The idea of potential and usable processing space is explored, and consequent teaching strategies are discussed. Simultaneous studies of the effect of working memory space and field-dependence on science performance at secondary and tertiary levels are reviewed. How students filter out "signal" from "noise" during various…

The differences among elaborative-interrogation, reading-to-understand, and no-exposure control conditions with familiar domain material in contrast to unfamiliar domain material were studied for 50 Canadian and 50 west German undergraduates. Results provide evidence of effects of both elaborative interrogation and prior knowledge on learning.…

Describes an activity that reinforces writing and reading skills while teaching about the democratic process. (PRA)

The ability to recognize and recall details about objects helps scientists figure out the answers to problems. Observational skills can be developed by sketching objects in detail. Rapid drawing can improve students' sense of important features and rapid memorization of clues about an object. (JDD)

Uses contingency theory to examine workplace conditions making high school teaching nonroutine; investigate whether organic management forms arise when teachers' work becomes nonroutine; and investigate whether such management forms have potential for enhancing teacher effectiveness by promoting job-related learning. There is little evidence that…

Summarizes the implications of constructivism for instructional systems design in five principles that integrate the affective and cognitive domains of learning. Distinguishing characteristics of the two approaches are described based on a review of recent literature, and examples are offered that discuss learner controlled computer-based…

Teachers who understand the dimensions of cognitive style and cognitive control can significantly affect their students' academic performance. This article explains students' information processing system, learning phases and skills, and instructional implications. Teachers can use overlearning and meaningfulness to help students move new…

Examines the roles of subject matter experts (SMEs) and instructional designers and discusses distinctions between the two. Three reasons to distinguish SMEs from instructional designers are explained: the learning process, knowing versus communicating, and allocation of resources. (LRW)

The Clinical Learning Spiral incorporates reflective processes into undergraduate nursing education. It entails successive cycles of four phases: preparative (briefing, planning), constructive (practice development), reflective (debriefing), and reconstructive (planning for change and commitment to action). (SK)

Language teachers are encouraged to find innovative ways to teach vocabulary, particularly illustrating the relationships between words and spatial and temporal relationships in meaning. The concept of the teachable moment is also discussed briefly. (MSE)

It is argued that college students can learn to improve their writing by being taught a number of basic strategies. A distinction is made between weak and strong strategies, and a number of each are identified and discussed. Classroom instructional procedures supporting improvement of skills are outlined. (Author/MSE)

Describes how learning of important strategies in reading and writing is fostered by organizing instruction so that students benefit from both teacher-led and student-led instruction. Discusses text choices, integrating reading and writing with strategy instruction, the teacher-led shared-text pattern, and the student-selected singular text…

Investigates the cognitive functions of college students' use of underlining as a learning strategy. Finds that underlining does not serve an encoding or review function and may be counterproductive for inferential recall. (PRA)

Some preliminary observations relating to problems of the semiotic mediation of reality through linguistic tools are presented and discussed in light of the experiences of 12- to 13-year-old Swedish students interpreting a table of postage rates. Learning to use such a tool is a genuinely social phenomenon. (SLD)

Asserts that small group collaborative writing exercises that produce overhead transparencies for large class critique can be an effective method for teaching letter and memorandum construction. Offers a five-step process for encouraging individual and collaborative writing skills. (PRA)