Comments on Erick Smith's proposed knowing/knowledge distinction, and clarifies a possible ambiguity in the present author's use of the term "constructivism." The article distinguishes between Piagetian-based psychological constructivism as outlined by Smith and the author's version of constructivism. (GR)

Comments on Erick Smith's article that states the authors do not use a consistent meaning for the term "knowledge" when discussing learning theory. The authors use the Vygotskian account of the movement from the interpsychological to the intrapsychological plane through the process of internalization and reinvention to explain their…

Suggests that the ability to process narrative information is fundamental to understanding human psychological development. Notes that a culture's system of understanding and interpreting the world is carried mostly by stories and texts. Explores how narrative understanding can be modeled in Fuzzy Trace Theory by using the principles of this…

Outlines a theory of developmental spelling, evolved from research on children's invented spellings, that can show teachers when best to teach aspects of spelling. Provides examples and several minilessons of the alternative approach to spelling instruction called Word Study, whereby words are examined by sound, by within-word patterns, and by…

Learning in the affective domain is an important aspect of the interpretive experience. A heuristic model was developed for use as a conceptual framework for describing the affective process in interpretation. The model serves as a basis for making recommendations for the practice of interpretation. (LZ)

Reports the results of testing the reliability and stability of a stress-coping model. Data was collected over a 1-year period from 230 managerial women; 1 year later, 135 of the subjects remaining completed 3 additional assessments. Over this two-year interval, the model reliably represented the relationships among the measures. (LKS)

A study explored the hypothesis that two independent sources of internal control regulate academic learning. College students (n=99) completed an inventory of active (executive) and dynamic (nonexecutive) learning processes. Results were correlated with student achievement. Findings support the hypothesis and reveal interactions between sources of…

Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning is described. Rote learning is contrasted with meaningful learning, which builds upon previous knowledge. Student's prior experience may leave them with misconceptions. Although erroneous, misconceptions are frequently logical and resistant to change. The author provides six strategies for facilitating…

Reports a study using the F-Sort of Biology Concepts to assess understanding of 37 concepts. Analyses indicated that college student biology majors and experienced secondary science teachers were separated from scientists by a dimension based on a deep-versus-surface structure understanding of the concepts. (over 40 references) (Author/PR)

This paper examines how some fundamental mechanisms of nervous system activity can explain human information processing and the acquisition of knowledge and provides additional theoretical support for constructivist applications to science education reform. The implications for scientific epistemology and conceptual change processes in science…

Discusses the synergistic interrelationships among the changes in our views of learning/teaching, the integration of technology, and the restructuring in our educational systems. Topics addressed include educational reform, constructivism, current use of technology, the effectiveness of technology, global telecommunications and collaboration, and…

This commentary on a paper by L. Heshusius (EC 600 327) argues that, rather than rejecting empiricism, postmechanistic science embraces a more sophisticated view of empiricism and scientific method. The commentary also supports direct instruction with the use of multiple measures of educational progress, quantitative and qualitative alike. (JDD)

Data obtained from a test of erasing an initial consonant or vowel of nonwords are presented and discussed to prove the inefficiency of processing when depending solely on acoustic decontextualized data. The experimental paradigm is the same as that used by the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. (six references) (LB)

Explains how teachers and counselors can use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (a self-reporting assessment tool based on Jungian personality-type theory) to help retain high-risk students. Reviews the information MBTI scores reveal about student interest, application/persistence, aptitude, learning type, most appropriate instructional method,…

A constructionist theory is described that accounts for the knowledge-based inferences that are constructed when readers comprehend narrative text. Distinctive assumptions of the constructionist theory embrace a principle of search (or effort) after meaning. Literature in support of the theory is reviewed. (SLD)