One approach to the study of problem solving is to observe how people with different skills (novices and experts) solve problems by collecting and analyzing protocols and formulating models to obtain solution processes. Individual differences are subsequently explained by the differences in the knowledge possessed, as embodied by the sets of…

The effect of computer-assisted instruction on spatial problem solving skills was examined in this study. Subjects were fifth grade students from nine classes, who were divided into three treatment groups in a nonrandom fashion: (1) computer-assisted group, which used computer software designed to help students improve spatial problem solving…

This study investigated problem solving skills in mechanics problems that required the use of diagrams. These skills were examined in two ways. First, the study examined student problem solving skills using solution scripts from the Western Australian Tertiary Admission Examination in physics. Solution attempts by students in the 1978 and 1979…

In the research described in this document, the goal was to develop definite theoretical characterizations of understanding in a specific domain of problems. Some performance that provides persuasive evidence of understanding was chosen, and hypotheses about cognitive structures and processes that cause the performance to occur were developed.…

To determine what factors either alone or together interact to create ethnic variations in mental health care use in the State of Hawaii, a study interviewed subjects who were randomly selected from the higher income area of Diamond Head/Kahala and the lower income area of Kalihi/Palama. Ethnic groups studied included Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese,…

This experiment tested the hypothesis that the sequence of ability and effort attributional feedback influences children's attributions, self-efficacy, and skillful performance. Children deficient in subtraction skills received training on subtraction operations and solved problems over four sessions. During the problem solving, some children…

This paper analyzes the quantitative and situational structure of algebra story problems, uses these materials to propose an interpretive framework for written problem soving protocols, and then presents an exploratory study of the episodic structure of algebra story problem solving in a sizable group of mathematically competent subjects. Analyses…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two types of teacher inservice education programs upon fourth-grade students' achievement in solving mathematics story problems. Participating teachers attended two types of teacher inservice education programs; a traditional program, and a brief, narrowly focused special program (2.5 hours…

Some central issues in discussions of creative processes in science are: (1) the mechanism(s) by which hypothesis formation takes place; (2) the sources of new knowledge during hypothesis formation; and (3) the "Eureka" versus steady accumulation (accretion) issue concerning the pace of change during hypothesis formation. This paper…

The Educational Technology Center (ETC) Complex Systems Project was initiated to explore ways of using computers to help students understand systems which have often proven too complex for most high school students to understand. Preliminary work concentrated on the cognitive processes involved in modeling simple systems. This paper describes an…

From 1984 through 1988, the authors worked with teachers using an inquiry approach to teach high school geometry courses with the aid of the "Geometric Supposers." Problems are a critical component of the approach because they focus attention and energy and guide students in the application, integration, and extension of knowledge.…

A broad range of well-structured problems--embracing forms of diagnosis, catalog selection, and skeletal planning--are solved in expert computer systems by the method of heuristic classification. These programs have a characteristic inference structure that systematically relates data to a pre-enumerated set of solutions by abstraction, heuristic…

This booklet is a catalog of error patterns found in basic arithmetic and algebra courses. It is intended to be used as a resource by instructors and tutors teaching these concepts. The material is divided into major concept headings with subheadings. The error patterns are named and given a brief general description followed by a specific example…

The purpose of this study was to describe student perceptions within high school classes in biology and chemistry over the course of a school year. The sample consisted of 435 high school college preparatory science students who were enrolled in 44 different biology and chemistry classes in central New York State. Measurements of attitude toward…

Previous studies were conducted with 14- to 15-year-old students on the nature of the processes they used to solve tasks given the incorrect/buggy/mal-rules. The computer-based Leeds Modelling System (LMS) was implemented and a database of examples, correct and incorrect, or mal-rules had been established which was sufficient to diagnose the…