Hypothesizes that pharmacological and expectancy effects may be two principles that govern caffeine consumption in the same way they affect other drug use. Tests this theory through a balanced placebo design on 100 male undergraduate students. Expectancy set and caffeine content appeared equally powerful, and worked additionally, to affect…

Explores the effect of note-taking instruction on ninth graders' comprehension of high- and low-interest passages on teacher-made, objective tests. Finds a statistically significant interaction between note-taking training and passage type that suggests the training was more effective for the low-interest than the high-interest passage. Concludes…

Examines the research literature on conceptual change, analyzes the different uses of the term, and discusses six other issues that have emerged from this literature. Outlines a multidimensional framework for considering conceptual change events in the classroom and attempts to synthesize various perspectives of contemporary conceptual change…

Explains a nested hierarchy of conceptions of teaching and suggests a process of expanding awareness among academic staff of the relation between learning and teaching. Presents a case study of one lecturer's changing conceptions and discusses how conceptual change may be encouraged in academic staff. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the Alexandria Digital Earth Prototype (ADEPT), part of the Alexandria Digital Library at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Describes a classroom evaluation of system use by faculty and students, and a laboratory-based usability study that investigates users' mental models of ADEPT and student learning. (Contains 29…

Includes two articles that highlight changes in Eastern Europe's distance education in higher education institutions since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Examines the high demand for distance education in the Czech Republic and the need for training in distance education technology; and reports on the fourth Romanian Internet Learning Workshop.…

Presents a framework that connects concepts such as expert consensus models, target models, intermediate models, preconceptions, learning processes, and natural reasoning skills for thinking about cognitive factors involved in model construction in the classroom. Provides guidance to teachers in the form of instructional principles and reminds…

Discusses distributed cognition theory, a viable framework and methodology for examining interactions between individuals and artifacts, and how it relates to performance support. Highlights include knowledge representation; applications in learning and performance support; learning communities; collaborative learning; and computer technology and…

Examined implicit learning ability in 6- and 10-year olds and adults as assessed by a serial reaction-time task, along with retention of knowledge after one week and explicit knowledge developed by children. Found no age-related difference in serial reaction-time performance, consistent with the idea that implicit learning abilities may be…

Considers three serious problems associated with learning styles: confusion in definitions, weaknesses in reliability and validity, and the identification of relevant characteristics in instructional settings, or aptitude-treatment interactions. Discusses four basic groups of learning styles that developmental educators should be aware of.…

Discusses organic architecture and suggests that learning environments should be designed and constructed using an organic approach, so that learning is not viewed as a distinct human activity but incorporated into everyday performance. Highlights include an organic knowledge-building model; information objects; scaffolding; discourse action…

Discusses competence and learning in the numeric domain and describes the implementation of the cognitive apprenticeship concepts through the use of granular interface, dynamic feedback, and facilities for far transfer of knowledge, as well as their contribution in arriving at a recommended implementation framework. Considers intelligent tutoring…

Discusses the value of feedback in performance improvement and reviews an emerging theoretical perspective called feedback intervention theory as well as emerging technologies and practices related to feedback delivery in instruction. Topics include theories of learning; electronically mediated communication; and immediate feedback. Contains 53…

Educators may not want to avoid technology altogether, but it must be approached with circumspection and investigation in order for it to be applied properly. (SK)

Learning is about making connections between subjects, across disciplines, over time, and from individual to universal experience. Our school system is not geared toward connectivity. Knowledge is divided into discrete subjects, and the day into fixed periods. Six questions facilitate students' movement from experience to subjects. (MLH)