Showing papers on "Learning sciences published in 1985"

The Conditions of Learning and Theory of Instruction

Abstract: This eBook will highlight theories of reflection and strategies to help you select and the central role that experience plays in the learning process (Kolb, 1984). In this Free eBook on "How To Become an Instructional Designer" 24 help you reach your dream Instructional Design career on a single condition: that you Is eLearning software more important than Instructional Design theories and models? Free eBook: Making Learning Memorable with Graphics and Visual Design. JONES & BARTLETT LEARNING, LLC TERMS AND CONDITIONS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, JB LEARNING EBOOKS, COURSE CONTENT, AND.

The mind's new science: a history of the cognitive revolution

Abstract: The first full-scale history of cognitive science, this work addresses a central issue: What is the nature of knowledge?

A Critical Theory of Self-Directed Learning.

Abstract: Becoming critically aware of what has been taken for granted about one's own learning is the key to self-directedness.

The Generative Learning Model and Its Implications for Science Education.

Abstract: (1985). The Generative Learning Model and its Implications for Science Education. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 59-87.

Toward a Solution of the Learning Paradox

Abstract: Efforts to explain learning as a constructive process run into the paradox of having to attribute to the learner prior knowledge that is at least as complex as the new learning to be explained. Although no full solution of this paradox is in sight, it is argued that progress is possible through examination of the wide range of mental resources available to human learners, only a limited range of which are taken account of in current theories. This paper considers 10 relatively neglected resources for the “bootstrapping” of cognitive growth, including chance plus selection, the affective boosting of relevant schemas, the operation of innate biases, and use of spare mental capacity. Implications for educational research are illustrated with reference to recent work on the development of complex composition strategies.

Perspectives on Learning

Abstract: Rather than simply outlining the classical and modern theories of learning, the authors of this aim to work bring the material to life through case studies that engage students in debate about what really happens in classrooms This expanded and revised edition allows students to test the strengths and weaknesses of various learning theories, helping them to formulate their own philosophies of teaching Among the concepts that this edition explains are: the Platonic theory of learning - the logic of innate ideas and concepts; the competing empiricist, "blank slate", theory developed by John Locke; the basic features of behaviourism and operant conditioning; the "insight" learning theory of the Gestalters; John Dewey's theory that learning is an experientially active affair; a new chapter on the importance of social interaction and the work of Vygotsky; Piaget's biological model of the development of cognitive structures; and the emerging "cognitive science" approach, comparing the human mind with the computer and artificial intelligence The power of this text lies in its insistence that pre- and in-service teachers need to understand the problematic nature of learning theory and continually question and develop their own "perspectives on learning"

Psychological Theory and the Study of Learning Disabilities. Technical Report No. 360.

Abstract: Psychological theories have long had a pronounced effect on the diagnosis and instruction o ldren with learning problems. Traditional theorists emphasized the centrality of gobal processes assumed to be common to most if not all cognitive tasks. These processes were quite distant from those involved in traditional academic activities, making it difficult to proceed from diagnosis to instruction--the "leap to instruction" problem. In contrast, comtemporary theorists concentrate on identifying the specific knowledge and skills underlying performance in academically relevant fields such as reading, writing, math, and science. This trend toward domain specificity has made the task of diagnosis and remediation of school problems more tractable, as the processes thus identified are those needed for successful performance, thereby reducing the magnitude of the leap to instruction. At the same time, alternative methods of diagnosis, such as dynamic a.sessment, have been developed that supplement more traditional approaches by assessing domain-specific processes in action, rather than inferring their operation from the products of prior learning. These advances make it easier to specify the processes that need to be the targets of instruction. Furthermore, current attempts to characterize optimal learning environments have fueled the development of a theory of instruction. Learning Disabilities

Self‐directed learning: A critical review of research

Abstract: Self-directed learning comprises a major area of research and theory in adult education, yet the studies conducted have a culture- and class-specific level of generalizability.

