Notes that the ecological perspective on observation of learning focuses on the processes of interaction while attempting to unravel them from the inside out. Concludes that this approach requires a new look at basic assumptions about its role in the construction of theory and practice, i.e., evidence of learning will require new ways to document…

Mindtools are computer applications that, when used by learners to represent what they know, engage them in critical thinking. This article discusses computers as semantic organization (databases and semantic networking), dynamic modeling (spreadsheets, expert systems, systems modeling, microworlds), information interpretation, knowledge…

Reviews and reinterprets current developmental directed-forgetting literature within an inhibition framework. Argues that item-by-item cued directed-forgetting tasks manipulate selective rehearsal to produce greater recall of to-be-remembered than to-be-forgotten items, producing directed-forgetting effects by second grade. Blocked and…

Discusses distributed-learning technology and distance learning in higher education and describes initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania to collaborate with businesses and choose outsourcing for some functions. Reasons for outsourcing include a decentralized institutional structure, high initial costs, uncertainty about which techniques…

Reviews selected pioneering findings in the child-developmental and adulthood-aging literature and evaluates them within the framework of Nelson (Thomas O.) and Narens' (Louis) (1990) theory of metamemory. Makes suggestions for conceptually-based analytical research to help specify the mechanisms that underlie developmental differences in…

Students' needs and research on learning should inform teaching practices. Makes suggestions for improving instruction such as using students as ombudspersons to provide feedback on class concerns, focusing on process skills, and incorporating problem-based learning into the curriculum. Also includes examples of successful programs and summaries…

Outlines a Vygotskian perspective on moral development. Summarizes Lev Vygotsky's ideas about the "zone of proximal development" and extends them into the domain of moral education, focusing on an extract from the film, "Boyz 'n the Hood." Shows how the zone of proximal development facilitates moral development differently from…

Investigating 121 learners' experiences with videoconferencing, this study used path analysis to examine the postulates of Moore's Theory of Transactional Distance. A major focus was estimating the effects of the dimensions of dialog, structure, learner autonomy, and transactional distance--the constituent concepts of Moore's theory--on learning…

To test hypothesis that young children may be open to learning non-SVO structures with novel transitive verbs, 12 children in each of three age groups (2-year olds, 3-year olds, and 4-year olds) were taught novel verbs, one in each of three sentence positions: medial, final, and initial. Results suggest English-speaking children's acquisition of a…

Evaluations of antiviolence education suggest that trying to change attitudes can cause a backlash. This study provides a knowledge-based intervention measuring knowledge of information presented, attitudes about date rape, and self-reported physical and sexual aggression involving peers. Results show that students who attended the intervention…

Examines the place of caring, constructivist learning, and community in teachers' professional development. Professional-learning communities provide a conversational space for connecting teachers' personal, practical knowledge in the classroom with the larger professional-knowledge landscape. Profiles two professional-development initiatives that…

Describes a theoretical model of stages in the comprehension of a machine from diagrams and accompanying text, and considers the implications of this model for designing hypermedia manuals that explain how machines work. Reports on three experiments with undergraduates that evaluated hypermedia and multimedia manuals based on this model.…

Proposes two complementary strategies that contribute to opportunities for active learning: one, hyperlink teaching, is an alternative mode of in-class lecture delivery; the second, intelligent slides, resembles information bases that are enhanced with electronic links for use by students outside the classroom. The questionnaire used to gauge…

Contends that only students with performance or composing abilities are given a chance to explore music in their education. Stresses the importance of teaching all students how to listen to music in an active, "minds-on" way instead of only teaching hands-on activities. Challenges the traditional music curriculum by refuting five myths…

Suggests the Book Chat model, which emphasizes subject-related, process-oriented learning principles, be adjusted to accommodate two aspects of change in literary practice: the selection of texts for literature programs; and the influence of critical-literacy theory on the way teachers question children about what they read. (NH)