Describes five conversations for memorizing, designed for students of English in grades 8-10. Designed for teaching vocabulary and structure, they are based on a particular textbook, but leave room for teacher and student initiative. Types include question-answer, judging, argumentation, and defending a position. (IFS/WGA)

Studies indicate that individual differences in strategy use among mentally retarded and learning disabled students can be explained by a metacognition model which integrates three components--Specific Strategy Knowledge, Metamemory Acquisition Procedures, and General Strategy Knowledge (including beliefs about the causes of successful…

Reports on a study which examined the relationship between spatial ability and performance in organic chemistry. Results indicated that students with high spatial scores did significantly better on questions requiring problem solving skills, as well as on those requiring the mental manipulation of two-dimensional representations of a molecule. (TW)

This paper asserts that memorization is an under-valued language acquisition strategy, noting that by including memorization in communication classrooms through oral question-and-answer prompts, songs, and memorized dialogues/skits, second language teachers can enhance student learning. The paper explains how oral questions offer a cooperative…

For this study, high school students studied a brief history text and then: (1) answered a short-answer test; (2) answered a multiple-choice test; or (3) completed a questionnaire about study habits. Results concerning the effectiveness of these procedures on retention of material are discussed. (Authors/CJ)

This paper discusses present forms of traditional Islamic (Quranic) education in Morocco in the light of modernization. Also considered is the potential impact of such traditional pedagogy on various cognitive abilities, whose growth is sometimes said to have been stunted by such experiences. (Author/SJL)

Over a six-week period, students (N=19) with learning disabilities in an inner-city middle school were taught the chronological order of the U.S. presidents. Half the time a modified mnemonic keyword-pegword strategy was used and the other half rehearsal and representational pictures. Delayed posttesting revealed a significant main effect for…

Describes "SuperMemo," a memorization tool that uses an automated flashcard scheme that can include sound and graphics in the database of study items. Based on the learner's performance, "SuperMemo" schedules items to appear for review. Xia Li Ba Ren ("common person" in Chinese) is the name of a Chinese word processor that runs with a standard…

The concept of savant syndrome, encompassing those individuals historically known as "idiot savants," is reviewed. Case studies demonstrating special abilities in the areas of calendar calculating, musical ability, artistic talent, memorization, mathematical skills, mechanical achievement, and fine sensory discrimination are discussed,…

Four experiments with 132 seventh graders, 162 eighth graders, 75 fourth graders, and 52 third graders compared the mnemonic keyword method with various other vocabulary learning strategies. Mnemonic keyword students outperformed sentence-context and free-study counterparts and generally outperformed others on tests of vocabulary usage. (SLD)

This study investigates how different encoding strategies affect retention of Chinese characters (words) as measured by recall of the sound and meaning of the characters. Three types of encoding strategies were investigated during character learning: rote memorisation (shallow processing), student self-generated elaboration, and instructor-guided…

Examining how students reconstruct stories they've heard can give insights into why students often have difficulty understanding and retaining mathematics. Behavioral psychologists refer to the phenomenon of piecing together a series of events as "chaining." This paper argues that the cognitive capacity to reconstruct a whole contextual…

This monograph reviews the research findings related to study skills and provides a limited number of examples. The monograph emphasizes the relationship of information processing theory to effective teaching and learning, and details the growth of interest in metacognition. It reviews existing programs that teach study skills and discusses the…

This journal issue addresses the issue of testing in the social studies classroom. The first article, "The Role of Testing" (Bragaw), focuses on the need for tests to reflect the objectives of the study completed. The varying functions of pop quizzes, weekly tests, and unit tests are explored. "Testing Thinking Processes" (Killoran, Zimmer, and…

First-year higher education students' approaches to learning navigation were assessed. The research used a structured questionnaire to assess deep, surface, and strategic approaches to learning. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of 13 sub-scales revealed that students learning navigation employed two main approaches, a deep-strategic approach…