Five problem-based learning activities tested by fourth-grade gifted students are suggested. Each open-ended problem is intended to be worked on by a small group for 30 minutes. Student reactions are quoted and analyzed, noting that students became more willing to take risks, test the properties and limits of their materials, and learn from their…

Academic Systems Corporation is successfully producing courseware in beginning, intermediate, and college algebra using mediated learning, which provides students with instruction and exercises and teachers with feedback on student progress. The courses present students with real-world problems to solve. Users find the courses pedagogically sound…

Outlines benefits of and skills involved in problem solving. Details how an environment rich in materials that foster cause-and-effect or trial-and-error explorations promote cognitive development among toddlers. Offers examples of problem-solving experiences and lists materials for use in curriculum planning. Describes the teacher' role as one of…

Suggests ways early years educators can begin teaching young children to think algebraically and prepare them for success in algebra. Focuses on ways to promote mathematical patterns, mathematical situations and structures, models of quantitative relationship, and change. Describes how first-graders used real object representations to better…

Describes the work of performance improvement specialists and presents a method for determining whether a particular person or position meets the job criteria. Discusses the attributes of being a heurist, or taking a holistic approach to problem solving. Lists 10 steps for a needs assessment and 30 characteristics of successful performance…

Proposes a theoretical framework for designing online-situated assessment tools for multimedia instructional systems. Uses a graphic method based on ecological psychology to monitor student performance through a learning activity. Explores the method's feasibility in case studies describing instructional systems teaching critical-thinking and…

Describes an approach for designing low cost learning laboratories by using new tools and combining existing tools in innovative ways. Discusses human problem-solving behavior and problem-solving instruction in complex situations, the role of software tools, and the creation of instructional systems development in systems thinking. (PEN)

Describes two approaches to connecting literature and problem solving with mathematics. One approach is to focus on a particular strategy of problem solving, then find a storybook related to the strategy. Another approach is to find a favorite children's book and develop the problem-solving portion of the lesson from the book. A resource list and…

Consideration of a definite integral in an advanced calculus class led to a great deal of mathematical thinking and to the joy of discovery. Graphing calculators allowed students to investigate quick solutions which should be regarded as stepping stones to additional investigation and rigorous proof. With slight modifications to their proofs,…

There is evidence to suggest that mature students learn particularly effectively in a problem-solving environment, and that they appear to be especially responsive to analogies and metaphors. Three examples are given of domains where the student has to convert a formulation into an equivalent diagram. Arguably, the process of performing this…

This article describes the development of the Preschool Taxonomy of Problem Situations (PTOPS). An examination of the PTOPS using a clinical sample of 42 maltreated children (ages 2-5) indicated the PTOPS subscales were high in internal reliability and were highly convergent with subscales of the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire. (Contains…

Uses SimCalc MathWorlds, which is downloaded from the World Wide Web, to engage students in algebraic problem-solving activities. Uses software to animate characters by creating graphs of position and velocity. (YDS)

Describes experiences as judges at the University of Minnesota Learning Software Design Competition. Highlights include criteria for judging; an overview of some of the software programs; and the future of learning software, including Internet delivery, emphasis on visual and three-dimensional problem-solving environments, rich learning…

Recounts the implementation of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in a cooperative learning environment by a teacher in a technical- and professional-related discipline. States that PBL frees students from restrictions and forces the instructor to release control of the learning process. Sample worksheets appended. (Contains 11 references.) (AUTH/NB)

An English-as-second-language teacher feels that everyone has creativity and imagination, and the teacher's role is to nurture those qualities. Drawing on the Foxfire core practices, she acknowledges and reinforces those moments when learners reveal their own unique insights into learning, and she facilitates exploratory and innovative thinking…