One influential view of constructivism in science and mathematics educational research and practice is that of Ernst von Glasersfeld. It is a peculiarly subjectivist form of constructivism that should not be attractive to educators concerned with objectivity. Presents an example of a social constructivist alternative from pragmatic philosopher…

Investigates readers' ability to identify main ideas in narrative texts and the development of this ability. Results reveal that even the youngest students were able to identify the main ideas, but they did so less consistently than did older students. Findings have implications for theories of text comprehension development and for educational…

Describes research aimed at providing educational organizations with practical strategies for implementing electronic learning (e-learning), based on focus group discussions at an elementary school in Taiwan. Considers the strategic role of digital libraries in electronic learning environments, library collections, digital technology, human…

The "algorithmic" model of outdoor experiential learning is based in military tradition and characterized by questionable scientific rationale, production line metaphor, and the notion of learning as marketable commodity. Alternatives are the moral paradigm; the ecological paradigm "friluftsliv"; and the emerging…

Challenges a critique of phenomenography and the idea that college students approach studies in ways leading to either "deep" or "surface" learning. Finds the description of phenomenography to be unrecognizable and based on inadequate review of the literature. Sees this attempt to invalidate this approach to research about…

Responds to criticisms of a paper rejecting phenomenography and the notion of "deep" and "surface" learning, noting that important arguments were not addressed, including the nature of the research relationship in phenomenography, the ahistorical stance of phenomenographers, their lack of appreciation for…

Draws on constructs of "mediation" from sociocultural theory and "mode continuum" from systemic functional linguistics to investigate how student-teacher talk in a content-based classroom contributes to learners' language development. Shows how teachers mediate between students' linguistic levels in English and their…

This article was written interactively over an extended period of consultation and explores questions concerning the theory and practice of language awareness, its descriptive orientations, its relationship with critical social dimensions, and its connections with current theories of language teaching and learning. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the increasing amount of educational content on the Internet for both educational and business applications and reviews basic learning theories, instructional design theories, and factors affecting successful Web-based tutorials. Proposes a model synthesizing instructional design pedagogy and Web design concepts. (Author/LRW)

Updates the Tennyson and Rasch linking theory, which proposes that instructional design can improve learning outcomes if there is an established link between learner mental processes and the means of instruction, delivery, and assessment. Includes behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist theories of learning; explains elaboration theory; and…

This introductory paper covers basic concepts and terminology relevant to the application of research on relational learning to mental retardation. The paper discusses conditional discrimination; conditional stimulus relations and stimulus equivalence; generalized stimulus relations; impact of mediational processes on emergent behavior; relational…

As scientists seek to develop machines that can "learn," that is, solve problems by imitating the human brain, a gold mine of information on the processes of human learning is being discovered, expert systems are being improved, and human-machine interactions are being enhanced. (SK)

Arguments raised against the Critical Period Hypothesis of second language learning are refuted. It is suggested both that sufficient research evidence exists to support the hypothesis and that the hypothesis was not represented accurately or contradicted convincingly in the criticisms. (Author/MSE)

Bateson's integrative multilevel approach to learning, which is based on a theory of communication, is discussed. Implications of Bateson's learning theory for a more integrated approach to behavioral change are considered. (IAH)

Investigates the differential effects of ownership opportunities and instructional support on the writing-task engagement of high school students reporting low-, mid-, and high-levels of writing self-efficacy. (RAE)