Specialization of the cerebral hemispheres: implications for learning.

articles on information processing theory and learning disabilities. Two diverse articles are provided, both extremely important to our discussion on learning disabilities. The first article focuses on neuropsychological aspects of learning disabilities, while the other focuses on microcomputer technology. The inclusion of the first article by His-cock and Kinsbourne appears to be "out of context" to our discussion on information processing. This article was solicited because little progress can be made toward an understanding of learning disabilities , via information processing theory, unless links are drawn to the data that exist in neuropsychology. One of the most important links is in the area of hemispheric specialization. Unfortunately , as the authors indicate, links between cognitive and neuropsychological measures of information processing are less than straightforward. For one thing, there are a number of ways of processing information , and a behavioral index of hemi-spheric specialization (e.g, laterality scores) would show variants based upon individual processing differences. Thus, as suggested by the authors, variants in hemispheric specialization may not clearly reflect a cognitive deficit (i.e., there is no consistent association between cog-nitive performance and laterality). Thus, the authors suggest that learning disability is best understood, not in terms of hemispheric specialization, but rather in terms of brain pathology. The next article has a strikingly different focus: It is concerned with the relationship between microcomputer technology and the instructional needs of learning disabled students. Goldman and Pellegrino suggest that microcomputers address a problematic aspect of disabled learners, the slow acquisition of new information. Thus, the microcomputer is viewed as partner to the instructional process in enhancing "automatic" processing. In addition, the microcomputer may assist in instruction related to problem solving. The authors suggest that a major issue for capitalizing on microcomputer technology is to determine how learning can be brought under control by the learner. Two critical possibilities explored in this article are the changing role for the teacher in the learning endeavor and the use of "intelligent" software. Following these two articles is a summary of the major points of all the articles in the special series on information processing theory. The strengths and weaknesses of the articles are assessed, and some suggestions are made for future applications of information processing theory to the field of learning disabilities. Many reviewers were solicited to evaluate the articles for this special series. Each reviewer was given the opportunity to "make public" the "conceptual …