The literature on human aggression is large and diverse. Some of it is theory-driven, but much of it dwells on solving social problems rather than on building general models and research paradigms. This paper examines some of the research programs and theoretical emphases in aggression research and presents theory convergences to see how these…

Similarity plays a central role in cognitive theories. Research has demonstrated that the similarity of a pair increases with its commonalities and decreases with its differences. These common and distinctive elements can take the form of parts of objects, relations between parts of properties of whole objects. Previous work has been unable to…

A discussion of classroom teaching addresses two questions about how teachers learn to teach: (1) What do teachers know and how do they use that knowledge to do what they do in the classroom?; and (2) How do teachers learn what they know? In response to the first question, it is proposed that teaching can be seen from three basic perspectives: as…

All contemporary learning theorists agree on the advantages of involving students in authentic problem-solving activities in both in-school and out-of-school contexts. Approaches which use real-world problems as learning tools fit well with: (1) the strategy-based, performance model advanced by information processors; (2) the impasse or…

Attributes of multimedia learning resources are explored, considering the physical resources, the learners, and the instructional design factors that appear to be crucial in determining interactive capability and potential for instruction. The first significant dimension that is discussed is the sensory dimension, which includes structural media…

Although the freshman research paper is the most institutionalized single writing assignment in the academy, the body of knowledge about it is neither extensive nor reflective. This paper explores the complex processes involved in a freshman writing student's inquiry and composing processes as he/she enacts a research assignment. It asks how a…

This paper presents findings of a study that explored ways in which educators used reflective practices for administrative problem solving. Specifically, the study explored the ways in which administrators used a cognitive-coaching framework to guide their thinking and contributed to their practical wisdom through structured reflection of their…

Content area teachers interested in using writing to learn activities need to be well informed about the learning promoted by certain writing tasks before assigning them. Writing assignments should not be thoughtlessly and arbitrarily assigned with the expectation that learning, somewhat miraculously or mysteriously, will occur. Although writing…

Some specific aspects of the process of discovery are explored as they are experienced in the visual arts and the physical sciences. Both fields use the same visual/brain processing system, and both disciplines share an imaginative and productive interest in the disciplined use of imagistic thinking. Many productive interactions between visual…

This qualitative, ethnographic study documented an upper primary school teacher's thinking as she planned to integrate a block play center into her classroom. Data was collected through a series of seven interviews in May, July, and August. Other methods of data collection included journal entries, stimulated recall, drawings, pictures, and notes…

This guide presents current scientific research on the process of human learning and stresses the importance of metacognition. Focus is placed on memory and learning with analogies to photography being employed to aid understanding. This guide also includes background information on human memory; a poster; instructions for the four short term…

This research study focused on the knowledge structure of the domain of physics by describing the knowledge of experts, intermediates, and novices. In order to investigate these representations, a reiterative categorization task was employed using novice, intermediate, and expert subjects (N=27). The categories were classified as theory-, model-,…

This paper presents a model for those interested in the design and/or research of instruction in the affective domain. This model is an integration of current theories and models in the affective domain. It is a broad and comprehensive model which represents the hierarchical structures and interactions of affective and related cognitive factors,…

This paper focuses on how people learn to help educators design curriculum that will enable students to successfully complete a distance learning class. Up-front organization, clear communication about performance expectations, outcome driven assessment, and imaginative learning strategies are critical to successful distance learning.…

This brief survey of the field of psycholinguistics is intended for both students and anyone interested in language. It contains a summary overview of the main features of this area of language study: scope and principles of inquiry; basic concerns; and key concepts. Chapter topics include: language acquisition (first words, the birth of grammar,…