Previous research investigated what memory skills were most important to students enrolled in a university memory skills course in the United States. This research extended the investigation to a broader sample of 85 United States students and to a similar sample of 85 New Zealand students. The students completed the Memory Improvement Questionnaire (MIQ), on which they rated the importance of 12 aspects of memory (e.g., remembering people’s names, improving schoolwork or study skills). The most important aspects in both samples were schoolwork, remembering what they read, remembering facts and details, and remembering people’s names. There were few relationships with gender, grades, or year in school. The findings suggest that there might be more similarities than differences among different kinds of students in what memory skills are most important to them.

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This exploratory study focused on a concern that is often expressed in New Zealand tertiary institutions about Chinese (and other Asian) students’ lack of participation in classroom discussions. It explores the nature of silence in both Western and Chinese cultures and pedagogies, and relates the differences to the expectations teachers and learners bring to the classroom. To bridge these differences in expectations, a culturally synergistic model of workshops was proposed and trialled at a student learning support centre. Results showed that spontaneous oral participation by Chinese students was greater in the specially structured workshops, and that having structured activities within any workshop increased participation more than simply asking general questions and addressing the whole class. These findings suggest a need to further investigate wider classroom applications of the new workshop structure that scaffolds discussion and allows Chinese students to explore their understanding. The findings also suggest that too much weight is put on the expectation that Chinese students are silent because of their heritage.

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Developing effective computer displays is an important aspect of creating materials for e-learning. This study examined the efficacy of different font sizes used on VDTs (video display terminals) and on print media. It is often thought that people can memorize and remember more when reading from paper than from VDTs. Based on four experiments using different font sizes, the results of the present study showed that different font sizes affect the recall accuracy of content when reading from a VDT. With a 13-point font more content was recalled from a print medium than from a VDT. However, recall differences were not found between the two media for smaller font sizes. This finding suggests that, with font adjustment, the same levels of reading retention can be achieved from VDTs.

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This paper reports on a new movement in cognitive studies that focuses on understanding and promoting collaborative learning. First, learning goals are redefined and a theoretical explanation of how collaboration works to achieve such goals is provided. A laboratory study to test this theoretical framework is then described. The study was integrated within a two-year curriculum which teaches introductory cognitive science, and which uses technological tools to enhance teaching and learning processes and outcomes. Two classes are described: one using a technique called “the jigsaw method” to teach the construct of semantic memory, and the other using a more complex design called “the dynamic jigsaw” to facilitate sophomores learning how to integrate 24 research findings into a coherent view of cognitive science. The results to date are promising while at the same time stimulating new research questions about how college students may be helped in their acquisition of not just basic academic knowledge but also skills for self-directed learning and collaborative work.

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In Japan, there is a pervasive concern about the low academic motivation of many university students. In an effort to gain some understanding of the factors that might contribute to this problem, the present study examined the motivation profiles of Japanese university students in both locally-based and foreign-based (New Zealand) universities. The participants were 302 Japanese university students (121 studying in Japan, and 181 in New Zealand) who were administered a Japanese translation of the Academic Motivation Scale and a questionnaire. Although the two groups manifested no differences in their apparent motivation toward self-improvement and knowledge acquisition, the Japan-based group was found to be significantly higher in amotivation. The results suggest that this higher amotivation level could be due to the Japan-based students possessing more negative views and outlook, and enrolling for extraneous reasons and not necessarily of their own volition. These findings are discussed particularly in consideration of possible ways of addressing the problem.

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This study investigated the relationship between computer experience and perceived ease of use as mediated by anxiety and enjoyment in using the Blackboard-Ml system reported by a group of student teachers at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Earlier studies carried out in different educational and cultural contexts showed that the effect of system experience on ease of use was mediated by playfulness (i.e., enjoyment) and anxiety. The current study found that the effect of computer experience on ease of use was significantly mediated only by anxiety and not enjoyment. However, enjoyment was found to have a significantly stronger direct effect on ease of use than previous studies have indicated, suggesting the unique effects of educational and cultural influences.

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