Presents an evaluation of "Smithtown," an intelligent tutoring system designed to teach inductive inquiry skills and principles of basic microeconomics. Two studies of individual differences in learning are described, including a comparison of knowledge acquisition with traditional instruction; hypotheses tested are discussed; and the…

Examines the prospects for learning and education through the use of interactive multimedia technologies (IMT) connected through telecommunications to create distributed multimedia learning environments. Highlights include a theoretical orientation on learning and teaching processes; teachers' roles; implications of learning theory for IMT design;…

Reports on a study of the impact of metacognition among 10 middle school-aged British students with learning difficulties. Finds that student awareness and subsequent control over thought processes were enhanced through self-reporting and self-appraisal. Examines this kind of reflection on enhanced learning capabilities and self-esteem. (CFR)

Reviews studies suggesting benefits of block play for literacy development that provides actual reading and writing experiences. Suggests that block play centers can be literacy-enhanced with materials that are authentic, useful, and appropriate, including: thematic books, magazines, architectural blueprints, envelopes, and adding machine tape.…

Study investigated the extent to which predominantly white teachers in predominantly African-American schools made consistent curricular and instructional decisions reflecting educational value orientations. The Values Orientation Inventory examined teachers' priorities for learning. Most teachers considered the social reconstruction value…

Discussion of learner-controlled instruction focuses on a study of undergraduates that compared learner control with program control in interactive videodisc instruction for making an origami crane. Student performance, self-efficacy concerning the instructional task, time on task, and student attitudes toward the instruction are examined. (32…

A study of 21 experienced non-mathematics teachers reflections on learning two mathematical concepts was conducted to examine ways that students process teacher explanations. Notebook and transcript extracts of the lessons indicated that the participants made a continued effort to assign meaning to the new material, experienced anxiety, and that…

Discusses the social role of the computer and the use of computers to facilitate learning through language. Highlights include computer use in education; learning as a communicative, social process; social cultural theory; interaction and learning; didactic/communicative pedagogy; social interaction and higher-order learning; facilitating learning…

Identifies and discusses different ways in which teachers using constructivist and other approaches might teach a lesson on the Lexington Green incident of April 1775. In that incident British soldiers opened fire on colonial farmers, killing eight of them. Includes excerpts from eyewitness documents and other background material. (MJP)

Asserts that the most effective use of schema theory in history instruction requires placing students in the decision- making roles of historical figures. A more detailed discussion of the same historical event follows this initial exercise. Students then compare their decisions with their historical counterparts. (MJP)

Teaching strategies are becoming increasingly oriented toward guiding students' knowledge construction through cooperative learning. Enhancing students' cognitive development is a priority; students must "learn how to think." Inquiry instruction provides students with tools to make decisions based upon available evidence and an opportunity to…

Elementary teachers Fay and Whaley share anecdotes of how carefully listening to English language learners read--and discussing with them their errors and confusions--helps teachers better analyze such students' true language and reading abilities. They discuss the importance of spending time talking individually with each child learning to read…

In this activity, students learn about the important topic of invasive species, specifically Zebra Mussels. Students role-play different characters in a real-life situation: the trial of the Zebra Mussel for unlawful disruption of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Students will also learn about jurisprudential inquiry by examining the trial process. This…

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be integrated in the classroom processes in different ways. This study reveals ICT, as a mediating artefact in project work can contribute to the learning processes in the classroom. When ICT is used as an artefact to make a film, planning and decision making becomes natural and necessary…

We propose a multidimensional model that can be used to formulate a research agenda that aims to explore how innovations in teaching and instruction influence the science of learning within educational contexts. This model depicts the complexity of relationships between variables within: classrooms, the total school program, and inside and outside…