This study investigated how using concept maps affects meaning formation and schemata organization of a biology course content. Here, high school students taking an introductory course on biology were required to provide conceptual definitions for ten course-relevant target concepts by using a natural semantic network technique. This allowed us to computer-simulate schemata behavior and select schemata-related concepts that were used to compare these word pairs against other semantic related concepts in a semantic priming study before and after the course. An experimental group used concept maps as a learning tool whereas the control did not. Results showed that semantic priming effects to schemata related concepts are obtained only for students who used concept maps as a learning tool. Implications of the study findings are discussed in the context of a formative learning approach.

<p>This study includes a sample of 112 high school students who provided self-efficacy<br />judgments to solve math problems. Thirty-six experimental conditions called scenarios were<br />created for this study by combining 4 factors regarding solving mathematical problems<br />(modality, degree of difficulty, structuring, and relevance of the task). Each scenario<br />described a hypothetical context that required the participant to imagine an activity to<br />reinforce the learning of math skills in the scenario. Thus, the experimental task was to read<br />each scenario and to judge how capable the participant felt to undertake each math task under<br />the hypothetical context. Results showed two levels of self-efficacy judgment among<br />participants. Students in the first level judged themselves as highly capable of performing<br />math activities, while those in the second level, judged themselves as moderate capable.<br />Regarding the first cluster factors regarding difficulty and the structure of the task had a<br />greater weight whereas in the second cluster task difficulty and task relevance factors<br />obtained the higher weight values. Finally, a cognitive summation rule used by participants to<br />integrate information from the different study factors was identified. Results implications on<br />education are discussed in this article.</p>

Abstract. The 21st century brought new demands to formal education. For instance, the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) has revolutionized the conception and the realization of teaching (e.g., online education). Concurrently, in the field of evaluation of learning, advances have been characterized only by the digital encapsulation (digital domestication) of summative and formative assessment instruments, rather than by the generation of native approaches of the digital age. This clearly imposes a current demand to innovate methods and instruments of assessment that are better aligned with the new educational reality, framed by the era of innovative ICT. In particular, e-assessment will benefit by considering current cognitive science and computer science advances in ways that were not possible before. This is the case with the cognitive constructive chronometrical assessment of learning described in this paper. This approach favors innovating formative evaluation, but can be considered as complementary to several endeavors of old masters of educative evaluation.

A sample of 583 individuals of different ages and from different social and cultural backgrounds took part in a semantic priming study to explore their self-concept and self-esteem mental organization and structure in the human lexicon. Findings yielded by separating the sample into four groups showed that age and cultural background affect how humans organize self-esteem content and structure. Specifically, word recognition of physical attributes related to self-esteem provides support for the idea of a fractured mental representation of the self to cope with demands of ideal body stereotypes. It is suggested that meaning formation related to physical self is different from that based on abstract self-concept and self-esteem. This conceptual organization seems to help individuals to cope with ideal body stereotype demands and to avoid possible psychological disorders related to self-esteem affecting the so-called schematic individuals.