This paper presents four studies which illustrate the variety of deficits in executive function displayed by individuals with autism. The concept of executive function is used to encompass all the mental operations which are involved in self-reflective and goal-directed behavior. Four forms of executive control are addressed: mental disengagement,…

Related to the earlier ACT production system theory, this book's basic goal is to present evidence for the psychological reality of a production system model of mind. Distinguished from the original theory in three ways, this volume uses previous rational analyses to improve upon that theory and extend its scope. It also relates the theory to new…

This teacher's guide presents current scientific research on the process of human learning and stresses the importance of metacognition. Focus is placed on the integrated pair of concepts, emotion and attention, with analogies to traffic conditions being employed to aid understanding. Background information on human emotion and attention, a…

In November 1997, Washington University and the Parents as Teachers National Center hosted a forum on how to apply neuroscience research to the field of education. The forum focused primarily on language acquisition in young children, which is fundamental to early learning and development and to later school success. The 110 participants included…

Chemistry Quickies is not a textbook, but it can be used as a supplement to chemistry textbooks because it presents a questioning approach to critical thinking and critical reading. Since the book was arranged for daily sequence without dependence on topic grouping, students acquaint themselves with their textbooks through deliberate exploration…

To function effectively as a learning environment, a simulation system must present learners with situations in which they use relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities. To function effectively as an assessment, such a system must additionally be able to evoke and interpret observable evidence about targeted knowledge in a manner that is…

A metaphor and ongoing debate of the information age is that the mind is a computer or that, conversely, the computer has a mind. Since the debate is conducted using anthropomorphic metaphors such as "intelligent,""memory," and "friendly" (terms from humanity), the language itself pressures the discussion towards the conclusion that computers will…

This book presents a systematic approach to integrated library and information skills instruction that is based on six broad skill areas necessary for successful information problem-solving, otherwise referred to as the "Big Six Skills." It begins with definitions and explanations of the Big Six Skills approach, moves to a discussion of…

A study was conducted in Israel to determine effects of external similarity in problem structure on students' responses. Fifty students from each of the 7th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade levels were presented with three problems involving successive divisions that were similar in structure. The problems asked separately whether the processes of…

A model for fostering educational administration students' reflective thinking skills is presented in this paper. Based on a cognitive psychological framework, the reflection model is applied to a doctoral program in educational administration. Methodology involved analysis of 10 doctoral students' journals, which were year-long records of…

Constructed-response formats are desired for measuring complex and dynamic response processes that require the examinee to understand the structures of problems and micro-level cognitive tasks. These micro-level tasks and their organized structures are usually unobservable. This study shows that elementary graph theory is useful for organizing…

Educational administrators have the power to determine the nature of decision-making structures and processes within their institutions and the extent to which decisions are implemented. This paper reviews assumptions underlying decision-making structures and processes established by school administrators; examines potential individual motives…

The four studies presented show how expertise, from the cultural-historical theory of activity, is constructed interactively in everyday problem situations. They also demonstrate that purely situational analyses of discourse are insufficient as attempts to explain expertise. The four studies are presented as individual chapters: (1) Expertise as…

The effects of mobilizing prior knowledge on information processing were studied. Two hypotheses, the cognitive set-point hypothesis and the selective attention hypothesis, try to account for the facilitation effects of prior knowledge activation. These hypotheses predict different recall patterns as a result of mobilizing prior knowledge. In…

Mental retardation, learning disabilities, and intellectual giftedness have long been separated as different fields. In the past decade research findings suggested a continuity within the general intelligence spectrum which place the gifted on one extreme and the retarded on the other, as well as a two dimensional taxonomy of intellectual…