Discusses linear, or systematic, instructional design and development, including a 15-step model. Topics include needs assessment; formative evaluation; performance objectives; instructional materials development; pilot testing; design alternatives that challenge linear instructional design, including constructivism, anchored instruction, and…

Relates the story of a kindergartner's first experiences with literacy in the school context to demonstrate the importance of constructivism in educators' thoughts about teaching and learning literature. Discusses the reasons why a kindergarten boy suddenly began writing and illustrating "books" about war even though he showed no interest in…

Describes the Write Now approach that allows teachers to transform the first few minutes of class into a powerful learning experience by helping students reflect on the previous day's lessons and encouraging them to construct their own knowledge of the concepts being studied. Discusses Quasar questions, reviewing responses, constructing…

Examined (n=12) Year-12 students' awareness and application of learning strategies. Identified five possible reasons for students' failure to use appropriate learning strategies in mathematics. Without appropriate strategic learning behaviors students will be ill equipped to cope with the high cognitive demands of a constructivist learning…

Identifies specific functions that reading, in combination with writing and talking, can serve in mathematical inquiries and contribute to a better understanding of how inquiry experiences can be planned and supported in secondary mathematics classrooms. Analysis of data led to identification of 30 functions of reading that are specific to…

Explores common schemes used by Spanish 10-12th grade students in concrete and abstract contextual situations to explain the internal structure of metals, the causes of electric conduction of metals, and the nature of this current. Concludes that students' conceptions change progressively as they are exposed to additional relevant information in…

Described the characteristics of expert and novice teachers' constructivist-oriented teaching practices while using a movement approach to teaching elementary physical education. Data from interviews, videotaped lessons, and the Educational Games Observation Rubric indicated that there were significant differences between the two groups, though…

Describes the development of a practice-based methodology for researching "career" in constructive and critical terms. Suggests that career theories continue to be confounded by the dualism of human agency and social structure. Provides a detailed exposition of metaphor as a paradigm for practice-based research based on a synthesis of…

Describes a course development project at the University of Alberta that transformed a traditional lab-based, instructor-led course to a Web-mediated instruction course while preserving the constructionist learning environment of the traditional course and optimizing the course delivery mode to make it more accessible to a wider audience of…

Focuses on constructivism and lists some of the procedures that teachers use to illustrate the constructivist learning model. Describes characteristics of a classroom that is using the constructivist model. First published in 1991. (YDS)

In this response to commentaries provided on their original paper, "Beyond Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Situations, Interactions, Processes and Affordances," the authors elaborate on the aims of their conceptualization, focusing on the nature of affordances and situations. (AEF)

Describes the problem based learning (PBL) approach in medical education and discusses learning and study skills in PBL. (YDS)

Introduces a chemistry course designed for preservice teachers that focuses on increasing the knowledge of students using hands-on, constructivist, inquiry-based science experiences. (YDS)

Discusses results of analysis of data collected over four semesters of a situated graduate course in Web-based instruction that investigated synchronous versus asynchronous interaction; the importance of technical skills; aids and barriers to the establishment of a learning community; affective dimensions of Web-based instruction; and the…

Mathematics education in schools can be viewed either as primarily a sociocultural phenomenon or as a nurturing of the individual's mathematical development. Argues that instead of taking the dichotomous view, contrasting the Vygotskian and the Piagetian perspectives, the two may be seen as separate "truths" providing different lenses…