Proposes that a game called Black Box is a useful tool for introducing various features of scientific reasoning to introductory research methods classes. Outlines the rules of the game and suggests analogies that instructors can make between the game and concepts commonly mentioned in discussions of scientific reasoning. (DSK)

Examined the learning strategies used by 43 American learners of Arabic as a foreign language in their writing tasks. Learning strategies were assessed through a process of introspection. When composing, students wrote down all techniques and procedures used to perform the writing task. Results show both proficient and less proficient learners…

Investigates (1) the differences in deep and surface strategy use of students in an introductory biology class and (2) the differences between the strategies students reported using for test preparation and those they would suggest a friend to use. Finds high performing students used more deep and domain-specific strategies for learning than…

Reports on a study of video use by learners in a multimedia language course, their perceptions of the contribution of video to learning, and the affective evaluations they ascribe to video versus print sources. The subjects for the study were university distance learning students enrolled in a beginning Spanish course. (Contains 14 references.)…

Asserts that college developmental reading students often start out as passive learners. Describes a college reading lab where students practice active, self-directed, independent learning. States that when students are exposed to self-regulation and metacognition, they learn to manage their own learning activities and an attitude of success can…

Interviews 36 practicing teachers, using phenomenological methods to examine what, when, where, and to whom teachers offer choice. Final results focus on the following main points: teachers believe that choice promotes learning and motivation; choice is used in a number of ways; and teachers impose limits on classroom choice based on student age,…

Disability simulation offers a promising intervention when used in conjunction with other learning methods. Issues discussed include orientation activities that increase awareness and provide a context for examining personal values and biases, ethical and safety concerns, the role of the facilitator, and areas of inquiry specific to disabilities…

Proposes using a winter field trip to explore how various plants on a campus thermoregulate. Describes techniques for determining the location of cold stresses in plants and how plants manage to deal with the cold stresses. (DDR)

Explores the knowledge development of Taiwanese 5th grade students (N=28) of biological reproduction. Proposes three stages of knowledge acquisition based on the results of the study. (Contains 17 references.) (DDR)

Recommends strategies, based on current research into teaching and learning, that international students may use to improve their academic performance. (EV)

Describes an online self-organizing social system (OSOSS) which allows large numbers of individuals to self-organize in a highly decentralized manner to solve problems and accomplish other goals. Topics include scalability and bandwidth in online learning; self-organization; learning objects; instructional design underlying OSOSS, including…

Students in a computer applications (CA) course (n=74) and business information systems (BIS) course (n=69) displayed no differences in motivation. The BIS group used rehearsal and organization learning strategies, the CA group help-seeking and effort regulation. In CA, intrinsic goal orientation and self-efficacy were related to grades. In BIS,…

Three studies investigated whether and under what conditions the addition of on-screen text would facilitate the learning of a narrated scientific multimedia explanation. The overall pattern of results can be explained by a dual-processing model of working memory, which has implications for the design of multimedia instruction. (Author)

Describes a study of undergraduates that examined the potential trade-off in study efficiency and breadth of learning for hypertexts studied by selecting units from a content map. Compares study strategies and text recall with a more- and less-segmented hypertext and discusses text representations, study times, knowledge representation, and…

Hong Kong International School produced a booklet on guided reflection that contains activities to help students of all ages transfer learning into their daily lives. An outline of the booklet highlights the purpose of guided reflection; how briefing and debriefing work through implementation of a "what, so what, now what" process;…