This research examined the use of visual-spatial representation by deaf and hearing students while solving mathematical problems. The connection between spatial skills and success in mathematics performance has long been established in the literature. This study examined the distinction between visual-spatial "schematic" representations that…

In this article, the author introduces the concept of flat pack toys. Flat pack toys are designed using a template on a single sheet of letter-sized card stock paper. Before being cut out and built into a three-dimensional toy, they are scanned into the computer and uploaded to a website. With the template accessible from the website, anyone with…

This volume is a teacher's edition in a series of books that contain open-ended exploration activities and experiments. These activities allow and encourage students to set their own goals, use their own creativity and ideas, investigate the wonders of nature, learn about the workings of real businesses, and draw conclusions from their…

This volume contains the full text of 2 plenary papers and 26 research reports. In addition, brief, usually one-page, reports are provided for 6 discussion groups, 10 technology focus groups, 7 symposiums, 7 oral presentations, and 17 position sessions. The two full plenary reports are: (1) "Problems of Reification: Representations and…

Understanding science and technology issues requires a number of spatial abilities in order to comprehend the three-dimensional structure of systems. Adequate spatial abilities have long been identified as a necessary mental tool for understanding science and technology phenomena. Multimedia technology has opened the door for a large variety of…

It has been hypothesized that differences in mathematical word problems are the result of differences in spatial skill. Why complex spatial abilities are needed for an individual to represent the relatively simple spatial relations in word problems is not clear. It is possible that a third variable, cognitive strategy preferences, may partially…

Goals and challenges pertaining to infant sensory and perceptual development are discussed. It is suggested that the inability of researchers to think and talk wisely about "partial accomplishments" in development creates a barrier in developmental research. Conceptual schemes are needed to accommodate these partial accomplishments. Three major…

This study examined whether and to what extent the characteristics of mental models derived from the identical text, which is known to produce a certain type of mental model, are influenced if the subjects are given different task expectations before the reading session. Seventy-one undergraduates read one of the two text genres, descriptive or…

This paper explores the preliminary results of an ongoing 3-year study of cognitive function and cognitive education among hearing-impaired persons (n=200) and considers these results in the context of previous studies. Cognitive task performance among the deaf was below average for the verbal and sequential skills associated with the left…

As part of an experimental research program on lifespan naturalistic and laboratory memory for spatial representation, investigators examined interactions between the effects of visual and kinesthetic encoding and age on memory for space using a modification of the Sinnott (1987) human maze paradigm. It was hypothesized that an age effect favoring…

The author reviews her work in attempting to prevent learning failure and resulting emotional problems in young children. She considers the difficulties involved in prevention of a multiply determined and multiply defined condition such as learning failure. The benefits of prevention (including lower cost than later treatment) are pointed out as…

The literature on the measurement of working memory is discussed, with emphasis on the validity of such measurement with elementary school students. Approaches by J. Pascual-Leone, R. Case, A. D. Baddeley, and C. Hulme are considered. An experimental study is presented, in which 100 boys and 91 girls (aged from 6 years to 10 years 11 months) were…

A series of experiments were conducted in Calgary to determine performance of attention deficit disordered (ADD) and learning disabled (LD) children without ADD on a selective attention task (The Matching Familiar Figures Test) and a sustained attention task (paired associate learning). Results of experiment 1 indicated deficits in sustained…

The influence of two sources of individual differences in acquiring knowledge from maps was studied: abilities and learning procedures. Twenty-five undergraduate students provided verbal protocols while attempting to learn two maps, and six effective learning procedures were identified: partitioning, imagery, memory-directed sampling, pattern…

The paper discusses creative dance experiences with visually and mentally handicapped persons. A brief introduction is followed by comments on sensory stimulation during infancy, mobility and orientation, physical education and recreation techniques, and approaches (such as biofeedback and progressive relaxation) to deal with stereotyped movement…