Loan and estimated payment problems are featured in this presentation of mathematics-oriented programing tasks designed for the beginning student. (MP)

All About Us is a statistical investigation that also involves social studies, language arts, problem solving, and mathematical communication. A fourth-grade class designed a short survey to solicit information from British pen pals to compare typical fourth-grade students in England with themselves. They collected and analyzed data, drew…

Describes a mathematics fair prepared by the University of Missouri Mathematics Teachers Organization (UM2TO) which includes games involving numbers and computation, logic puzzles, geometry and spatial-visualization exploration, and probability and statistics activities. Presents tips for developing a mathematics fair. (ASK)

Calculus can be taught using meaningful problems and active participation, with provocative problem situations and large-scale projects. An Ithaca College (New York) introductory calculus course uses this problem-based learning approach to develop understanding of central concepts (differentiation, integration, approximation) with less of the…

Presents activities which highlight major concepts of linear programming. Demonstrates how technology allows students to solve linear programming problems using exploration prior to learning algorithmic methods. (DDR)

Researchers from four projects with a problem-solving approach to teaching and learning multidigit number concepts and operations describe a common framework of conceptual structures children construct for multidigit numbers, and categories of methods children devise for multidigit addition and subtraction. Conceptions include unitary, decade and…

Students investigate the concept of motion by making simple paper airplanes and flying them in the classroom. Students are introduced to conversion factors to calculate various speeds. Additional activities include rounding decimal numbers, estimating, finding averages, making bar graphs, and solving problems. Offers ideas for extension such as…

Listed are three activities that illustrate using a spreadsheet as a problem-solving tool and for developing an understanding of relationships between variables. Each activity includes objective, procedure, example spreadsheet, and extra challenges. (KR)

Discussed are supercalculator capabilities and possible teaching implications. Included are six examples that use a supercalculator for topics that include volume, graphing, algebra, polynomials, matrices, and elementary calculus. A short review of the research on supercomputers in education and the impact they could have on the curriculum is…

Compared and contrasted are the concepts intuition and logic. The ideas of conceptual thought and algorithmic thought are discussed in terms of the world as a labyrinth, intuition and time, and the structure of knowledge. (KR)

This aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) study was designed to clarify the relationship between the aptitude variable spatial visualization and two modes of presentation of linear absolute-value inequalities. The modes of presentation include computer-enhanced instruction (CEI) and traditional. (Author/KR)

Problem solving is defined and characteristics of good problem solvers are highlighted. The cognitive processes used in problem solving are discussed. Suggestions for methods which can be used to teach problem solving are provided. Research implications from mathematics education are listed. (CW)

Discusses the need to consider the cognitive models of students and their learning processes when designing computer tutorials, and describes a tutorial designed to teach students how to generate algebraic equations for story problems. Testing and revisions of the tutorial, with both college and high school students are described. (14 references)…

Domino games are used to illustrate problem-solving techniques in a college principles-of-mathematics course. Students develop tables and use Pascal's triangle to find the total number of pips and the sum of numbers on the pieces. (DC)

Presents a cooperative-learning lesson in which high school students visit stations equipped with different tools to establish the midpoint of a Pixy Stix, a brand of candy-filled straw. Provides solutions for two potential stations, suggestions to extend the activity, and two activity worksheets. (MDH)