Discusses cognition and distance learning, reviews recent research on instruction to help designers create courses that transform passive students into autonomous learners, and describes the scaffold knowledge integration framework and uses it to interpret current approaches to distance learning. (110 references) (Author/LRW)

It is now almost universally acknowledged that science education must be rejuvenated to serve the needs of American society. An emerging science of science education based on recent advances in psychological research could make this rejuvenation dramatic. Four aspects of psychological research relevant to science curriculum design are discussed:…

Analysis of 165 studies (representing the testing of 1,418,899 subjects) that reported data on gender differences in verbal ability indicated a slight female superiority in performance. The difference is so small that it appears that gender differences in verbal ability no longer exist. A major goal was also to define age trends in the pattern of…

Surveys recent literature on computer programing focusing on psychological studies of the programing task and selected instructional issues related to precollege programing. The cognitive demands and outcomes of programing, the influence of instruction on learning, and individual differences in outcomes of programing are specifically addressed.…

In this review of the research on how current computer learning environments can foster the acquisition of complex cognitive skills, two issues emerge: (1) what cognitive accomplishments are likely in the computer environment; and (2) what factors predispose students to benefit from the environment. (MBR)