It is suggested that instructional research in visual literacy focus on the study of the symbolic codes of pictorial media. (Author/STS)

Project Zero, an interdisciplinary research group founded in 1967 and dedicated to effective arts education, has always viewed as central to its work the ability of persons to use and understand various kinds of symbols. The focus here is on the breakdown of symbolic capacities as well as their earliest origins. (Author/RK)

A study investigated the effects of intensive practice of outlines for 500 frequently occurring words on achievement in first-year Gregg shorthand classes. Achievement in recording high frequency outlines and in transcribing was elevated for both lower level and higher level grade-point-average scorers in the experimental group. (LRA)

This study was designed to determine whether (1) rules are more easily memorized when stated in mathematical symbolism or when stated verbally, and whether (2) the ability to use constituent symbols correctly, assuming mastery of the underlying grammar, is a necessary and/or sufficient condition for applying a learned rule statement. Twenty-four…

Examines the influence of gender, reading level of student, and source of data on science concept formation and retention. Results indicate that reading level of students does influence science concept formation and retention, but gender and source of data (method of instruction) do not. (MA)

Sixty kindergarten, sixty second grade, and sixty fourth grade students performed several memory tasks under one of six conditions. The conditions differed as to the method of presentation of information. The study focused on developmental changes in children's use of verbal, nonverbal, and spatial-positional cues for memory. (Editor)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a practical procedure for determining the optimum sequencing of pictorial classification tasks in science using mean difficulty indices generated by a standard sample of grade two students. Acquisition of such skills can affect the learner's performance on subsequent material and the teacher's efforts in…

This researcher investigated the relationship of hierarchical classification processes in subjects categorized as to developmental level as defined by Piaget's theory, and explored the validity of the hierarchical model and test used in the study. A hierarchical classification test and a battery of four Piaget-type tasks were administered…

Navy and Coast Guard enlisted men were the subjects of a study to determine the effectiveness of various instructional materials and methods in symbol learning. A repeated measures design was used to determine the differential effects of aptitude, type of instructional material, and amount of study time on acquisition of the International Morse…

The first in a series of monographs that describe various aspects of the development of musical intelligence, this paper describes two distinct and contrasting strategies which individuals use for making sense of simple rhythmic figures. The strategies are identified as (1) figural, related to gestures, and (2) metric, referring to measuring…

Studies the employment of collage by young children as a symbolic activity in organized educational settings. Establishes a taxonomy of collage types and observes their development in two kindergarten classes. Concludes that collage promotes the acquisition of a flexible sequence of skills and reflects a range of abilities and approaches. (DSK)

To assess the importance of visual attributes relative to acoustic and semantic attributes in children's encoding, a 64-item recognition test was administered to first- and sixth-grade children. Recognition items were linedrawings of simple objects accompanied by aural labels. By manipulating the picture, label, and referent in various…

Presents four educational experiments reflecting Jerome Bruner's theories on iconic and enactive representation to emphasize the need for more research on how children learn. Advocates greater institutional cooperation among schools, teachers, and researchers to improve research implementation and reduce problems of school disruption and…

This bibliography with 1,273 entries is an updated supplement to the preliminary 1997 bibliography on informal adult learning. It is a useful resource guide for those interested in publications (e.g. academic papers, government reports, grassroots publications) aimed at furthering understanding of how learning and teaching takes place in different…