This correspondence describes an adaptation of puzzle-based learning to teaching an introductory computer programming course. Students from two offerings of the course--with and without the puzzle-based learning--were surveyed over a two-year period. Empirical results show that the synthesis of puzzle-based learning concepts with existing course…

This report on Key Data on Learning and Innovation through ICT at School in Europe 2011 builds on the previous Eurydice publications on information and communication technology in schools in Europe. It also aims to extend the theoretical framework by looking not only at the teaching and learning of ICT but also at the use of ICT to promote…

Digital video technology can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning. It enables students to develop a variety of skills including research, communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and other higher-order critical-thinking skills. In addition, digital video technology has the potential to enrich university classroom curricula, enhance…

There is need to reform teacher education programs through the creation of active learning environments that support and improve the depth and scope of student learning. Specifically, teachers should provide intellectually powerful, learner-centered, and technology-rich environments for students without undermining sound pedagogical practices.…

The goal of problem-solving education should be to develop tools for thinking that will constitute a shell or framework of action procedures that can be applied on an ever-changing database. These tools come in the form of heuristics that can be modified and adapted to new situations. (Author/MLW)

Such initiatives as one-to-one computing, laptop learning, and technology immersion are gaining momentum in middle level and high schools, but the key to their success is more than cutting-edge technology. Henrico County Public Schools, a pioneer in educational technology in Virginia, launched a one-to-one computing initiative in 2001. The…

Attempts to determine the skills that make people good problem solvers and some of the methods that have been developed to teach these skills are reviewed. Methods used by educators and psychologists to define, describe, or analyze problems and problem solving determine the method used to teach problem-solving skills. (Author/MLW)

Drawn from several comprehensive bibliographies and computer searches of volumes by speakers at the Conference on Thinking, this brief bibliography presents resources for researchers and practitioners interested in the areas of cognitive and critical thinking skills. The materials are divided into the following topic areas: (1) general, (2)…

Reports that there are few documents in the ERIC database concerning using computers as writing tools for gifted students and that the thrust of computer education for the gifted is toward developing abstract thinking only. Argues that more research is needed on classrooms for the gifted writer. (RS)

Introduces the Towson Transition Course (TTC) which focuses on preparing students to be scientifically literate and describes the components of the course. Focuses on problem solving, gathering traditional and electronic information, using the case study teaching method, ethical scientific behavior, and evaluation. (Contains 33 references.) (YDS)

The major perspectives on problem solving of the twentieth century are reviewed--associationism, Gestalt psychology, and cognitive science. The results of the review on teaching problem solving and the uses of computers to teach problem solving are included. Four major issues related to the teaching of problem solving are discussed: (1)…

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts) has developed a new freshman course titled "Computer Analysis in Civil Engineering" as part of a curriculum revision project which emphasizes critical thinking, cooperative group learning and problem solving, the integration of knowledge through projects, and student responsibility for…

Games and Simulations in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks examines the potential of games and simulations in online learning, and how the future could look as developers learn to use the emerging capabilities of the Semantic Web. It presents a general understanding of how the Semantic Web will impact education and how games and…

"Future Scenarios in Communications" is one of the "Preparing for Tomorrow's World" (PTW) program modules. PTW is an interdisciplinary, future-oriented program incorporating information from the sciences and social sciences and addressing societal concerns which interface science/technology/society. The program promotes…

The purpose of this module is to introduce students (grades 7-8) to the concept of change and factors influencing change. The module is composed of two major sections. Section 1 examines the development of the telephone system in the United States and introduces four futures forecasting techniques (Delphi probe, cross-impact matrix, trend…