Mediated learning based on Vygotsky and other cognitive theorists can be used by occupational therapists to teach children to solve problems. A cognitive, top-down approach helps focus on tasks the child wants to perform and aids the child's awareness, selection, and application of cognitive strategies. (SK)

Poor performance in technical/statistical courses may reflect ineffective problem-solving strategies. Experts approach problem solving with tacit strategies such as chunking, emergence, fundamental questioning, attention to process, and self-monitoring. These concepts can be presented in ways that enable students to practice expert behaviors.…

Offers a progressive series of eight lessons designed to guide students in generating questions, creating investigations, and finding answers. (AIM)

Describes a fourth-generation ISD (instructional systems development) model, an integrative problem solving system that dynamically adjusts the authoring activities of instructional development by direct reference to a specific learning problem or need. Includes case studies that illustrate the three model components: situational evaluation,…

Focuses on the use of different strategies for solving sequences of interrelated problems. Discusses some useful techniques a teacher could employ to design problem chains. (Contains 20 references.) (ASK)

The field of education is experiencing a rapid shift as internet-enabled distance learning becomes more widespread. Often, traditional classroom teaching pedagogical techniques can be ill-suited to the online environment. While a traditional entry-level class might see a student attrition rate of 5-10%, the same teaching pedagogy in an online…

This note presents a teaching suggestion, using the history of mathematics, to give students from middle school and high school the possibility of facing problems found in old mathematics books and comparing their solutions with those given in those books. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)

Two experiments demonstrate how individual differences in working memory (WM) impact the strategies used to solve complex math problems and how consequential testing situations alter strategy use. In Experiment 1, individuals performed multistep math problems under low- or high-pressure conditions and reported their problem-solving strategies.…

Many students who enter colleges and universities seem to be focused on memorizing and regurgitating information rather than on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Mentoring is crucial to help these students transition from the current approach to one that will be successful in college. Successful mentoring requires a…

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of research-based interventions that incorporate self-regulation strategies to improve mathematics performance of students with learning disabilities (LD). Self-regulation is a metacognitive function essential to academic success. Students with LD are notoriously poor at self-regulation and…

This paper reviews the literature related to the learning and teaching of debugging computer programs. Debugging is an important skill that continues to be both difficult for novice programmers to learn and challenging for computer science educators to teach. These challenges persist despite a wealth of important research on the subject dating…

Problem solving lies at the heart of mathematical learning. Children need opportunities to write, discuss, and solve problems on a regular basis. The problems must incorporate grade-appropriate content and be "accessible and engaging to the students, building on what they know and can do." Teachers also play a key role in establishing a classroom…

The present study focuses on the use of thinking types as a possible way to structure university students' discourse in asynchronous discussion groups and consequently promote their learning. More specifically, the aim of the study is to determine how requiring students to label their contributions by means of De Bono's (1991) thinking hats…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching technique that uses problem-solving as the basis for student learning. The technique is student-centred with teachers taking the role of a facilitator. Its general aims are to construct a knowledge base, develop problem-solving skills, teach effective collaboration and provide the skills necessary to be a…

This article describes how the promotion of purposeful mathematical discussions can enhance young mathematicians' construction of knowledge and their explanation of strategy use.