The sequence in which problems of different concepts are studied during instruction impacts concept learning. For example, several problems of a given concept can be studied together (blocking) or several problems of different concepts can be studied together (interleaving). In the current study, we demonstrate that the 2 sequences impact concept…

There are numerous theories that offer cognitive processes of students of mathematics, all documenting various ways to describe knowledge acquisition leading to successful transitions from one stage to another, be it characterized by Dubinsky's encapsulation, Sfard's reification or Piaget's equilibration. We however are interested in the following…

In this study we explore the strategies that undergraduate and graduate chemistry students use when engaged in classification tasks involving symbolic and microscopic (particulate) representations of different chemical reactions. We were specifically interested in characterizing the basic features to which students pay attention when classifying…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain and develop a classification of cognitive structures (or typologies of thought), previously designated as spoke, chain and network thinking by Kinchin "et al." Design/methodology/approach: The paper shows how concept mapping can be used to reveal these conceptual typologies and endeavours to place…

Seven experiments involving over 700 undergraduate students investigated whether the naturalness of abstract category structures varies with content domain. Results indicate that the structure of knowledge varies with domain and that it would be difficult to formulate general constraints on categorization in terms of abstract structural…

This study was designed to determine whether concepts judged by participants as either prototypically social, non-social, animate, or inanimate would be cognitively structured in a manner consistent with E. Rosch's hierarchical model. During the first experiment, 168 undergraduates generated words to be placed in one of the prototypical categories…

An eyetracking study testing D. L. Medin and M. M. Schaffer's (1978) 5-4 category structure was conducted. Over 30 studies have shown that the exemplar-based generalized context model (GCM) usually provides a better quantitative account of 5-4 learning data as compared with the prototype model. However, J. D. Smith and J. P. Minda (2000) argued…

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…