Complementing the aims of problem-based inquiry, a pedagogical approach called design thinking (DT) has students grapple with issues that require a creative redefinition and reimagining of solutions akin to professional skills of designers, who consider conflicting priorities and complex negotiations to arrive at a solution to an ill-defined…

A team consisting of three faculty members from Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness management, and Food Science with two research assistants at Penn State University has been working for three years on creating a food product case library for a problem-based learning and case-based instruction course. With the assistance of experts from the food…

This study demonstrated the effectiveness of history strategy instruction that emphasized problem-solution-effect analysis and linkage of knowledge, in teaching 24 junior high students with behavior disorders. Instruction included a scripted curriculum, student note taking, construction of timelines, vocabulary definitions, and reciprocal…

This discussion of teaching science as a design activity emphasizes open-ended problem solving. Highlights include the relationship between teachers and students; hypotheses as solutions; and descriptions of four microworlds, or computer simulations, in chemistry, geography, physiology, and genetics which use graphic interfaces. (LRW)

Describes an advice-giving computer system being developed for genetics education called MENDEL that is based on research in learning, genetics problem solving, and expert systems. The value of MENDEL as a design tool and the tutorial function are stressed. Hypothesis testing, graphics, and experiential learning are also discussed. (Author/LRW)

Uses the case study of a new private school to investigate the implementation of a curriculum designed to incorporate project-oriented, problem-based learning, and a constructivist approach to challenge gifted learners. Discusses the origins of the school, influencing factors, and implications for initiating similar efforts. (MJP)

These two newsletters from the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) contain the following articles: (1) "NRC/GT: Professional Development--Not an Event" (E. Jean Gubbins), discusses NRC/GT research-based principles related to professional development and the importance of ongoing professional development; (2)…

This collection, which should be of particular interest to adult education teachers, trainers, and researchers, suggests new models for attaining learning management skills to facilitate on-the-job learning. In the introduction, Mark E. Cheren discusses the need for new models and terms and examines the concepts of learning management and…

Compares models of the classroom dynamics for a traditional laboratory setting and a problem-solving-centered environment, both at the eighth grade science level. Descriptive data indicate no differences in the models, whereas path analyses suggest that, in the problem-solving model, student behaviors significantly correlate to lesson structure,…

The conceptual framework of the Modes of Problem Solving Action (MPSA) model integrates Dewey's pragmatism, critical science theory, and theory regarding the three modes of inquiry. The MPSA model is formulated in the shape of a matrix. Horizontally, there are the following modes: technical, interpretive, and emancipating. Vertically, there are…