Teaching college faculty the principles and applications of computers for computer-based instruction (CBI) in workshops or classrooms is discussed, along with implications of establishing an ongoing program based on sequential levels of knowledge acquisition. Five hierarchical categories for the acquisition of knowledge, based on a model by Hubert…

The first of three articles on the ways in which people formulate their observations, this paper considers the basic assumptions of both syntactic and paradigmatic models of cognition and their applications in natural (i.e., human) and artificial (i.e., computer) information processing. The analysis begins with background information on the nature…

A study of active group learning that occurred during 61 state humanities programs in 35 states is discussed, and 11 recommendations to state humanities councils are offered. Information was obtained from a mail survey and review of state council proposals and narrative reports. Definitions of learning and information on the following learning…

Those to whom teachers are accountable--administrators, parents, and the public--seem to be inclined to ignore the findings of more than 20 years of research into the process of efficient and proficient reading in favor of dehumanized instruction that reduces reading to bits and pieces of skills instruction. They cling to the metaphor of mind as…

Recent advances in psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, and information processing theory have produced several notions that have revolutionized previous conceptions of reading and what it means to understand. These notions support the idea that more emphasis should be placed on reading comprehension skills in the English as a second language…

The reflective judgment (RJ) model is described, along with research findings based on the model and contributions to understanding student intellectual development in higher education. The RJ model (Kitchener & King, 1981) describes a series of changes that occur in the ways adults/young adults understand the process of knowing, and…

Examined is the notion of "representation" as it is used in mathematics education. The first section explains what appears to the current "received view" of representation within mathematics education. The second section describes the constructivist view of representation, especially as this view is related to Piaget's theory. The third section…

Tracing the history of algebra within the U.S. secondary curriculum requires at the same time a review of the various reform movements relevant to secondary education, an acknowledgement of the sociological, political, and psychological perspectives driving these reforms, and most importantly, the perceived role of mathematics in the education of…

Teaching adults more effectively is a concern common to business, industry, professionals, and educators. An examination of research dealing with effective teaching shows that six functions can be identified and followed as steps in the instruction of adults: (1) review of previous learning and skills; (2) initial presentation of material through…

An inquiry attempted to build an agenda for research that would result in a cognitive theory of instruction capable of informing educational practice and extending the limits of knowledge about how people learn and develop. What would such a theory look like, how close are we to having one, and what directions must be followed to further its…

Most word learning studies conducted over the past decade have shown that methods of word instruction that emphasize the graphic or phonic features of words presented alone (word alone method) affect learning rate more positively than do methods that emphasize meaning through oral, written, and pictorial cues (context methods). To compare the…

The insight and understanding gained from various discourse models can allow teachers of reading and writing to focus on the many ways reading and writing instruction can be integrated. For example, syntactically oriented writing exercises such as sentence combining and Francis Christensen's generative rhetoric of a sentence can assist students in…

A discussion is presented of a project that attempts to link research interest in teachers' implicit theories, attitudes, beliefs, and teaching practice and with a preservice introductory educational psychology course. The main purpose of the study was to make more personally meaningful and practical the pedagogical theories, research, and ideas…

An attempt was made to increase Swedish preschool children's understanding of aspects of commercial enterprise, particularly those of "the shop," by introducing a specific didactic approach to preschool education. Of particular interest were two aspects of the shop: advertising and the principle of trade. A total of 77 children up to 7 years of…

A theory of learning based on recent insights from sociology and semiotics is explicated. Building on the work of Vygotsky, Dewey, Halliday, Barnes, Deely, Eisner, and others, this sociosemiotic model of learning is used as a frame of reference for thinking about the process by which texts are created from sensation. It is argued that the process…