Paul D. Eggen

The Effect of Hierarchical Cues on the Learning of Concepts from Prose Materials

The effects of conceptual hierarchies as supplemental aids to textual materials was investigated. Sixty-five fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were given a 1000-word reading passage describing the real number system. One group received a conceptual hierarchy in addition to the text; one group was asked to draw this hierarchy from the information in the text; a control group read the text. The group that was provided with the hierarchy scored significantly better than the control on Production and Comprehension subtests. The ineffectiveness of the draw hierarchy treatment was due to the inability of subjects to construct the hierarchy. Those able to complete the hierarchy scored significantly higher than control on Production and Comprehension subscores and on the total test. No differences were found between the successful drawers and the group provided with a hierarchy.

Human Memory and the New Science of Learning

This chapter describes the characteristics of human memory, including the way humans input sensory data into their memory systems, organize the information in an effort to make sense of it, and store the information for further use. The attributes of each of the components will be described, and the implications these components have for learning in the age of technology will be discussed in detail. This chapter will also examine the cognitive processes involved in moving information from one component of the human memory system to another, including learner strategies for storing information most efficiently and the elements of human motivation that provide the impetus for using the strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on human working memory, its limitations, what learners can do to accommodate those limitations, and how technological systems can be designed to capitalize on both the characteristics of working memory and the factors that increase human motivation. The role of metacognition in the process of gathering, organizing, and storing data in the human memory system will be briefly introduced to provide a transition to the chapter that follows.

The Effects of Cue Specificity and Locus on Learning from Graphical Material.

AbstractThe study investigated the effect of general and specific cues on learning information from graphs. Upper level college students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. AH subjects were shown three graphs and were given posttests consisting of seven subtests designed to measure both general and specific inspection of the graphs. Results showed that specific and general cue groups scored higher on total scores and treatment groups scored better than controls on treatment specific scores.