Presentation Title: Cognition, Thought, and Meaning: Integrating Teaching, Learning and Technology

Cognitive psychology has revealed much concerning the processes underlying teaching and learning. Unfortunately, this science of human learning has had minimal impact on the practice of higher education. This gap between research and practice is lamentable and serves to deny students and professors access to powerful forms of teaching and learning. The purpose of this presentation is to (a) examine the role of cognitive psychology in the construction of thought and meaning and (b) illustrate how essential cognitive principles can be effectively used to enhance and improve the integration of teaching, learning, and technology. Within the current zeitgeist of technology and education, it is essential that cognitive and social needs of the teacher and learner not be excluded from the educational process.

Peter E. Doolittle is currently the Director of the Educational Psychology Research Program in the Department of Learning Sciences and Technology at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. He is also the Executive Editor of the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (IJTLHE). His academic background includes 19 years teaching K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students, in public schools and private schools, using traditional and online formats, across several subject areas including mathematics, computer science, statistics, and educational psychology. His current research focus includes the investigation of learning efficacy in multimedia learning environments.