest based on the theme; (c) finding materials based on the focus of interest; (d) integrating the materials to establish shared knowledge; (e) publishing and sharing the integrated knowledge. We have created an…

The literature on learning styles is full of unresolved issues, both theoretical and practical. Early research into learning styles includes that of H. A. Witkin, who developed the Embedded Figures Test in the late 1960s. This test determines the "field dependence" or "field independence" of individuals, marking their global…

Studies the conceptual changes and factors affecting eighth- grade physical science students (n=180) investigating elementary thermodynamics. Classifies three types of students regarding their learning methods: converging, progressing, and oscillating. Reports that original intuitive conceptions are difficult to change and that students engaged in…

The medieval writer, the nun Hildegard von Bingen, learned Latin without any formal instruction in it. Her case is described as an example of language acquisition by hearing it read, sung, and expounded and by visualizing it as though it were written down in a kind of phonetic script. (21 references) (Author/LB)

Researchers have found that the elderly are as capable of learning motor skills as younger persons but perform better under some conditions than others. For example, the elderly learn and perform motor skills more efficiently when there is additional time to respond to stimulus. Tasks which are self-regulated rather than directed by an external…

Discusses learning modalities and learning styles in science education. Learning modalities characterize the way the brain takes in information (input) and restructures/expresses the information (output). Learning styles are ways that information is processed once it is obtained. Examples (including Kolb's "Learning-Style Inventory") are included.…

Children who are bright and hard-working, yet find school a struggle, or children who can discuss things they have learned but whose written work is of surprisingly poor quality, might have learning differences that are hindering them from reaching their full potential. Some children are visual learners, others are auditory learners, and others…

Argues for learning communities as a fruitful milieu for cognitive development and knowledge construction. Provides a metaphor of a constructivist learning community organization grounded on French scientist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's theory of evolution. Asserts that Teilhardian thought is useful for conceptualizing a…

Offers a solicited response to a question about learning styles, and discusses how this information should affect planning and implementing instruction. Finds that the instructional implications of the body of research on learning styles and learning modalities are limited. (MG)

In this paper the sociocultural notion of "scaffolding" and the way in which various "scaffolding" strategies support students' learning are examined through classroom data. A distinction is made between scaffolding at a macro level, consisting of a planned, "designed-in" approach to a unit of work in a subject discipline and the lessons that…

The eight chapters of this book present tools to identify and resolve learning style conflicts. Chapter 1 discusses the philosophical foundations of education in the United States and other countries. Chapter 2 explains why identifying and accommodating learning styles is important, using case studies of unsuccessful students in real classroom…

Presents results of a study of 11-year-old children's learning mode preferences, reading attainment, and cognitive ability. Reports that holistic thinkers preferred modes corresponding to their verbal imagery style, whereas analytic thinkers were divided across the verbal imagery dimension. Predicts highest achievement for wholist verbalizers and…

The Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory has three components: sensory, short term, and long term. Each memory process (such as encoding, storage, and retrieval) can be linked to specific teaching and learning strategies. (SK)