Soar, an architecture for problem solving and learning based on heuristic search and chunking, has been applied to a variety of tasks during the development of the Soar project, the goal of which is to build a system capable of general intelligent behavior. The hypothesis being tested in this aspect of Soar research is that chunking, a simple…

This paper focuses on the mechanics and dynamics of questioning techniques as aids to trainers/teachers in "getting across" subject matter and interacting effectively with learners. The mechanics include three levels of questions--knowledge, application and problem-solving. Each of these levels is designed to foster different and…

Six adolescents with learning disabilities participated in an eight-step cognitive strategy designed to enable students to read, understand, carry out, and check verbal math problems encountered in the general math secondary curriculum. Visual analysis of the data indicated the strategy was an effective intervention for Ss with deficits in verbal…

The study examined whether teaching 24 elementary disabled readers a structured inferencing strategy using materials sequentially arranged from easy to more difficult would improve their ability to answer inferential questions. Results suggested that disabled readers' apparent problems in answering inferential qustions may exist because of a lack…

This book introduces concepts of geometry that students use throughout middle-grade and higher-level mathematics courses. These concepts, presented through the study of transformations, provide a framework for other important topics such as number, measurement, proportional reasoning, and graphing on the coordinate plane. The book is designed for…

This report describes a program for improving elementary school students ability to solve mathematical word problems. The targeted population consisted of primary, middle, and junior high students attending two different kindergarten through eighth grade schools. Both schools were located within blue collar neighborhoods in a large metropolitan…

Discusses metacognitive and associative models of children's strategy discovery and use. Contends that models based on only one type of mechanism cannot entirely account for observed variability and constraint revealed by microgenetic studies of children's strategy change. Proposes a new model of children's strategy development in which…

Combined fading with the introduction of prompts designed to encourage learners to identify the underlying principle illustrated in each worked-out solution step. Across 2 experiments, this combination produced medium to large effects on near and far transfer without requiring additional time on task. Thus, the instructional procedure is highly…

Presents responses to a problem that appeared in the April, 1999 issue of this journal. The problem involves finding kite heights compared to each other. (KHR)

Features responses to a problem that appeared in the January, 2001 issue of this journal. The problem concerned finding all of the shape combinations of two colors of blocks in four-block combinations. (KHR)

Implemented and evaluated a classroom-based research project designed to examine the impact of instruction in a question analysis strategy on the development of novice chemistry students' problem solving expertise. Results for students in 18 classrooms provide some indications that strategy instruction accompanied by strategic supports has a…

The paper discusses the degree of generality or specificity adopted in approaches to strategy instruction. The historical context of the generality-specificity dimension is described and related to the strategy instruction literature in special education, and three frameworks for conceptualization of generality-specificity are presented.…

An inquiry-oriented teacher education program entitled PROBE (Problem-Based Teacher Education) is described. The fundamental concept of PROBE is based on John Dewey's philosophy that learning is rooted in experience and knowledge derives from a process of inquiry. (JD)

Factors influencing students' interpretation of learning tasks are discussed and two qualitatively different types of student interpretation are identified--procedural and content-related. The implications for research on the alternative frameworks used by students are discussed, including the identification of different levels of alternative…

Explains the concept of environmental auditing as analogous to financial auditing, as manifested through the six guiding principles of environmental excellence, and as utilized by industrial and commercial interests. Presents a questionnaire-based method to introduce students to the techniques involved in environmental auditing. (seven references)…