Discusses a study that examined the role of four cognitive factors (formal reasoning ability, prior knowledge, field dependence/independence, and memory capacity) on achievement in chemistry as measured by tests of lab application, chemical calculations, and content knowledge. Reports the significance of prior knowledge and formal reasoning…

Reports on an experiment which used computer games to increase the efficiency of information processing and concentration skills among learning disabled (LD) children. Results showed that computer games presented within the framework of self-verbalization procedures and peer-interaction facilitated the information processing of LD children.…

Research literature on childrens' causal understanding in oral and written settings is reviewed. Results show that maturation and task complexity both influence childrens' causal understanding. However, the findings are contradictory, and no generalizations could be made about which factors influence causal understanding and at which ages they are…

A study of acquisition of new word formation devices in Hebrew as an indication of near-native competence is based on data collected from written questionnaires. The three tasks to be completed included: (1) production, requiring suggestions for new nouns; (2) evaluation, choosing the most appropriate innovation; and (3) interpretation,…

Outlines a systematic approach to instructional design and discusses some of the cognitive and instructional issues involved in learning or teaching scientific concepts. Uses the concept of "acceleration" to illustrate the approach. Advocates the use of computers and related information technologies in concept teaching. (ML)

The use of microcomputer-assisted therapy as part of the total rehabilitation plan for brain-injured individuals with cognitive-communicative impairments is addressed. Design of effective computer-assisted remediation requires a careful decision-making process. Specific types of software are suggested for dealing with deficits in organization,…

Learning-disabled students deficient in classification and categorization require specific instruction in these skills. Use of a classification/categorization instructional model improved the questioning strategies of 60 learning-disabled students, aged 10 to 12. The use of similar models is discussed as a basis for instruction in science, social…

An Alabama school district implemented a thinking skills instruction program called Talents Unlimited through inservice education. Both workshop ratings by teachers and pretest-posttest scores by middle school and high school students suggested that Talents Unlimited can change teachers' understandings about higher order thinking skills and…

Reports on students' study and drawing of five electronic circuit diagrams. Concludes that the success of the students depended upon the amount of detail in the instructional diagrams. (RT)

Suggests that viewing aesthetic reading as a process whereby readers and writers attempt to "make contact" and collaborate in making meaning forces one to adopt research strategies that go beyond measuring reading comprehension, and offers two studies to illustrate these ideas. (JC)

Reviews study of undergraduates which evaluated the effects that variations in depth of information processing have on students' memory systems in terms of their ability to acquire and retrieve information related to different types of instructional objectives. The effect of visual versus verbal testing of visualized instruction is also examined.…

Describes four models of the psychological process of reading, and relates them to computer technology. The physiological process of reading printed text from a display screen is discussed, including spacing, the configuration of letters, vision problems, and lighting and glare. The quality of computer printouts is also discussed. (41 references)…

Evaluates the effects on the 4MAT system on achievement and retention of learning. Defines 4MAT system as instructional model that provides systematic approach to organizing and delivering instruction that addresses learning styles and hemispheric preferences of students. Study examines students' interest in content and attitudes toward…

Popular futurists' ideas concerning the future of education are examined with regard to the future of society and the relationship between trends and how people must be educated. Students must be receptive to lifelong learning and should have their competency in higher thinking skills raised closer to their individual potential. (JMM)

Argues that computer instantiations of abstract concepts could assist mathematics education by providing concrete experiences and by inducing the mental process of construction that Piaget called reflexive abstraction. College students with computer experiences scored higher than those taught with traditional methods on a test of functions and…