Examines three integrated-courseware systems for Web-based online courses and considers the integration of pedagogy in courseware authoring systems. Topics include knowledge; learning; motivation; and pedagogy based on effective use of electronic learning environments for the development of cognitive skills through access to information,…

A study examined the effect of formal academic education on cognitive processes in decision making in 940 undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni in the social sciences, humanities, and physical and biological sciences. Although academic studies correlate positively with better performance in each of the decision-making stages, they…

Investigated boys' and girls' perceptions of mathematical and scientific higher-order thinking, ways to identify higher order thinking's occurrence, and inquiry methods for developing it in elementary students and preservice teachers. Results indicated that both genders had similar perceptions about inquiry and approaches to higher-order thinking.…

Presents a framework to help media specialists and other educators facilitate the process of integrating computer technology and the Internet into classroom instruction and curriculum design. Highlights include planning, including concept maps; research, including critical thinking; development, including knowledge construction and higher-order…

Describes the process evaluation of facilitator training for a risk-reduction program that trained college students and community volunteers to teach middle school students. Examination of facilitator characteristics and training, curriculum implementation, and use of the model to promote critical thinking found that most facilitators considered…

Explores practical guidelines for classroom use of cooperative learning integrated with computer-based learning. Discusses positive interdependence, social modeling, communication skills, individual accountability, learners' abilities, grouping strategies, interaction patterns, locus of control, intrinsic motivation, cognitive processes, higher…

This article discusses the benefits and outcomes of using Internet-based instruction to improve the performance of students with disabilities by developing Internet-based lessons and assessments that target the growth of higher-order thinking skills required on many state assessments. Internet resources for educators are listed. (Contains…

Describes the "American Journey" series of CD-ROM archives that contains hundreds of primary sources, such as letters, diary entries, paintings, posters, and audio recordings. Addresses how to navigate and employ the documents from the archive and the CD-ROM's potential for developing historical thinking. Provides ideas for enhancing history…

Reviews selected research on children's early formation of categories. Finds sophistication in how children group objects and think about those groupings. Notes findings related to type of grouping (thematic or taxonomic), multiple classifications, overgeneralization, the role of background knowledge on classification abilities, the…

Identifies content analysis as the process of making inferences about a document by systematically identifying and quantifying certain characteristics of the communication. Characteristics could include style, intended audience, format, message, and surrounding circumstances. Includes several classroom examples, as well as related activities, and…

Uses National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data to examine whether measures of male teenagers' skills (academic, reasoning, and self-esteem) predict their wages at ages 27 and 28. All three skill types help predict subsequent wages, but have differing importance in explaining white/minority wage gaps. (Contains 37 references.) (MLH)

Describes efforts to adapt R-WISE (Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment), a computer program developed for the military, for public education. Field testing at MacArthur High School (Texas) using ninth-grade classes is discussed, including fostering higher-order thinking skills, coping with change, and integrating software into the…

Tutorial exercises developed by the author and implemented in introductory courses to clinical medicine are described. The exercises are designed to accelerate students' understanding of diagnostic reasoning, preparing them for clerkship requirements. Central components of the approach include a briefing session to establish learning objectives…

A study investigated the influence on critical-thinking skills of part-time and full-time student status. Subjects were 2,076 first-year students at 2- and 4-year colleges. Full-time students developed a higher level of critical-thinking skills than did part-time students, even controlling for other factors. Full-time two-year college students…

Examines the debate over "key skills" in the United Kingdom's higher education curriculum, intended to compensate for early specialization in school and make education more relevant to work. Suggests that a more fundamental curriculum reform is needed, because key skills focus narrowly on"practical" outcomes and because the…