Discusses online help systems in application software design and describes two experiments in which adult computer novices learned to use experimental graphics software by task-based exploration. Topics include operative help; function-oriented help; effects on learning performance; schemata; mental models; and implications for the design of…

Explains four instructional approaches with varied learning processes and provides guidelines for the use of each. Describes receptive instruction, that is highly controlled; behavioral instruction that assumes learning occurs through a gradual building of skills; the situated guided discovery approach, including constructivism and social…

Comparison of 58 traditional-age and 37 nontraditional (ages 24-64) students showed that older students more often used the metacognitive strategies of generating constructive information and hyperprocessing. Older females had the highest levels of cognitive monitoring; no age or gender differences in course performance were found. (Contains 27…

Describes learning log assignments for college students in a developmental studies program. Notes that the assignments call for students to reflect on specific cognitive aspects of learning giving them the opportunity to explore their own thinking, evaluate their own progress, and promote metacognitive awareness. Describes learning log assignments…

Suggests that accommodating students' learning styles will bring English classrooms alive. Discusses various learning styles. Describes five strategies for kinesthetic learners. (RS)

Describes several activities for the kinesthetic learner that were developed for a high-school World Literature curriculum. (RS)

Perceptions of 1,615 college students of their teachers' support of student's questioning were examined in 2 experiments. Perceived support had significant and consistent relationships with student motivation and strategy use typical of self-regulated learners. It also appeared to affect the likelihood of student questioning. (SLD)

Argues that the first and primary focus of assessment should be the learner and that student feedback on their learning process and the inclusion of any presentations, products, or exhibitions produced along the way are essential. The author presents personal experiences using this assessment practice involving an English class. (GR)

Delineates the continuing controversy between development and learning, and notes the evidence accumulating for some type of continuum in the processes. Introduces 10 research papers on reconceptualizing the intersection of the two processes and states the arguments for debate and presentation. (ET)

Describes several generative vocabulary-building strategies that teachers of college developmental reading classes can use to help English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students become independent learners of the enormous amount of unfamiliar vocabulary they encounter in their academic courses. Discusses vocabulary selection strategies, personal word…

Reviews the following claims of situated learning: action is grounded in the concrete situation in which it occurs; knowledge does not transfer between tasks; training by abstraction is of little use; and instruction must be done in complex, social environments. The authors, focusing on mathematics education, critically evaluate each claim and…

Reviews recent research on the department head role in English and Welsh secondary schools. Aims to link current knowledge to department heads' influence on classroom teaching and learning processes. The literature is fragmentary, treats the role from a holistic viewpoint, and does not address department heads' influences on classroom practice.…

Explores two approaches (theoretical representation versus a modeling exercise based on artificial neurological networks) to a problem in organizational design: fitting together constraints making hierarchy advantageous with those favoring organizational learning. The modeling approach expands the scope of traditional theorizing about practice.…

This article presents principles for effective adult learning applicable in child care settings. These principles include the need for motivation to learn, the view that learning is an active process, the benefits from guidance, the importance of appropriate materials and activities for sequential learning, the need for reinforcement and varied…

The relationship between relearning and retention was examined during refresher training for 53 Israeli soldiers operating an electronic system. The longer the training interval, the lower the operator's performance level. Partial simulation was suitable for retraining in complex tasks. A cyclical behavior model of learning, forgetting, and…