An Introduction to Cooperative Learning Research

Abstract: Why have we humans been so successful as a species? We are not strong like tigers, big like elephants, protectively colored like lizards, or swift like gazelles. We are intelligent, but an intelligent human alone in the forest would not survive for long. What has really made us such successful animals is our ability to apply our intelligence to cooperating with others to accomplish group goals. From the primitive hunting group to the corporate boardroom, it is those of us who can solve problems while working with others who succeed. In fact, in modern society, cooperation in face-to-face groups is increasingly important. A successful scientist must be able to cooperate effectively with other scientists, with technicians, and with students. An executive must cooperate with other executives, salespersons, suppliers, and superiors. Of course, each of those relationships also has competitive elements, but in all of them, if the participants cannot cooperate to achieve a common goal, all lose out. It is difficult to think of very many adult activities in which the ability to cooperate with others is not important. Human society is composed of overlapping cooperative groups: families, neighborhoods, work groups, political parties, clubs, teams.

Student Learning Research: Retrospect and Prospect

Abstract: This article reviews some salient findings of recent research into how higher education students learn. The defining features of the research examined here are its emphasis on idipgraphic explanation and its concern with realistic learning activities. Examples of investigations into approaches to learning, outcome space, learning styles, orientations to learning, conceptions of learning, and the context of learning in higher education are provided. Against this background, five main areas for future development are outlined: the theory of study process; the conditions for deep approaches to learning; transition, progress, and persistence; studies of everyday learning; and action research into the content and context of learning. The paper concludes with a discussion of certain problems in relating the research findings to practice.

A Model for Learning and Teaching Applied to Primary Science

Abstract: (1985). A Model for Learning and Teaching Applied to Primary Science. Journal of Curriculum Studies: Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 133-146.

Learning to Learn: Mediated Learning Experiences and Instrumental Enrichment.

Abstract: Instrumental Enrichment (IE), an intervention program for developing the prerequisites of thinking and learning, is derived from Feuerstein's theory of structural cognitive modifiability. A basic a...

Learning Strategies: A New Educational Technology

Abstract: The transition to cognitive theories and assumptions about learning which began in psychology a quarter of a century ago are slowly being implemented in the practice of educational technology. Educational technology and instructional design are also in transition. Although the descriptive bases of educational technologies are accepted to be in cognitive psychology, the practical, predictive implications of it that form the processes of educational technologies are not obvious. However, the trend is ineluctable. The failure to provide generalizable instructional techniques and media has forced us to shift our emphasis from what we do to what the learners do. Instructional procedures need to be concerned with how learners are processing the information they contain. Educational technologies need to become learner‐oriented. Our task is to improve learners’ integration and reorganization of knowledge ‐‐ not simply to convey material or control behaviour. The goal of new technologies, such as learning...

Maximizing What Gifted Students Can Learn: Recent Findings of Learning Strategy Research

Abstract: Recent findings suggest that gifted learners spontaneously employ more elaborate and effective learning strategies than do their age peers. When presented with externally provided learning strategies, however, the learning of gifted students can dramatically increase. Of particular interest is the "keyword" mnemonic strategy which has recently been seen to provide substantial increases in learning for gifted learners. Implications for teaching and programming are presented.

The Importance of the Form of Student Acquisition of Data in Physics Learning Cycles.

Abstract: The learning cycle is a method of teaching–it is also a curriculum organization principle. Although Jean Piaget contributed to its formation (Piaget, 1973), its present structure has to be attributed to Dr. Robert Karplus and the persons who developed the materials of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study. It was through the SCIS activities that many of us learned how to develop curricula and teach with the learning cycle.

Learning styles: basis for creative teaching and learning.

Abstract: A rich area of educational theory and research can be found in the literature on learning styles. Learning style theory provides information on how individuals process information and prefer to learn. Yet, few educators are familiar with this concept. Witkin's field-dependence-independence dimension has been the most widely researched of all the learning styles. Its implications for teaching and learning situations are discussed in this article.

Learning and Evaluation: A Study of School Children's Views on the Social Uses of Energy

Abstract: Exploring children's reactions to a subject which is both close to school learning and also dependent upon personal evaluation, requires consideration of many external influences. Television learning, for example, although clearly important, generates a kind of para-social knowledge that does not marry easily with more formal school learning. Personal influences, such as the growing child's identification with society, success at school learning, gender, and perception of school science, may also affect how pupils respond when asked to form a science-based opinion. The project on which this paper is based was carried out in the classroom, between a physics teacher and some of her regular school classes. Such a natural setting allowed the use of a wide variety of research methods in exploring children's views on the social uses of energy, and the relationship between their informal understanding and formally taught knowledge.