The spatial split-attention principle suggests that presenting related words and pictures spatially close to one another will improve learning compared with a spatially distant design, and two meta-analyses have shown support for the principle. However, it is not clear why the principle occurs. It has been theorized that integrated graphic designs…

Cognitive load theory has challenged contemporary approaches to teaching by arguing that they are ineffective because of a neglect of the psychology underpinning learning and, specifically, the high demand placed on working memory. This paper challenges the presuppositions involved not only in arguments for guided instruction by those supporting…

An extensive body of research has investigated the role of syntactic complexity in gauging the linguistic complexity of reading texts, particularly for the purpose of determining their grade appropriateness. However, little such research has focused on adapted teaching materials for English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, and to date there…

The purpose of this study is to address the necessity of subscore equating and to evaluate the performance of various equating methods for subtests. Assuming the random groups design and number-correct scoring, this paper analyzed real data and simulated data with four study factors including test dimensionality, subtest length, form difference in…

We report on and validate a system for ranking the cognitive demand of mathematical tasks. In our framework, task rankings are determined by the sequences of units and unit transformations students might use to solve each task. Using this framework, we ranked a set of 10 fractions tasks. We then interviewed 12 pre-service teachers to assess the…

One of the main tendencies of mathematical development in 19th and 20th centuries seem to be on rigor and formalization. Rigor and formalization took place on axiomatic basis leading to more abstraction. Euclidean type of an axiomatic model became a model of mathematics even for constructively developed analysis. Even though rigor and axiomatic…

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between patience, emotion regulation difficulty, and cognitive flexibility among university students, and to determine the predictability of patience in cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation difficulty. The study group of the study consisted of 342 (65.5%) females, 180 (34.5%)…

Block-building skills at age 3 are related to spatial skills at age 5 and spatial skills in grade school are linked to later success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Though studies have focused on block-building behaviors and design complexity, few have examined these variables in relation to future spatial and…

Illustrators of children's books work in a unique profession: Their practices are at the intersection of various, sometimes opposing, forces including their personal, artistic vision, their professional conventions, and the social, educational functions of their books. Involving five accomplished contemporary illustrators of children's picture…

Educational software can increase cognitive load and reduce learning in the K-12 classroom. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to compare the pretest/posttest changes in critical thinking skills and cognitive load in fourth-grade students after using multimedia software based on whether the design of the software product…

Younger children have more difficulty in sharing attention between two concurrent tasks than do older participants, but in addition to this developmental change, we documented changes in the nature of attention sharing. We studied children 6-8 and 10-14 years old and college students (in all, 104 women and 76 men; 3% Hispanic, 3% Black or African…

Young children can struggle to learn difficult disciplinary content and important skills for practicing science. Problem-based learning (PBL) may be useful for addressing such difficulties, yet evidence to support its usefulness in elementary school-aged children is limited. We considered the role of a PBL unit in improving students' genetics…

Providing students the autonomy and choice to learn when productive struggle becomes unproductive is a core teaching belief in the author's classroom. The author teaches in a multiage classroom where he has 16 first- and second-grade students, ages 6, 7, and 8. Like other educators, he believes in the importance of productive struggle. The author…

Engaging undergraduate students in large classes is a constant challenge for many lecturers, as student participation and engagement can be limited. This is a concern since there is a positive correlation between increased engagement and student success. The lack of student feedback on content delivery prevents lecturers from identifying topics…

This review presents an overview and analysis of the body of research on special relativity theory (SRT) education at the secondary and lower undergraduate level. There is currently a growing international interest in implementing SRT in pre-university education as an introduction to modern physics. For this reason, insights into learning…