This book portrays an extensive and intensive discussion of theories and research that refer to Vygotsky’s and Feuerstein’s theories of mediated learning and their effects on learning potential and cognitive modifiability. Most topics are discussed in relation to a broad spectrum of developmental and cognitive research that are under the conceptual umbrella of mediated learning and cognitive modifiability. Some topics such as neural plasticity, executive functions, mental rotation, and cognitive education are related to mediated learning, though indirectly, and therefore are included in this book. In many ways the book presents an extension of Vygotsky and Feuerstein’s theories and empirical validation in a variety of family, social and cultural contexts. The book includes a thorough analysis and summary of 50 years of research and methodology of the intimate relation between mediated learning interactions and cognitive modifiability and of dynamic assessment underlying measurement of cognitive modifiability. Special emphasis is given to Tzuriel’s dynamic assessment instruments developed during more than four decades. Tzuriel’s novel instruments are interwoven in the extensive research on parent-child interactions, siblings’ , teachers' and peers' mediation and in validation of dynamic assessment approach and cognitive education programs aimed at development of thinking skills and academic achievements.

This book portrays an extensive and intensive discussion of theories and research that refer to Vygotsky’s and Feuerstein’s theories of mediated learning and their effects on learning potential and cognitive modifiability. Most topics are discussed in relation to a broad spectrum of developmental and cognitive research that are under the conceptual umbrella of mediated learning and cognitive modifiability. Some topics such as neural plasticity, executive functions, mental rotation, and cognitive education are related to mediated learning, though indirectly, and therefore are included in this book. In many ways the book presents an extension of Vygotsky and Feuerstein’s theories and empirical validation in a variety of family, social and cultural contexts. The book includes a thorough analysis and summary of 50 years of research and methodology of the intimate relation between mediated learning interactions and cognitive modifiability and of dynamic assessment underlying measurement of cognitive modifiability. Special emphasis is given to Tzuriel’s dynamic assessment instruments developed during more than four decades. Tzuriel’s novel instruments are interwoven in the extensive research on parent-child interactions, siblings’ , teachers' and peers' mediation and in validation of dynamic assessment approach and cognitive education programs aimed at development of thinking skills and academic achievements.

Thinking about the Teaching of Thinking provides an accessible and comprehensive introduction to Feuerstein’s theory of Mediated Learning Experience and its related tools and programmes. It details up-to-date international and New Zealand research on the Feuerstein approach which reflects the current issues in the teaching of thinking. The book begins by defining what is meant by the teaching of thinking and provides an easy to understand explanation of the Feuerstein method and its value for children with learning challenges. It champions a ‘whole school’ approach to the teaching of thinking and details the practical tools and programmes developed by Feuerstein – such as Instrumental Enrichment and the Learning Propensity Assessment Device – to aid in its implementation. It also recognises the key importance of cultural factors in the teaching of thinking, bringing together the author’s considerable research experience using the Feuerstein method in the multicultural New Zealand context with her extensive knowledge of international Feuerstein research. This book provides a user-friendly and unique coverage of the Feuerstein method for researchers and postgraduate students researching and working in educational psychology. It will also be of great value for teachers and parents looking to understand and decide on implementation of the Feuerstein approach in their schools.

In recent years, the intersection of cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience with regard to deaf individuals has received increasing attention from a variety of academic and educational audiences. Both research and pedagogy have addressed questions about whether deaf children learn in the same ways that hearing children learn, how signed languages and spoken languages might affect different aspects of cognition and cognitive development, and the ways in which hearing loss influences how the brain processes and retains information. There are now a number of preliminary answers to these questions, but there has been no single forum in which research into learning and cognition is brought together. The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies in Learning and Cognition aims to provide this shared forum, focusing exclusively on learning, cognition, and cognitive development from theoretical, psychological, biological, linguistic, social-emotional, and educational perspectives. Each chapter includes state-of-the-art research conducted and reviewed by international experts in the area. Drawing this research together, this volume allows for a synergy of ideas that possesses the potential to move research, theory, and practice forward.

