The author describes a pilot study to investigate the extent to which learners use imagery in a variety of spatial problems. In order to discover how to encourage pupils to use imagery and thus to become better problem solvers, this study set out firstly to explore how pupils are able to use imagery in a variety of tasks. The tasks involved mental…

This paper gives a synopsis of an extensive programme of case studies on real uses of computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials within UK engineering degree programmes. The programme was conducted between 2000 and 2003 and followed a questionnaire-based survey looking at CAL use in the UK and in Australia. The synopsis reveals a number of key…

Most colleges and universities have adopted course management systems (e.g., Blackboard, WebCT). Worldwide faculty and students use them for class communications and discussions. The discussion tools provided by course management systems, while powerful, often do not offer adequate capabilities to appraise communication patterns, online behaviors,…

This report describes a program for increasing adolescent visualization and understanding of geometry problems. The targeted population consisted of high school students in two geometry classes in a growing middle-class community. The inability of students to adequately visualize and understand geometry problems was documented through teacher-made…

Based in a stream of community-based health promotion activities rather than a fixed framework of hypothesis testing, the study described in this paper tried to solve the problem of the one-sided communication between Japanese health care providers and receivers by visualizing health-related feelings and concepts for both parties involved in the…

Designed to gain a more thorough understanding of the cognitive processes involved and apply this knowledge in defining improved teaching strategies, this study of contour interpretation (referred to as "position fixing") required 12 subjects to locate their position on a map after being transported, blindfolded, to test sites where…

Considerable discussion and debate have been devoted to the extent and nature of structural or functional correspondence between internal representations and their external visual counterparts. An analogue representation or process is one in which the relational structure of external events is preserved in the corresponding internal…

A study involved the development and testing of a theoretical framework of cerebral specialization in which each hemisphere of the brain is viewed as an independent information processing system. During the study, four sets of experiments were conducted. These involved behavioral as well as electrophysiological measures. According to the…

The author maintains that one's imagination, or "image-making" faculty, is a precious tool that we can learn to harness for individual self-development. She offers suggestions on how educators and counselors cna use mental imagery more effectively. (Author/HMV)

Experiments explored the hypothesis that immediate memory span varies with length of recalled words. Relationships between memory and word length, temporal duration, reading speed and visual and auditory presentation were investigated. Results are interpreted in terms of a phonemically-based store of limited temporal capacity with varied…

The resumption of skilled performance following a period of no practice is often characterized by motor activity of a lower quality than that demonstrated prior to the rest period. This phenomenon, termed warm-up decrement, is usually brief, lasting for only a few trials or minutes of postrest practice. This study attempted to determine the effect…

Understanding vision is not a simple task. Nevertheless, a great deal is known about vision, more than about any of our other senses. The articles collected in this volume were chosen and organized with the intention of providing a survey of a number of different areas of vision research. Three major sections focus on the general categories of…

Recent findings have shown that bizarre imagery can be an effective mnemonic aid when lengthy retention intervals are employed, and when the surrounding context contains more normal elements. Testing the hypothesis that an interaction exists between context and time of testing with bizarre images, a study paired 40 male and female undergraduates,…

A good spelling teacher teaches by "taste" rather than by "recipe": instead of strictly adhering to procedural outlines, good teachers alter their lessons according to students' needs. In addition, good teachers: (1) recognize the importance of visualization for spelling; (2) understand the two kinds of visualization--for…

A within-subjects, three condition design was employed to examine the effects of three relaxation techniques on blood pressures, pulse rates, and self-report measures of relaxation for 12 college students. Respiratory Manipulation Training incorporated instructions to exhale and not to inhale for as long as possible. When breathing could no longer…