Although there are marked individual differences in the effect of aging on learning and performing motor skills, there is agreement that humans process information less efficiently with advanced age. Significant decrements have been found specifically with motor tasks that are characterized as externally-paced, rapid, complex, and requiring rapid…

A project was undertaken to develop a means of simplifying instruction in postsecondary vocational-technical programs in practical nursing and auto/truck maintenance and repair and to identify related patterns of student achievement, retention in a program, and transfer of learning. Information obtained from a literature review indicated that a…

This paper gives a method to determine a person's hypothetical conceptualization of an object -- its breakdown into subassemblies, subsubassemblies, and so on -- from the person's sequence of requests for pieces used in constructing it. A technique is given to determine whether, given a group of conceptualizations, there is a typical one. The…

Psychologists and educators interested in factors that might influence mathematical ability have examined intelligence, motivation, and attitudes toward mathematics. More recently, sex role and cognitive style have entered the picture. The relationships among intelligence, field dependence, sex role, mathematics background, and mathematical…

A cognitive-structural model for counselor supervision, derived from advances in cognitive psychology, is proposed for facilitating trainee conceptual development and self-efficacy. Within the model, there are recommendations for matching structure in the supervisory relationship to the conceptual complexity and self-efficacy levels of the…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 48 papers, in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., field dependence/independence, learning strategies, information processing, spatial ability, cognitive style, and cognitive strategies.…

Described in this documentary report are the school lives of seven children and their approaches to learning over a period of 5 years. Chapter 1 presents short introductory vignettes. Each child illustrates a distinctive mode or approach to learning: formalist/traditionalist, reasoner/problem-solver, patterner/adapter, mapper/explorer,…

The study investigates differences in learning styles as measured by the Learning Style Inventory (LSI), an instrument designed to identify sociological, emotional, environmental, and physiological factors that form an individual's learning style. The subjects for the study were a sample of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders in a midwestern…

This paper proposes a method for studying the effect of an individual difference variable--field dependence-independence--on the ability of a student to read and understand text information presented on a computer screen. It is argued that in order to improve individualized instruction, learning must be related to predictions of what part of the…

This manual was written to help college students become better students and more successful learners. The goals of the book are to raise awareness of, and interest in, the learning process generally; increase each student's awareness of her/himself as a learner; introduce specific strategies for more effective learning; suggest that each student…

This report explores teacher computer education through a comparison of two investigations of computer confidence in teachers: (1) taped interviews with preservice teachers and observations of their attitudes and teaching behaviors as they presented classroom and computer activities as student teachers; and (2) an overview of the development of a…

This book provides the teacher with a framework for assessing children's potential to learn, taking into account cognitive skills, specifically similarity thinking skills, as well as the emotional status of children, particularly the development of independent security. Complex ideas are introduced through the use of case studies and anecdotes.…

Teaching adults more effectively is a concern common to business, industry, professionals, and educators. An examination of research dealing with effective teaching shows that six functions can be identified and followed as steps in the instruction of adults: (1) review of previous learning and skills; (2) initial presentation of material through…

Fourth and sixth grade children differing in reading proficiency read and commented on brief expository passages containing three different types of embedded problems (nonsense words, prior knowledge violations, and internal inconsistencies). Half of the children were specificially instructed as to the types of standards they should apply in order…

Under normal instructional circumstances, some youngsters learn programming in BASIC or LOGO better than others. Clinical investigations of novice programmers suggest that this happens in part because different students bring different patterns of learning to the programming context. Many students disengage from the task whenever trouble occurs,…