An eighth grade English teacher in Great Neck (New York) integrated six LEP foreign students into her classroom by using a team approach for the memorization and recitation of the Gettysburg Address. The foreign students were enthusiastically coached by their peers; all profited from studying the language of the address. (DM)

Jinfa Cai's study comparing Chinese and American sixth-grade students' mathematics performance found that American students did better on simple and complex problems than on computation. One reason might be Asian countries' stress on rote learning. Paul George's 1995 monograph "Japanese Schools: A Closer Look" found instruction…

Nursing students (n=29) were tested at entry and exit in a program using inquiry-based learning, an adaptation of problem-based learning. Students continued to use memorization despite its surface learning quality. A combination of memorization, conceptualization, and reflection may be best for understanding as well as retention. (SK)

Speech samples from 18 children (ages three to six years) with speech language impairment (SLI) were analyzed. Findings suggest that models of grammatical morphology which assume that correct production of finite verb forms is due to rote memorization, random retrieval of these forms, or indiscriminate affixation cannot be correct. (DB)

By understanding the different types of memory, the neurophysiology of brain chemical and anatomical changes associated with memory, and the ways to enhance the memory process, teachers can utilize proven technique--and develop their own--to guide students over that bleak terrain of memorization. From simplest recall of awareness, memory skills…

The enhancement of critical thinking skills is necessary for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. A three-year mixed methods study conducted at a Historically Black College and University in Baltimore, Maryland focused on enhancing critical thinking skills for African American students.…

Despite a policy focus on educating the whole child, China continues to struggle with a culture of testing, placing a premium on academic knowledge to the detriment of a more well-rounded curriculum. Students are overworked, lack adequate sleep, and have little time for anything beyond school work. The Chinese Ministry of Education has enumerated…

International comparisons help us explore the assumptions made about U.S. schools, students, and pedagogy. That is why the author decided to spend five months in the Czech Republic teaching science education courses at Palacky and Ostrava Universities and learning about the Czech education system. As a result, the new context challenged his…

Judgments of learning (JOLs) underestimate the increase in recall that occurs with repeated study (the underconfidence-with-practice effect; UWP). The authors explore an account in terms of a foresight bias in which JOLs are inflated when the to-be-recalled target highlights aspects of the cue that are not transparent when the cue appears alone…

Four experiments investigated the nature of spatial representations used in locomotion. Participants learned the layout of several objects and then pointed to the objects while blindfolded in 3 conditions: before turning (baseline), after turning to a new heading (updating), and after disorientation (disorientation). The internal consistency of…

Research is reported regarding lesson formats emphasizing memory versus understanding learning processes. Conclusions state that the most efficient teaching method is determined by the subject being taught. (LH)

This guide summarizes the information and techniques presented on an audiotape designed to teach students to use the keyword method to memorize new words. First, introductory comments provide a rationale for the development of the materials and a discussion of their use at Lane Community College. Next, a summary is provided of the key word method,…

Research supported by grants HD-01888 and HD-01136 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and grant No. GS-541 from the National Science Foundation.

In the 1960's, two medical doctors, Georgi Lozanov and Alfonso Caycedo, discovered independently that certain yogic techniques of physical and mental relaxation could be used to produce not only analgesia but also improved memory and concentration. Systems originally used in medicine and psycho-therapy were applied to education, in particular to…

This paper examines knowledge of studying--knowing how and when to apply study strategies. Study strategies may be classified into three categories: memory strategies, comprehension strategies, and problem-solving strategies. Memory-study strategies help students remember what they study. Five attributes often characterize memory strategies:…