Although there is substantial empirical evidence that organization affects recall, there is little known about the effects of specific forms or organizers. The present experiment is an attempt to clarify the role of semantic and graphic cues. Two hundred sixty-four college students participated. Subjects were randomly assigned to eight conditions which varied in explicit visual and semantic organization. Findings indicated that conditions which received explicit semantic organization resulted in much better recall than in other conditions. Additionally, the presence of visual cues facilitated recall at significantly higher rates than the absence of visual cues. Alphabetical information provided no memory facilitation compared to randomly organized lists. Finally, results showed that these findings can be generalized to other hierarchically related word sets. Potential explanations for these findings are presented with a discussion of the study's implications for future research and educational applications. / Department of Psychological Science

One of the foremost characteristics of the mammalian visual system is the retinotopic mapping observed in the low-level visual processing centres; the spatial pattern of activation in the lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex corresponds topologically to the pattern of light falling on the retina. Various vision systems have been developed that take advantage of structured input such as retinotopy, however these systems are often not biologically plausible. Using a parsimonious approach for implementing retinotopy, one that is based on the biology of our visual pathway, we run simulations of visual learning using a deep belief network (DBN). Experiments show that we can successfully produce receptive fields and activation maps typical of the LGN and visual cortex respectively. These results may indicate a possible avenue of exploration into discovering the workings of the early visual system (and possibly more) on a neuronal level.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 1999. / Adviser: Holly A. Taylor. Submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-61). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-45). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1998. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2750. Typescript. Abstract included as one unpaged leaf at back of volume. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-30).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1997. / Blbliography: leaves 122-138.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-167).

Thesis supervisor: John P. Spencer. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-174).

Thesis (M.S.)--Western Washington University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-69). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

The development of student’s mental models of chemical substances and processes at the molecular level was studied in a three-phase project. Animations produced in the VisChem project were used as an integral part of the chemistry instruction to help students develop their mental models. Phase one of the project involved examining the effectiveness of using animations to help first-year university chemistry students develop useful mental models of chemical phenomena. Phase two explored factors affecting the development of student’s mental models, analysing results in terms of a proposed model of the perceptual processes involved in interpreting an animation. Phase three involved four case studies that served to confirm and elaborate on the effects of prior knowledge and disembedding ability on student’s mental model development, and support the influence of study style on learning outcomes. Recommendations for use of the VisChem animations, based on the above findings, include: considering the prior knowledge of students; focusing attention on relevant features; encouraging a deep approach to learning; using animation to teach visual concepts; presenting ideas visually, verbally and conceptually; establishing ‘animation literacy’; minimising cognitive load; using animation as feedback; using student drawings; repeating animations; and discussing ‘scientific modelling’. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)