Serving as a prominent framework for online learning, the Community of Inquiry (CoI), identifies three factors critical to learning in online environments: teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence. However, application of the CoI framework to face-to-face classes has not been broadly or systematically explored, despite…

This study assessed the effects of providing learners with a graphic illustration of coordinate concept relationships to supplement learning from text-based instruction. Seventy-three undergraduate students were given a passage of approximately 1,200 words in length, describing Ausubel's Categories of Meaningful Learning. Half of the students also…

This study investigated the interaction between cognitive lateral functions and pictorial recognition memory for pictures presented in three different color modes. The stimulus materials used were slides selected from a pool of travel and general geographic scenery slides taken in various parts of North America. One third of the slides were…

Undergraduate students who were given specific instructions to form mental images while reading a text passage containing spatial information scored significantly higher than the control group on a drawing posttest. Significant correlations also resulted between the test scores and both reading time and use of imagery. The use of imagery…

This study compared the effects of instructor-provided vs. learner-generated analyses of semantic relationships between major concepts on structural knowledge acquisition in an introductory psychology course. One group explained the relationships on instructor-provided graphic organizers; the other group classified relationships between concepts…

A study of 228 undergraduate psychology students examined the effectiveness of a prototype of "heatlab," a laboratory simulation written in PCE-PROLOG, intended for remedying misconceptions of the concepts "heat" and "temperature." The effect of varying the amount of structure on students' understanding and the…

Describes a study that examined the information-seeking behavior of undergraduate students searching print and electronic encyclopedias to determine how mental models are adapted for different types of media. Cognitive load is discussed; print and electronic systems are compared; differences among three electronic encyclopedias are described; and…

A framework is presented for library instruction that integrates learning in the cognitive and affective domains. A study is reported that supports such a framework. Central to this instruction is the use of an overall strategy called FOCUS, FORMAT, FIND, and EVALUATE. The study compared the effects of two methods of academic library instruction…