Examines the influence of prior knowledge and text genre on prediction strategies of eleventh grade and graduate student readers. Finds that readers' prior knowledge may significantly influence the nature of readers' prediction strategies. Uses qualitative analysis of verbal report data to examine variation in types of prediction strategies.…

In year 1 of a 3-year study, 14 elementary and secondary preservice teachers (out of 53 teacher education candidates) were interviewed/observed as their beliefs about reading instruction changed through coursework and practice in classroom teaching. Findings highlight the importance of considering preservice teachers' prior beliefs when designing…

Considers the question of how best to elicit samples of writing for assessment in an English-for-academic-purposes proficiency test and assure that every test taker has something to write about. Three types of writing tasks are defined and analyzed, and examples are given. (25 references) (GLR)

Describes study conducted at the University of Toronto that assessed the attitudes of student teachers toward computers by using a multicomponent model, the Computer Attitude Measure (CAM). Cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes are examined, and correlations of computer literacy, experience, and internal locus of control are discussed.…

Discussion of changing curricula in higher education focuses on a new curriculum design for intermedia specialists that should evolve from the more traditional field of instructional technology. The need for appropriate undergraduate and practical experience is considered, and courses that combine computer education, cognitive systems, and other…

Describes a study of teacher education students at West Virginia University that was conducted to determine the effects of a computer-awareness learning module, instructional format, and prior computer use on computer anxiety. The relationships among performance, computer anxiety, and prior experience are also discussed. (Contains 12 references.)…

Describes a 1994 survey about an introductory class in online communications at Wright State University. Discussion includes a profile of respondents, prior online experience, personal development, impact on personal and professional knowledge and skills, impact on communication, and barriers and limitations to the effective use of…

Surveys of elementary, secondary, and college mathematics experiences of (n=45) elementary mathematics teachers showed that sharing mathematics knowledge in elementary school, enthusiastic teachers in high school, parental support, and practical uses of mathematics were positive influences. Rote drill, seatwork, and ability groupings were negative…

Three experiments using university students explored what constitutes an event and what determines its boundaries. Results supported the hypothesis that sequences of stimuli repeating in different contexts are cut out to become cognitive entities ("things" with a beginning and an end) in their own right. Results suggest that the…

Results for 78 college students who took a pretest on basketball knowledge, read a passage on basketball, and took an immediate or delayed posttest indicate that pretest scores are significantly related to immediate posttest scores, whereas delayed posttest scores are related to Scholastic Aptitude Test verbal scores. (SLD)

For both 6 and 11 year olds, social knowledge had a significant influence on test phase responses. It is maintained that the study clarifies the relationship between the use of knowledge-based and similarity-based information in children's acquisition of concepts. (BG)

Follow-up interviews with 79 adults and children about 6 months after their visit to Launch Pad, the interactive center in London's Science Museum, provide evidence of long-term impact of the visit. Although most of the memories were episodic rather than semantic in nature, over one-quarter of the memories showed evidence that respondents…

Examines how the aquarium has attempted to move from a transfer view of knowledge to a constructivist approach in its most popular general public program--the killer whale presentation. The process of change that staff underwent is similar to conceptual change processes among learners of science. Describes constructivist strategies of conceptual…

Explores how research in learning styles can benefit from findings in cognitive psychology. Discusses difficulties of research on learning styles and two relevant findings in cognitive research: the influence of prior knowledge on learning and the potential value to learners of metacognitive awareness. Urges rigorous conceptual and empirical…

Two questions are examined: the relationship between prior to formal experience (high school instruction) and success on university foreign language proficiency tests, and the similarity of prior experience to pass rates for students of varying languages. (LB)