Generative learning theory posits that learners engage more deeply and produce better learning outcomes when they engage in selecting, organizing, and integrating processes during learning. The present experiments examine whether the generative learning activity of generating explanations can be extended to online multimedia lessons and whether…

In most STEM instruction, students interact with visual representations, which can be presented in either in a physical or a virtual mode or in a blended form that combines both modes. While much research has compared the effects of physical and virtual representations on students' learning, the field is far from being able to predict when and why…

For a long time, Cognitive Load Theory has considered working memory models as tools to advance research on learning. It has used working memory capacity models, where working memory is viewed as being composed of a discrete number of slots (i.e., chunks) that can be kept active. However, recent results have shown that for a fixed quantity of…

In the traditional framework of cognitive load theory, it is assumed that the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge structures (or schemas) is the only instructional goal, and therefore, the theory is applicable to any instructional task. Accordingly, the basic concepts of intrinsic (productive) and extraneous (unproductive) types of cognitive…

Promoting Acceleration of Comprehension and Content through Text (PACT) and similar team-based models directly engage and support students in learning situations that require cognitive elaboration as part of the processing of new information. Elaboration is subject to metacognitive control, as well (Karpicke, "Journal of Experimental…

In this article, we present a model for academic mentoring research that incorporates theory and research on self-regulated learning. Academic mentoring research has increased in recent years, and researchers have linked mentoring with positive outcomes for protégés and mentors. This research, however, has not investigated the process whereby…

A reconceptualization of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is proposed by introducing the notion of dialogicality and voice. Drawing on Bakhtin's semiotics, it is argued that the dialogical interactions occurring within the ZPD must be understood in a larger context to go beyond the visible and audible participants. More specifically, in…

This study investigated the role of self-directed learning (SDL) in problem-based learning (PBL) and examined how SDL relates to self-regulated learning (SRL). First, it is explained how SDL is implemented in PBL environments. Similarities between SDL and SRL are highlighted. However, both concepts differ on important aspects. SDL includes an…

Computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) present important opportunities for fostering learning; however, studies have shown that students have difficulty when learning with these environments. Research has identified that students' self-regulatory learning (SRL) processes may mediate the hypothesized positive relations between CBLEs and…

Cognitive load theory has been very influential in educational psychology during the last decade in providing guidelines for instructional design. Whereas numerous empirical studies have used it as a theoretical framework, a closer analysis reveals some fundamental conceptual problems within the theory. Various generalizations of empirical…