Arguing that an explicit representation of the problem-solving method of an expert system shell as abstract control knowledge provides a powerful foundation for learning, this paper describes the abstract control knowledge of the Heracles expert system shell for heuristic classification problems, and describes how the Odysseus apprenticeship…

The focus of this document is on students' understanding of symbolization processes in algebra, and specifically their understanding of semantically laden letters. In the first four sections, four inappropriate ways in which many college students use semantically laden letters are described. Evidence from clinical interview protocols demonstrate…

Evidence from video tapes of experts thinking aloud and using analogies in scientific problem solving is presented. Four processes appear to be important in using an analogy: (1) generating the analogy; (2) establishing confidence in the validity of the analogy relation; (3) understanding the analogous case; and (4) applying findings to the…

Reported in this paper are the findings of five meta-analyses assessing the relationships among children's interpersonal cognitive problem-solving (ICPS) skills, training, and behavioral adjustment. Five hypotheses were examined: (1) Adjusted children score higher on ICPS measures than do nonadjusted children; (2) Children trained in ICPS skills…

This study examines the nature of the highly variable black-white difference across diverse tests and indicates the major systematic source of this between-population variation, namely, Spearman's g. Eleven large-scale studies (discussed in the appendix), each one comprising anywhere from 6 to 13 diverse tests, show a significant and substantial…

The relationship between juvenile delinquency and learning disabilities has been studied in the context of socioeconomic status, temperament, school success, and peer relationships. To use a process-oriented approach in evaluating cognitive and learning profiles of delinquents and learning disabled adolescents, and to examine the possibility that…

This paper discusses the incorporation of heuristics in computerized decision aids that are used for structuring decision problems. Decision theory is described in terms of linked subsystems, and sites where it is necessary to employ heuristic rather than normative, algorithmic procedures are identified. Production systems are then used to…

Political analysts have regarded the interview of former President Gerald Ford by newsman Walter Cronkite at the 1980 Republican National Convention as important in determining the final party slate, but they have been unable to explain Ford's politically dangerous openness in that interview. The interview and the events leading up to it were…

This study investigates the influence of changes in the wording of simple addition and subtraction problems without affecting their semantic structure on the level of difficulty of those problems for first and second graders and on the nature of their errors. The objective is to contribute to a better understanding of the process of constructing a…

Numerous studies indicate that performance in solving single step multiplicative word problems is influenced by both problem structure and the types of numbers involved in the problem. For example, including numbers less than one often increases the difficulty of a problem. What remains unclear is how problem structure and number type interact in…

This research examined the learning style factor of field dependence/independence and the problem solving strategies of Hmong male refugee students 17 years old and older who were attending or planning to attend post secondary education institutions in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The research was conducted from July 1986 to July 1987 to test two…

A comparison of three approaches to problem solving in fourth grade mathematics is presented. Three classes participated in the study. Class One studied problem solving in a structured classroom setting, Class Two studied problem solving incidentally, and Class Three studied problem solving when it appeared in the text. The structured study of…

Seventy-one college general biology students were taught a unit in Mendelian genetics by the traditional lecture method. Emphasis was placed on meiotic formation of gametes, dominance, segregation, and independent assortment. The Punnett square model was used for all practice problems. While using this model, students were asked to: (1) identify…

Although the distinction between verbal ability and spatial ability is fundamental in all models of human abilities, differences in the relative strengths of verbal and spatial abilities have failed to show consistent interactions with instructional treatments. This study investigated the hypothesis that spatial tests measure different abilities…

This paper, which addresses the issue of representation as an internal construct corresponding to an external abstract configuration, attempts to extend A. A. DiSessa's phenomenological primitives to mathematics (particularly to the notion of circle). Various acceptations of the word representation are examined, using the notion of a circle as an…