Discusses solving rotation problems and shows that there is an alternative to using mental rotations or their encoding into verbal terms, namely using geometrical properties. Presents an analysis of the functionality and effectiveness of the different kinds of strategies as a function of the task's characteristics. Describes research to improve…

Discusses the place of learning theory in the planning, design, and implementation of learning tasks using information and communications technology. Considers hypermedia and learning and the constructivist approach to learning, proposes a model for applying constructivist theory to learning, and describes an example involving the World Wide Web.…

Describes two studies of college students that examined the effects of navigational aids on navigation and learning in hypertext. The first examined the effects of spatial maps and textual contents lists on students' ability to locate information; the second experiment compared a spatial map, a conceptual map and no aid on both navigation and…

Learning involves four institutional components: (1) time horizon of the agents; (2) the role of trust; (3) the actual mix of rationality; and (4) the way authority is expressed. The National Systems of Innovation (NSI) approach suggests that parts of knowledge base are tacit and emerge from learning-by-doing, using, and interacting. A four-fold…

A shift in emphasis from product to process has had a profound influence on the way writing is taught. Articles in this theme issue focus on developing the ability to write for communication, the ability to manage the writing process, and an understanding of the social context in which the writing process is embedded. (SLD)

Seventeen students with severe disability (ages 5 to 18) were assessed on Foundation Outcome Statement (FOS) Skills and subsequently exposed to an interactive multi-sensory environment which included equipment for light and visual stimulation and touch/tactile activities. Students increased in their number of FOS Skills immediately following…

Reports on a study of first-year college students who received instruction in metacognitive awareness for reading and writing. Describes metacognitive teaching strategies such as use of reflective journals or "reading logs," in which students recorded their thought processes as they read text and wrote papers. States that analyses of logs…

Argues that multi-media does not, by itself, guarantee accelerated learning and enhanced motivation unless there is a clear pedagogical progression and learning strategy. Describes and analyzes didactic dimensions to be considered in designing a multi-media tool, based on the authors' experiences as software authors and language trainers. (DSK)

Advocates cooperative learning as an instructional model for use by middle and high school social studies teachers to improve students' understanding of content and encourage students to become actively and constructively involved in the learning process. Describes five cooperative learning strategies appropriate for the social studies classroom…

This study presented contextual problems involving rational numbers and proportional reasoning to 7th-grade students with different curricular experiences. Evidence indicates that students in reform curricula, who are encouraged to construct their own conceptual and procedural knowledge of proportionality through collaborative problem-solving…

Employed a trial-by-trial analysis of spelling-strategy use to examine whether the overlapping-waves model could account for strategy choices in spelling for children tested in first and second grade. Found that the model was useful for understanding the development of spelling, despite the fact that explicit use of backup strategies had a minimal…

Presents an organization of seemingly disparate convention and procedure statements and rules of basic electricity into conjugate relationships which can be used to reduce students' memorization loads and improve their understanding. (WRM)

Identifies the social dimensions of learning. Advocates a teaching approach that is sensitive to the various barriers encountered by a diverse body of students seeking to negotiate access into the subculture of school science. (Author/CCM)

A survey of 71 nursing students in a Web-based course found that the format increased collaborative learning and improved computer skills. Graduate students were more confident that the course helped them understand concepts and ideas. Access, time, and computer skills were the largest barriers to learning. (SK)

Provides a profile of the use of action learning at the University of Brighton (United Kingdom), identifies reasons for the spread of action learning in a variety of subject disciplines, and discusses implications for the adoption of other innovations in learning and teaching in higher education. (LRW)