Discusses some of the aspects of problem solving that teachers can observe for assessment purposes in a student's practical and written work. Suggests that these observations can be incorporated into a student's assessment traditionally or using alternative assessment devices. (PK)

Types of strategies used by (n=36) fourth-, sixth-, and eighth-grade students solving comparison of area tasks were identified and classified. Most students used a direct comparison strategy to compare areas. Use of a part-whole strategy increased with the introduction of fractional terms and symbols. (23 references) (MKR)

The high percentage of students who have difficulty in solving free-response problems related to the mole concept was addressed by implementation of reading skill strategies and computer assisted instruction. Frayer models, semantic mapping, and graphic organizers from Reading in the Content Area (RICA) were used to increase student understanding…

These proceedings include four articles intended to familiarize librarians with many facets of operations research and how they might be applied to their institutions. The first paper provides a brief definition of operations research. The second presentation, by Ralph Shoffner, relates, in the form of concrete examples, the questions one asks…

"EFF HOT (Highlights on Teaching Topics) Topics" is a publication of the EFF (Equipped for the Future) Center for Training and Technical Assistance. Each issue concentrates on a specific topic, highlighting examples of actual practice and offering strategies and tools for using EFF in the classroom. In this issue, "HOT Topics" focuses on the…

Discussed is the process of translating situations involving changing quantities into mathematical relationships. This process, called dynamical modeling, allows students to learn new mathematics while sharpening their algebraic skills. A description of dynamical systems, problem-solving methods, a graphical analysis, and available classroom…

To build understanding of, and the ability to use, first-year science and engineering calculus, students were introduced to differential equations and asked to carry out research on differential equation modeling projects. Describes a model for the research paper; appendices provide a copy of the student handout and five examples of student…

When one encounters a problem that one has no adequate way of representing, a new mental model for the problem may have to be found. When a possible model is found, an important next step is to evaluate the validity of the model. In this document, examples of subjects finding and evaluating mental models used as problem representations are…

The 21 essays in this two-part book provide conceptual and operational understanding of the nature of models as representations of reality and as tools for description, analysis, interpretation, and forecasting. Topic areas addressed in part 1 (concept) include: the nature of models; the earth as a system; the determination of form; some…

This collection of documents promotes simulation as an attractive topic in mathematics instruction that provides game-like activities likely to interest pupils, by illustrating the important ideas of probability and showing how mathematical models can be used in practical problems clearly relevant to everyday life. While computer programs written…

An interdisciplinary course in problem solving, entitled "patterns of problem solving," and its unique peer program offered at the University of California, Los Angeles, are described. The emphasis in the subject matter and approach is to expose the student to the wide range of alternative problem solving techniques and to enable the…

This collection of nine papers, prepared for a conference held at Northwestern University in 1978, presents varied perspectives on applied problem solving. Assessing applied problem solving, planning for interest and motivation, developing a theory, reviewing research findings, considering learning disabilities, analyzing through information…

THIS ARTICLE OUTLINED THE CURRENT STATUS OF QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH (OR), SKETCHED THE STRENGTHS OF TRAINING EFFORTS AND ISOLATED WEAKNESSES, AND FORMULATED WORKABLE CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SUCCESS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAMS. A SURVEY OF 105 COMPANIES REVEALED THAT PERT, INVENTORY CONTROL THEORY AND LINEAR…

Evaluation is an act of persuasion directed to a specific audience concerning the solution of a problem. The process of evaluation is prescribed by the nature of knowledge--which is generally complex, always uncertain (in varying degrees), and not always propositional--and by the nature of logic, which is always selective. In the process of…

Presents three teaching ideas: (1) a scoring rubric to assess students' ability to communicate attempts at solving homework problems; (2) a three-part measurement activity using trigonometry, maps, and compasses to locate hidden treasure; and (3) a demonstration of the effects of numerical coefficients on graphs of quadratic functions. (MDH)