To gauge the variability in expert problem-solving strategies for stoichiometry problems, a set of experts in different career tracks were studied with the cohort including 17 graduate students in chemistry, three college chemistry instructors, and seven college graduates working in the industry. The goal of the study was to determine whether…

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) can serve as a summative assessment of students' conceptual knowledge at the end of introductory physics, but previous work has suggested that the knowledge measured by this instrument is not a unitary construct. In this article, we consider the idea that FCI performance may reflect a number of student attributes…

This study investigates the effect of "preactional self-regulation" on the quality of problem solving. The experimental study was realized in a problem-based self-regulated learning environment. Data of 78 participants on externalized mental models, re-representing the problem solutions, were collected. A computer-based analysis tool was…

It is generally accepted that the cognitive development for a wide range of students can be improved through adaptive instruction-learning environments optimized to suit individual needs (e.g., Cronbach, Am Psychol 12:671-684, 1957; Lee and Park, in Handbook of research for educational communications and technology, Taylor & Francis Group,…

Cognitive scientists investigate mental models (how humans organize and structure knowledge in their minds) so as to understand human understanding of and interactions with the world. Cognitive and mental model research is concerned with internal conceptual systems that are not easily or directly observable. The goal of this research was to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate novices learning to use a mission planning system. Novice participants received one training session, followed by three test sessions. This was compared to expert performance. During the test sessions, all participants were required to "think aloud", based on Ericsson and Simon's (Ericsson, K.A. and…

An examination of research on expertise reveals potential gaps in current conceptualizations. Examinations of expertise often involve problems in ill-structured domains, which require abstract problem solving. Thus, conceptualizations of expertise are characterized by the use of relatively advanced, abstract problem-solving skills. Problems in…

This synthesis paper discusses the research exploring analogical reasoning, the role of analogies in the engineering design process, and educational applications for analogical reasoning. Researchers have discovered that analogical reasoning is often a fundamental cognitive tool in design problem solving. Regarding the possible role of analogical…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…