Discusses the results of a study that explored first year university students' ideas about measurement in the physics laboratory. Uses the 'point' and 'set' paradigms as a model to analyze responses to written probes. (Contains 21 references.) (DDR)

What kind of influence does the structure of an educational hypermedia system have on the way its users understand its contents and organize the knowledge they acquire through its browsing? In this article, this already much discussed question, situated at the boundary between semiotics and cognitive science, is revisited in the light of results…

Online learning is now a reality, with distributed learning and blended learning becoming more widely used in Higher Education. Novel ways in which undergraduate and postgraduate learning material can be presented are being developed, and methods for helping students to learn online are needed, especially if we require them to collaborate with…

This paper examines the nature of physics students' knowledge, the means to identify alternative conceptions, and possible methods to overcome misconceptions. This examination is a survey of the techniques and ideas of a large number of researchers who are seeking their own solutions to this problem. An examination of the nature of knowledge…

One problem in the field of conceptual change theory is that disparities occur with respect to the meanings of the terms "conflict,""disequilibrium," and "dissonance." As the strategies aimed at conceptual change have evolved, the same terms have taken on new meaning. This paper aims to present a brief review of the evolution of conceptual change…

The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education has traditionally a technology-based focus, looking at the ways in which AI can be used in building intelligent educational software. In addition AI can also provide an excellent methodology for learning and reasoning from the human experiences. This paper presents the potential role of AI in…

This essay is based on observation and interpretation of the mathematical language of children while they engage in situations involving fractional numbers. This interpretation includes the consideration of various levels of language use, informal metamorphic and metonymic uses of fractional number language, and the interplay between language use…

Students (N=14) in a geomorphology course took an objective geomorphology test, the tree construction task, and the Standardized Concept Structuring Analysis Technique (SConSAT) version of concept mapping. Results suggest that the SConSAT knowledge structure dimensions have moderate to good construct validity. Contains 82 references. (DDR)

Examines how professional chemists and undergraduate chemistry students respond to chemistry-related video segments, graphs, animations, and equations. Discusses the role that surface features of representations play in the understanding of chemistry. Contains 36 references. (DDR)

Examines the types of requests for information made by university students (N=60) as they evaluate scientific news briefs. Student requests most often focus on how research is conducted and why results might occur. Contains 47 references. (DDR)

Draws from studies in the sociology of scientific knowledge to create a new perspective for understanding school science. Merges ethnography and discourse analysis to study science-in-the-making in a physics classroom. Investigates local conceptual ecologies. Contains 55 references. (DDR)

Describes a module that combines a traditional hex nut activity with a sugar cookie activity to provide students with an in-depth understanding of balancing chemical equations. (DDR)

Presents an account of one teacher's path to realizing the depth of intuitive beliefs about science. Organizes chemistry misconceptions into eight patterns of reasoning that include thinking rules and alternative conceptions. (DDR)

Considers the perspective that method is independent of subject matter and that certain areas might be better conceived of in terms of signs and interpretations rather than in terms of objects and interactions. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

Discusses computer instruction in light of Bruner's theory of three forms of representation (action, icons, and symbols). Examines how studies regarding Paivio's dual-coding theory and studies focusing on procedural knowledge support Bruner's theory. Provides specific examples for instruction in three categories: demonstrations, pictures and…