Five experiments tested the development of conceptual categories by familiarizing infants to objects in a category and presenting them with an object in a different category. Infants' responses indicated that infants at 7 to 11 months categorized animals, vehicles, and furniture; at 11 months, plants and kitchen utensils; and at 9 to 11 months,…

Explains a study that assesses students' ideas about animals. Evaluates textbooks and trade books according to the identifications and words they use. Discusses student responses from different grade levels on the classification of animals and identifying what is an animal. Summarizes the results of the study and makes recommendations on the…

Describes performance indicators (PIs) as conceptual technologies that shape the issues academics think about and how they think about these issues. Explores the normative assumptions embedded in the PIs of higher education in Alberta, Canada, to yield an initial typology of assumptions academics can apply to PIs in higher education to refine or…

Examined causal status effect (weighing cause features more than effect features in categorization). Presented adults and 7- to 9-year-olds animal descriptions wherein one feature caused two others. Asked which transfer item was more likely an example of novel animal. Found that both groups preferred an animal with a cause and an effect feature…

A study of 18 first-semester, 32 midprogram, and 18 graduating/graduated agricultural education doctoral students showed that degree progress increased the following competencies: foundations, applications, and international knowledge; social, content, process, problem-solving, systems, and resource management skills; and verbal, reasoning,…

Based on a taxonomy of knowledge management processes, provides a synopsis of technologies and vendors that support knowledge management. Proposes a model for classifying the various types of technologies related to knowledge management that are most often used in institutional research. (EV)

Identifies problems in codifying vocational knowledge, including inappropriate dualisms such as theoretical versus practical and omission of important tacit knowledge. Outlines Polanyi's ideas about tacit knowledge and presents a knowledge taxonomy as a possible strategy for codification and advocates a holistic teaching approach. (Contains 52…

Presents research that has resulted in the identification and classification of the types of questions asked by teachers during science lessons. Determines how each type of question relates to particular teaching approaches and student learning. (Author/CCM)

Thirty-five clients who had received counseling completed a letter to a friend describing in detail what they had learned from counseling. Responses were analyzed and classified using the Structure of Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. Results suggest that an expanded SOLO offers a promising and exciting way to view the outcomes of counseling…

Using item response theory, discusses the difficulties faced in evaluating measurement invariance when a psychological construct is assessed through a test or inventory composed of categorical items. Illustrates the usefulness of fitplots in assessing measurement invariance in inventory data. (SLD)

Derived a typology of family relationships for 692 Italian families with at least 1 late adolescent child and studied differences between the 2 extreme types (out of 8 identified) in terms of family satisfaction and adequate functioning. Results show a better communication process in the more satisfied families. (SLD)

Studied the effect of exposure to principled changes in concept formation in four experiments involving 280 undergraduate and graduate students. Analyses reveal clear evidence of a transformational path with systematic training. Discusses implications for theories of similarity and categorization. Contains 83 references. (SLD)

Discusses extand paradigms (ISBN, ISSN, ISMN, and the emerging ISAN). Models a procedure for assigning ISONs (International Standard Object Number) to objects and their surrogates. Describes resources requisite to the construction of the ISON, and outlines the necessarily cooperative work ahead if an ISON is to become a standard for visual…

Presents exploratory research evaluating a conceptual structure for the description of visual content of images. The structure classifies visual attributes into a "Pyramid" containing four syntactic levels and six semantic levels. Experiments performed suggest the Pyramid is conceptually robust and can be used to: organize visual content…

Four experiments utilizing the familiarization-novelty preference procedure examined whether 3- and 4-month-olds could form categorical representations for cats versus dogs from the perceptual information available in silhouettes. Findings indicated that general shape or external contour information centered about the head was sufficient for…