This paper looks at the ideas of R. Skemp which emphasize fostering "intelligent learning" in the teaching of mathematics. Skemp posits that schematic learning takes place when new concepts are constructed by the learner. Three modes of building such internal schema are proposed. Teachers are urged to ensure that at every stage the new…

Efforts to develop geographic literacy, specifically "place-name" knowledge, need to be based in an understanding of cognitive psychological principles. This paper argues that developing knowledge of place-names, including memorization of such names, is important if students are to achieve geographic literacy. A cognitive psychology model of how…

In order to realize their academic missions and respond to state demands for access, assessment, and accountability, the nation's community colleges, along with all other institutions of higher education, are focusing increasingly on the enhancement of academic support services. Learning centers represent an important means of providing learning…

This literature review considers the theory and practice of retention efforts in higher education, with special focus on community college programs. Introductory material looks at the conditions (e.g., tighter budgets and decreased enrollments) that have brought the issues of attrition and retention to the forefront. The next section reviews…

Two models of literacy stand in contrast to one another. The first, termed the "autonomous model" by British anthropologist Brian Street, portrays literacy as a value-free, technical skill which effects uniformly positive changes in both individuals and societies. The "ideological model," in contrast, focuses on specific social…

The overall purpose of this project was threefold: (1) to gather task descriptive data concerning engagement rates of students across grade levels, abilities, classrooms, contextual factors, subject areas and task structures; (2) to link various teacher behaviors with student engagement rates, focusing on correlational results between a number of…

The articles in this collection are intended to present a detailed picture of the work of Donald Graves and his associates at the Writing Process Laboratory (WPL) of the University of New Hampshire. The introduction provides an overview of the work of Graves and examines his views of beginning writing, writing conferences, revision, audience, and…

A review is presented of research findings on the operation and functions of the two hemispheres of the brain. In tracing discoveries on hemispheric specialization (the left processing information objectively, linguistically, and linearly; the right, spacially, intuitively, and creatively) the importance of achieving a balance between the…

Whatever the past achievements of our schools, very few today bring about student learning even remotely up to the minimum requirements of a nation such as the United States; small improvements in the educational system will be of little consequence in light of the huge deficits and the country's increasing needs. Most of the large, complex plans…

Drawing on previously unpublished archival materials as well as historical accounts of American education and the self-help tradition of education in the United States, this book examines the origins, theoretical bases, and implications of writing groups. Following an introduction that points out the varied circumstances under which writing groups…

There are fundamental differences in the forms of learning addressed by cognitive psychologists and educationalists. The phenomena explained by a psychological theory of learning are the successes of human cognition. The mechanisms posited are designed to account for how learning takes place, where the content of the learning is the physical and…

This monograph reviews the research findings related to study skills and provides a limited number of examples. The monograph emphasizes the relationship of information processing theory to effective teaching and learning, and details the growth of interest in metacognition. It reviews existing programs that teach study skills and discusses the…

Three research studies conducted at Thai universities involving language testing and courses in General English and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) are discussed. The first study examined the predictive validity of different types of language tests on academic achievement in General English and EAP courses. It found that the test format, as…

This essay summarizes the theory and practice of computer simulation, assesses the state of the art of simulation with respect to pedagogically relevant processes like learning, and speculates about the impact of such simulations on pedagogical research and practice. Arguing that the use of computer simulation as a technique for building formal…

Computer learners often develop explanations of events they observe during training. Recent work on generalization suggests that explanations may be valuable in permitting learners to develop generalizations from one or a few examples. This study explores the idea by describing four generalization paradigms in which explanations play a part:…