These background papers are written to provide information for the teacher on technical problems that might arise as students carry on various USMES investigations. Background papers are also written which include information about the types of investigations which may provide good opportunities for learning in specific areas. This set includes…

Prepared at the request of the executive committee of the Commission of the Professors of Adult Education, the monograph explores problems and solutions that American and Canadian professors of adult education report in initiating and revising graduate programs. Survey questionnaires (approximately two-thirds return rate) were sent to one…

In an attempt to prepare students for units analysis in the solution of problems in high school chemistry and physics, the author developed learning packets on the factor label method. Thirty-three students used these packets individually during a regular tenth-grade geometry class. There were two packets, each to be used for two days. Prior to…

Lists the disadvantages of having required courses and suggests alternatives dealing with behavioral objectives, problem-solving, individualized instruction and a portfolio replacing grades. (LS)

The authors trace the growing concern over mathematics and its relationship to other disciplines in the curriculum of the secondary schools from the early 1960's. The case is then argued for a mathematics curriculum in which students become heavily involved in solving problems which are interdisciplinary and are real and of interest to them. (MN)

Discusses an interdisciplinary approach to environmental education. Outlines the distinct features of Spurensicherung and the need for the development of working relationships between the practicing teacher and groups outside the school in the facilitation of the program. Advocates adoption of this method. (RT)

An elementary school-based team (SBT) problem-solving model is described. Intended to provide recommendations for initial screening, assessment, and instructional alternatives for students with learning problems in mainstreamed settings, the SBT is discussed in terms of benefits, potential problems, developmental sequence, functional processes,…

The importance of technological literacy in liberal arts education, and approaches to teaching the concepts behind systems analysis and artifacts in engineering, are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

This paper presents preliminary hypotheses about the relationship between faculty goals for the introductory calculus-based physics course and their beliefs about student learning of problem solving. All faculties have problem solving as a major goal for their courses. There appears to be however, an instructional paradox. When discussing how…

Incorporating writing into mathematics classes is promoted, with numerous suggestions on using writing to help students recall procedures, develop story problems, and plan computer programs, among other things. (MNS)

Two programs are described: the first, the Future Problem Solving Program, is an interdisciplinary approach to studying and solving future problems. The second, Quality Circles, originally a management technique, has been implemented in schools to improve motivation, attendance, learning, and quality of life. (Author/LC)

The use of case studies as a teaching method--that is, presenting students with realistic problems to solve as part of the curriculum--is examined. Emphasis is on instructional materials, interdisciplinarity, and the complex relationships within the university and among faculty that help or hinder the method. (MSE)

Described is a Kernel Design, used in the multiunit Discovery School in Mansfield, Ohio, to improve a general weakness in the areas of measurement and the use of monetary skills. Kernel Design is so named because it conveys the gist or core of an idea. (Author/TG)

Examines the use of mathematics in a computer-aided design and manufacturing setting, whether this mathematics is related to school mathematics, how technicians understand this mathematics, and the role of technology in the technicians' mathematics-related problem solving activities. Focuses on technician's calculations of the interval volume of…