The case for chemistry instruction based on worked examples is presented, using a contemporary model of human learning. We begin by detailing human cognitive architecture and outlining the Interactive Compensatory Model of Learning (ICML). Through the ICML, the role of motivation, deliberate practice and feedback are detailed as key variables in…

The focus of this special issue is on the cognitive load underlying processes of interactive knowledge construction in a wide range of instructional multimedia platforms. Multimedia comprehension involves the parallel processing of auditory-verbal and visual-pictorial channels within working memory. By means of integrating multimodal information,…

Posing questions about an article might improve one's knowledge--a cognitive function, or monitor one's thought processes--a metacognitive function. This study focuses on guided question posing while using a metacognitive strategy by 12th grade honors chemistry students. We investigated the ways by which the metacognitive strategy affected…

Universities are trending towards displacing traditional printed textbooks (p-books) with electronic textbooks (e-books), even though an incomplete body of knowledge exists about the learning value of using e-books as instructional materials. As a result, this dissertation study was conducted to determine if digital textbooks are as…

This paper is based on data from Work Unit UTILITY research on job performance of men at different ability levels. The paper deals with data testing performance in four jobs: Armor Crewman, Vehicle Repairman, Supply Specialist, and Cook, of various Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) levels over specified periods of time. (Author)

Two measures of the number of factors that a variable should load on are discussed. One is Kaiser's simplicity index, the other is called a complexity index, developed by the author. Similarities and differences are discussed. (JKS)

In this paper, the author gives a review of the literature on complex multivariate distributions. Some new results on these distributions are also given. Finally, the author discusses the applications of the complex multivariate distributions in the area of the inference on multiple time series. (Author)

The proposed coefficient is derived by assuming that the average Goodman-Kruskal gamma between items of identical difficulty would be the same for items of different difficulty. An estimate of covariance between items of identical difficulty leads to an estimate of the correlation between two tests with identical distributions of difficulty.…

Three measures were found to contribute significantly to the prediction of comprehensibility: mean linguistic depth, the number of self-embedded structures in the sentence, and the number of conjoinging transformations in the derivational history of the sentence. (Author/FB)

According to a new classification schema, data were obtained from both adults and children on article usage in English. The sample included children in the initial period of article acquisition (from two to three years of age). Results are discussed in terms of age differences and children's levels of difficulty. (MP)

The Relative Difficulty Ratio (RDR) was developed as an index of test or item difficulty for use when raw score means or item p-values are not directly comparable because of chance score differences. Computational RDR are described. Applications of the RDR at both the test and item level are illustrated. (Author/BW)