The problem of sex bias in mathematics word problems is discussed, with references to the appropriate literature. Word problems are assessed via cognitive science analysis of word problem solving. It has been suggested that five basic semantic relations are adequate to classify nearly all story problems, namely, change, combine, compare, vary, and…

Results of empirical research relating computer programming instruction and understanding of the concept of mathematical variables is unclear. While some studies have found a positive relationship, others have reported nonsignificant results. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' (n=36) understanding of the concept of…

This study investigated the relative benefits of peer-­controlled and moderated online collaboration during group problem solving. Thirty­-five self­-selected groups of four or five students were randomly assigned to the two conditions, which used the same online collaborative tool to solve twelve problem scenarios in an undergraduate statistics…

The importance of learning styles to student retention and career decision guidance is considered. Learning style is the way people process information and solve problems. Research on right and left brain processing, which indicates that the left hemisphere controls thoughts that are predominately rational and the right hemisphere controls…

This report describes a program for improving the transfer of the learning of different techniques used in computer applications. The targeted population consisted of sophomores and juniors in a suburban high school in a middle class community. The problem was documented through teacher surveys, student surveys, anecdotal records and behavioral…

This guide contains 12 practical tools to help educators link instruction in Creative Problem Solving (CPS) with today's focus on authentic assessment. It offers a variety of practical, reproducible instruments and checklists for use in evaluating students' knowledge of CPS concepts and tools, assessing students' attitudes about CPS and their…

A survey of graduate students enrolled in computer-mediated conferencing courses and a follow-up analysis of help seekers who used a dedicated hotline found that many students had encountered computer communication difficulties. Students varied in their ability to solve these problems and in their attitudes toward them. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study whose purpose was to develop and validate a set of belief scales for measuring secondary school and college students' beliefs about mathematics as a subject, how mathematics is learned, and mathematical problem solving. Provides an example of the "Indiana Mathematics Belief Scales." (MDH)

Compares 7 biology faculty members, 9 genetic counselors, and 26 undergraduate students according to both expertise and problem-solving success within the domain of genetics. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that as expertise is attained, the individual restructures knowledge into a framework based upon the critical dimensions which…

Results of a systematic investigation into university students' (n=236) misunderstandings of d.c. simple circuit operations are reported. These results provide evidence of various misconceptions present before and after teaching the following topics: a battery as a source of constant current; the functional relation expressed by Ohm's law; power…

Principals deal with a range of people, issues, and forces represented by individuals, factions, and special-interest groups. Principals must develop a framework; analyze problems quickly, develop alternative plans, make sound decisions, and communicate resolutions clearly and sensitively to all parties. A political-awareness inventory is…

A study of 29 students enrolled in Algebra II in an 8-week summer instructional program for minority students was conducted to reveal the skills that students have in translating among representational forms in mathematics problems where the representational form is varied in the given problem and in the required form of the answer. All students…

This study compared cooperative learning with individual learning in an introductory college electrical engineering course, using attitudinal and cognitive measures. Cooperative learning activities were implemented in homework assignments in one section of the course, while individual homework assignments were used in two other sections. A total…

This guide is intended for use in conducting a six-session course that will help employees in the manufacturing and service industries get the most out of their work day. The instructional materials included in the guide are designed to teach students to accomplish the following: analyze their daily routines, understand the effect of mental…

A pretest-posttest control group design with random assignment, together with qualitative data collection and analysis, was used to investigate whether metacognitive, cognitive, and affective-awareness cues embedded in a hypermedia program could facilitate college students' near and far transfer problem solving in biology learning. It was assumed…