Embracing and Harnessing the Intimate Connection Between Emotion and Cognition to Help Students Learn

Traditionally, cognition and emotion were believed to be independent systems; however, research in the cognitive and neurobiological sciences has shown that the relationship between cognition and emotion is both interdependent and extensive. This intimate connection between emotion and cognition is leading to a number of insights that have the potential to inform and transform educational practices at all levels—from the classroom to the curriculum to educational policy. The question that has been on my mind (and on my heart) is, as a teacher, how can I both embrace and harness the power of emotion to help my students’ learning be more meaningful, useful, and intrinsically motivated? In this article, I would like to share with you some of the effective practices that I have implemented in my classroom and how I have worked to intentionally embed the emotional aspect of learning into the framework of the courses I teach.     

Cognitive Load Theory as a Tool for Expertise Development

This special issue is dedicated to recentdevelopments within cognitive load theory (CLT)and identifies some instructional implicationsof the interaction between informationstructures and cognitive architecture. Thepresent article discusses the different studiesin this special issue. An important conclusionis that recent CLT research recognizes thelearners' level of expertise as an importantfactor mediating the relation between cognitivearchitecture, information structures, andlearning outcomes. In this context, we discussthe role of expertise in CLT research and therole of CLT in expertise research. Based onthis discussion, the use of CLT as a tool todevelop expertise is identified as a verypromising approach.     

Facing Facts in U.S. Science and Mathematics Education: Where We Stand,Where We Want to Go

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides data that seems clearly important to science and mathematics education in the U.S. TIMSS gathered extensive data on curriculum, textbooks, teachers, and instructional practices in science and mathematics education and some of these data are presented and discussed. Eighth grade achievement data show the U.S. to be somewhat above average in science achievement but consistently average or below in mathematics. U.S. official curricula cover comparatively many topics and are relatively unfocused. U.S. science and mathematics textbooks typically take a cautious, inclusive approach keeping traditional content while adding new reform topics. They thus lack. Teachers, without guidance to help them focus, typically divide their attention among many topics. Empirically, there is little agreement in the U.S. on what is truly basic judging by common topics among curricula and textbooks. U.S. teaching, at least in mathematics, is teacher and moves among many different activities, failing to tell a coherent story. We must face these as we seek to find ways to become what we want to be in providing science and mathematics education.     

Using Quality Circles to Enhance Student Involvement and Course Quality in a Large Undergraduate Food Science and Human Nutrition Course

ABSTRACT: Large undergraduate classes are a challenge to manage, to engage, and to assess, yet such formidable classes can flourish when student participation is facilitated. One method of generating authentic student involvement is implementation of quality circles by means of a Student Feedback Committee (SFC), which is a volunteer problem-solving and decision-making group that communicates student-generated input to the teaching team for the purpose of improving the course content, structure, and environment in the present and redesigning it for the future. Our objective was to implement a SFC in a large introductory Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN 101) course to enhance student involvement and course quality. Overall, the SFC provided a continuous and dynamic feedback mechanism for the teaching team, a beneficial experience for the SFC members, and an opportunity for class members to confidentially share their input to enhance the quality of the course throughout the semester. This article includes a brief introduction of the use of quality circles in higher education classrooms, as well as our methods of implementation and assessment after using the SFC for 3 semesters (Spring 2003, Fall 2003, and Spring 2004).     

Measurement invariance and validity of a brief questionnaire on reading motivation in elementary students

In order to initiate more research on the role of reading motivation during the initial stages of learning to comprehend texts, we developed the Reading Motivation Questionnaire for Elementary Students (RMQ‐E). The sample comprised 1497 elementary students in Grades 1–3. By means of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, three factors were determined: Curiosity, involvement and competition. The three‐factor structure of the RMQ‐E was found to be invariant across grade levels (scalar invariance) and across female and male students (strict invariance). As was anticipated, students in higher grades and male students were lower in curiosity and involvement than students in lower grades and female students. Whereas competitive reading motivation did not differ across grade levels, it was higher for boys than for girls. Moreover, the contributions of involvement and competition to reading amount and reading competence were in accordance with the hypotheses. The predictive validity of curiosity, however, was not confirmed.     

Peer versus staff tutoring in problem-based learning

Effects of student versus staff tutoring on student learning in a problem-based, health sciences curriculum were studied. Academic achievement of 334 tutorial groups guided by staff tutors was compared with achievement of 400 groups guided by student tutors. In addition, students rated their tutor's performance on four behaviors considered critical to facilitating student learning. Overall, students guided by a staff tutor achieved somewhat better. In terms of practical significance, the difference was, however, fairly small. Staff tutors were rated as more knowledgeable and their contributions as more relevant. In addition, they asked stimulating questions to a larger extent. However, an interaction effect was found between the ratings and the year of study: Peer tutors displayed the supportive behaviors more extensively in the first year, whereas staff tutors' ratings were higher as the curriculum advanced. These results were interpreted in terms of the cognitive congruence framework.Parts of this article have been presented to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, GA, April, 1993.     

Using Food Science Demonstrations to Engage Students of All Ages in Science,Technology, Engineering,and Mathematics (STEM)

Abstract: The overarching goal of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Initiative is to foster effective STEM teaching and learning throughout the educational system at the local, state, and national levels, thereby producing science literate citizens and a capable STEM workforce. To contribute to achieving this goal, we have assembled six food science demonstrations for use at all educational levels and have presented these lessons to students at the elementary through higher education levels. The focus of this article is to share these food science demonstrations and our experiences using them so that others can use them for engaging students in STEM disciplines, through food science, at any educational level. Featured demonstrations include: (1) liquid nitrogen ice cream: a matter of changing phases, (2) seeing our senses work together, (3) whipping up the cream, (4) milk versus dark: what is the difference?, (5) counting calories by burning them, and (6) culinary spherification: the wonders of cross‐linking. Overall, our experience with using these demonstrations has been very positive. Students appear engaged in the learning process and love to consume the demonstration end products. Downloadable handouts containing demonstration details for each demonstration are available as supporting information.