Subjects listened to sounds of individual musical instruments and matched these to instrument pictures. Second graders scored significantly higher than first graders; rank orders of instruments according to association difficulty, however, were markedly similar between grades. Results support the view that children bring much music knowledge to…

Although undergraduates often earn academic credit for prior learning, graduate students are rarely afforded that opportunity, with Central Michigan University and the University of Northern Colorado as exceptions. Both the American Council on Education and the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning support experiential learning in…

Methods and materials to assist colleges in evaluating the competencies that women acquire from their volunteer and homemaking experiences are described, including a counseling process based on the use of an "I can" list. Methods of dealing with faculty and administrative concerns about this type of experiential learning evaluation are…

Seven dimensions for characterizing a curriculum in higher education are suggested. They include: prior knowledge; institutional response to prior knowledge; primary teaching mode; rates of learning; styles of learning; content openness; and assessment. This characterization is applied specifically to chemistry departments. (LBH)

Compared Introductory Physical Science (IPS) and Modified approaches to teaching physics concepts. Found that students' preinstruction ideas of matter and density were organized in commonsense theories that constrained understanding of density. Both curricula promoted quantitative understanding of mass, volume, and density, but the Modified…

Children who come to school without numerical game-playing experience have trouble with math relationships in direct-instruction situations. This article explores the varied roles of active thinking, social interaction, previous knowledge, and child-initiated choice in children's development of math concepts. Self-esteem cannot be built by doing…

The purpose of this study was to determine if factors to predict success in college biology (i.e., prior knowledge of biology or reasoning ability) depend on the instructional method employed (i.e., expository or inquiry). Reasoning ability was found to account for a significant amount of variance in final examination scores, regardless of…

University students (n=15) were asked how a hypermedia program's features reflected 4 theoretical constructs, 2 linear models (semantic networks, frames/scripts), and 2 nonlinear models (concept maps and schemata). Regardless of hypermedia experience, students cited more linear than nonlinear models, suggesting that more experience in programming,…

Draws on findings from three early literacy research projects conducted in Australia between 1998 and 2001 to identify guiding principles to assist early childhood educators in reflecting upon their early literacy practices and in constructing more inclusive literacy narratives for children prior to school entry. Emphasizes the importance of…

Argues that inventions are of the utmost importance in knowledge development, and that conventions play an important role in inventions by providing support for their development. This position borrows from Piaget's perspective regarding figurative and operative aspects of thought. Contains 22 references. (DDR)

Investigates the strategic literacy knowledge, abilities, and potential of five Latino/a subjects (three were bilingual). Employs qualitative research methods and cognitive strategy lessons. Finds that students, with instructional support, implemented the focal strategies emphasized during the experiment and engaged in extended discourse which…

Describes study that was conducted at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to examine variables that determine which undergraduates use microcomputers and how often they use them. Computer access, expected future computer use, and prior computer experience are discussed, and the influences of gender and class rank are examined. (17…

Discussion of prior experiential learning of older students who are applying for higher education courses focuses on assessment techniques developed in the United Kingdom that use simulation and gaming activities. Issues associated with establishing assessment criteria are discussed, and implications for educational staff and students are…

Describes how narrative texts can be represented as networks of causally related statements or events and presents empirical evidence that the networks predict performance on reading comprehension. Compares network theory to other theories of discourse comprehension. Suggests implications of causal representations for reading and composition…

The effects of cooperative learning strategy manipulations on the enactment and recall of a medical procedure were examined, using 98 undergraduates. Results shed light on prevalent theories of skill acquisition. Written recall of the procedure was enhanced by prior performance, and performance was enhanced by prior recall. (TJH)