Educationists and researchers who consider the use of the learning style concept to address individual differences in learning are often daunted by the multitude of definitions, models, and instruments. It is difficult to make an informed choice. The confusion with cognitive style, a term often used as a synonym, makes it even more complicated.…

This paper assesses the value of three learning style tests when used to examine the design of educational materials for teaching computer science at a distance. The paper presents three studies where three different learning styles were used to discriminate preference and performance in different contexts. The studies indicate that the Learning…

The field of children's learning was thriving when the Merrill-Palmer Quarterly was launched; the field later went into eclipse and now is in the midst of a resurgence. This commentary examines reasons for these trends, and describes the emerging field of children's learning. In particular, the new field is seen as differing from the old in its…

Counselors-in-training are challenged with the ambiguity inherent in skill acquisition and development processes. This article explores the concept of ambiguity and ambiguity tolerance in counselors-in-training. A framework is provided for conceptualizing the inherent challenges of counselor training and how they may be addressed.

The model of multiple intelligences developed by Howard Gardner is proposed as a framework for developing strengths, which will provide protective factors against risk and contribute to resilient outcomes. Educators are continually challenged to find successful ways to meet the needs of their students. One means is to support students by…

The purpose of this article is to identify some necessary conditions of learning. To learn something, the learner must discern what is to be learned (the object of learning). Discerning the object of learning amounts to discerning its critical aspects. To discern an aspect, the learner must experience potential alternatives, that is, variation in…

Taxometrics is a statistical tool that can be used to discern categories from continua. Taxometric analyses (MAXCOV and MAXEIG) were conducted in a large nonclinical sample (N=1,215) to determine whether extreme anxiety forms a distinct psychopathological category, an anxiety taxon. Anxiety was operationalized with self-report measures of…

Barriers to employment are linked to individual factors such as thinking styles and personality traits. Personality and cognitive differences between employed (n = 55) and unemployed (n = 57) cohorts were analysed to quantify the association between these variables and employment status. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the…

Personalization will be a key element in the future of executive education. Personalization is based on a match between student characteristics (user model) and didactic treatments (teaching model). This article distinguishes two matching strategies: an educational institution can deliver on demand, or can anticipate the demand and offer students…

In this article, learning how to learn for non traditional adult students is discussed with a focus on police officers and firefighters. Learning how to learn is particularly relevant for all returning non-traditional adults; however in the era of terrorism it is critical for the public safety officers returning to college after years of absence…

Why do nursing and health studies graduate students who are enrolled in online programs decide to withdraw? The qualitative study reported in this paper investigated students' self-identified reasons for withdrawing from an online graduate program in nursing and health studies. The focus of the study was Athabasca Universities' Centre for Nursing…

The online educational environment is increasingly being used by adults and should be designed based on the needs of adult learners. This article discusses andragogy, an important adult learning theory, and reviews three other adult learning theories: self-directed learning, experiential learning, and transformational learning. During this…

Developments within education, psychology and the neurosciences have shed a great deal of light on how we learn while, at the same time, confirming for us all that learning is a profoundly complex process and far from understood. Against this background, and in this position article, we consider the recent rise in interest in the concept of…

One way of better understanding Net-Generation learners is to examine the texts they create on online social networking, blogging, and image sites as well as in virtual worlds. Mark Mabrito and Rebecca Medley explore the nature of Net-Generation texts as a reflection of the cognitive differences between this generation's students and their older…

Teacher training in gender differences can help prevent schools from failing AYP. Teachers who understand how the learning style of boys differs from the learning style of girls can leverage that knowledge to boost test scores by applying it across all four subgroups, which are defined by race/ethnicity, income, disability, or English-speaking…