Research in psychology and in mathematics education has documented the ubiquity of "intuition traps" -- tasks that elicit non-normative responses from most people. Researchers in cognitive psychology often view these responses negatively, as a sign of irrational behaviour. Others, notably mathematics educators, view them as necessary…

In a university third-year instrumental chemistry laboratory students build a laser based polarimeter for determining light scattering with commercially available optical components used in modern optics research laboratories. During this laboratory experiment, students learn that solutions containing molecules which scatter light also influence…

Instilling a creative mind is the foundation to prepare future architecture students. University educators can adopt an iterative approach in which students go through cycles of learning. This paper reports student experiences on a three-cycle team project in an architecture course that was part of a master program. This consisted of the group…

Teaching is the process of conveying knowledge and skills to learners. It involves preventing misunderstandings or correcting misconceptions that learners have acquired. Thus, effective teaching relies on solid knowledge of the discipline, but also a good grasp of where learners are likely to trip up or misunderstand. In programming, there is much…

Based on the practice of college English teaching and learning in China, the paper reviews the phenomenon and causes of the temporary fossilization in second language acquisition and offers some corresponding strategies for preventing and surmounting the obstacles in the hope of promoting the reactivation of the next climax.

Cognitive load theorists have frequently used subjective measures of cognitive load to test the effectiveness of instructional procedures. This study sought to broaden the applications of subjective measures by testing their ability to detect variations in intrinsic cognitive load within tasks. In two experiments students were asked to complete…

This article analyzes the braille spelling errors of 16 Greek students who are blind. More specifically, it explores the types of spelling errors, the students' attitudes toward spelling, and the relationship between spelling and reading strategies.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a complex form completed annually by millions of postsecondary students applying for federal financial aid. Errors frequently require resubmission. It is suggested that cognitive psychology principles that help describe how people understand text and complete forms be applied to a redesigned…

A course in academic writing for international graduate students at Flinders University of South Australia was found to enhance students' written expression and structure. However, participants continued to produce high error rates in grammar and show weakness in developing an argument. Journal entries suggest participants began with…