Over the past century, educational psychologists and researchers have posited many theories to explain how individuals learn, i.e. how they acquire, organize and deploy knowledge and skills. The 20th century can be considered the century of psychology on learning and related fields of interest (such as motivation, cognition, metacognition etc.) and it is fascinating to see the various mainstreams of learning, remembered and forgotten over the 20th century and note that basic assumptions of early theories survived several paradigm shifts of psychology and epistemology. Beyond folk psychology and its naïve theories of learning, psychological learning theories can be grouped into some basic categories, such as behaviorist learning theories, connectionist learning theories, cognitive learning theories, constructivist learning theories, and social learning theories. Learning theories are not limited to psychology and related fields of interest but rather we can find the topic of learning in various disciplines, such as philosophy and epistemology, education, information science, biology, and – as a result of the emergence of computer technologies – especially also in the field of computer sciences and artificial intelligence. As a consequence, machine learning struck a chord in the 1980s and became an important field of the learning sciences in general. As the learning sciences became more specialized and complex, the various fields of interest were widely spread and separated from each other; as a consequence, even presently, there is no comprehensive overview of the sciences of learning or the central theoretical concepts and vocabulary on which researchers rely. The Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning provides an up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the specific terms mostly used in the sciences of learning and its related fields, including relevant areas of instruction, pedagogy, cognitive sciences, and especially machine learning and knowledge engineering. This modern compendium will be an indispensable source of information for scientists, educators, engineers, and technical staff active in all fields of learning. More specifically, the Encyclopedia provides fast access to the most relevant theoretical terms provides up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the most important theories within the various fields of the learning sciences and adjacent sciences and communication technologies; supplies clear and precise explanations of the theoretical terms, cross-references to related entries and up-to-date references to important research and publications. The Encyclopedia also contains biographical entries of individuals who have substantially contributed to the sciences of learning; the entries are written by a distinguished panel of researchers in the various fields of the learning sciences.

The past two decades have witnessed a proliferation of research dealing with dynamic-interactive assessment as an alternative to conventional psychometric measures. This book establishes dynamic assessment as a useful approach that complements standardized normative tests in portraying an accurate picture of cognitive functioning and offering a more adequate assessment of handicapped persons and persons with learning disabilities.

The Asia-Pacific region needs to maximize the benefits of education to enable it to compete in an economic future dominated by innovation, in which assessing student progress must be an empowering rather than delimiting factor. This detailed exposition of the theoretical basis and application tools of self-directed learning-oriented assessment (SLOA) reflects the very latest research championed by the Assessment Research Centre at The Hong Kong Institute of Education. Featuring a range of relevant case studies, it explores the varied theoretical issues related to SLOA and offers an integrated view of the system fully in line with the constructivist paradigm of learning which advocates formative rather than summative assessment. Many of the initiatives outlined here are firsts in the region. SLOA is already being applied in many schools with links to the ARC. It is an approach to assessment that acknowledges the centrality of self-directed learning and which positions assessment as a tool to enable and enhance self-directed learning. It draws on several theories of learning and assessment, including the constructivist notion that learning is best achieved when students take ownership of their educational process, setting their own goals and monitoring their own progress towards those goals. SLOA has been the research and service approach of the ARC since 2005. In the intervening years the centre has developed a number of tools to facilitate SLOA learning and assessment, including vertical ability scales, teacher-friendly computer software and packages for self-directed learning.

The goal of this book is to present and evaluate the concept of dynamic testing. Unlike 'static' tests such as the SAT or IQ tests, dynamic testing emphasizes learning potential rather than past learning accomplishments. The book opens with a theoretical framework of abilities as forms of developing expertise. It then continues with an introduction to dynamic testing and then a capsule history of dynamic testing. The book also reviews the approaches of Feuerstein and Budoff and other diverse approaches to dynamic testing. The Drs Sternberg and Grigorenko present their own three-prong approach to dynamic testing along with two case studies using dynamic testing in their own research. The authors conclude that dynamic testing has enormous potential which has not yet been tapped.

The title of the book Educational Psychology - Between Certitudes and Uncertainties is relevant for the dynamic and low predictable research from genetics, neurosciences, technologies, etc. that produce challenges and exchanges across sciences. This new framework argues that this book is to be considered a fairly unique and realistic way to rebuild the incongruities and paradoxes in this area. Naturally, "certitudes and uncertainties" is a common denominator for the existing sophisticated academic conventions and for the immense potential of continuous professional development. The title of the book reflects the state of the art, a new trend in the conceptual fabric of educational psychology, and an attitude toward an academic market in the age of many battles in the world of science.