Discusses how the Vygotskian theory of language development can be put to use in the mathematics classroom. Provides a classroom vignette in which the teacher encourages students to think about, talk about, and learn mathematical vocabulary according to Vygotsky's ideas. (ASK)

Presents a plenary presentation from the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) which calls for properly designed, controlled trials and systematic reviews of the effects of teaching and learning methods in order to make informed decisions about teaching practices. (Author/CCM)

Two theories of learning (Vermunt's learning conceptions and Baxter Magolda's ways of knowing and patterns of reasoning) are compared using a general perspective and a gender perspective, with the aim of combining and extending them. Comparison suggests a number of relationships between theories on a conceptual level, but these could not be…

The author responds to a comparison of her learning conceptions theory with another theory, applauding the effort to link theories of learning and gender. Complexities of relationships among epistemic structures, patterns within structures, and learning activities are highlighted, as well as dilemmas in assessing multiple layers of learning.…

Describes from a neurobiological perspective the interdependence of emotion and reason. Examines the contribution of implicit memory to unconscious cognitive processes. Explores the implications of emotion and implicit memory for transformative learning. (Contains 64 references.) (SK)

Discusses community of practice, situated cognition, learning as demand driven, learning as a social act, and learning via ways of seeing. Expands these ideas through Vygotsky's writings, including zone of proximal development and the general genetic law of cultural development; and considers implications for the design of Web-based learning…

Engestrom examines activity theory and expansive learning by describing Who are the subjects of learning? Why do they learn? What do they learn? and How do they learn? Presents five principles: activity system as the unit of analysis, multiple voices, historicity, contradictions as sources of change, and expansive transformation. Young provides…

Proposes an entirely different perspective and challenges both the current para-dogmatic character of constructivism in some quarters of mathematics education and the dismissive attitude towards 'humanist non-sense' in others. Discusses the linguistic aspects of mathematical knowledge through a language acquisition device and a language…

Outlines what the terms "learning" and "development" meant in the theoretical framework on one important developmental psychologist--Vygotsky. Discusses his concepts of decontextualization and contextualization, which have implications for a possible developmental account of heterogeneity in human mental functioning. (ET)

Looks at the social-historical context of developmental and other social science research in the United States. Focuses on the impact of Freud's and Piaget's theories. Discusses the current research trend to turn to the ideas in humanities and literary studies that have remained concerned with human development in social-historical reality. (ET)

Discusses the role of play in the learning of mathematics. Describes a play for the third grade mathematics classroom that focuses on negative numbers and number concepts, and revisits Vygotsky from this point of view. Concludes that mathematically imaginative play can contribute greatly to mathematics learning in elementary school. (Contains 20…

Offers a resolution to the debate between constructivists and realists regarding the epistemological status of human knowledge. Presents evidence in the form of three case studies and one experimental study. Concludes that knowledge acquisition involves a pattern idea generation and test that, when cast in the form of a verbal argument, follows an…

Presents a three-stage framework, based on Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, that has been shown to be useful in the counseling of children. Highlights techniques and environmental factors that are useful in the counseling of children, particularly small children who have not developed the language required for more formal counseling…

Comments on four articles in a special issue of the Journal of the Learning Sciences on methodology in learning sciences. Analyzes the articles within a general model seeking to analyze human activity across multiple time scales. (Author/MM)

Presents a discussion of learning styles by Lynn Curry, Rick Daly, Ashley Fields, Peter Honey, David Kolb, Patrick O'Brien and Gary Salton. Addresses learning style theories, style predictability, whether to teach exclusively to one style, and ways to make use of learning styles in corporate settings. (Author/JOW)