Project-based learning (PBL), which is increasingly supported by information technologies (IT), contributes to fostering student-directed scientific inquiry of problems in a real-world setting. This study investigated the integration of PBL in an IT environment into three undergraduate chemistry courses, each including both experimental and…

This summary of research in science education continues a long tradition of review and analysis of research in science education by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. The summaries provide an overview of recent research, provide research information in a succinct form for practitioners and development…

The intent of this publication is to consolidate and critique research findings related to teaching and learning in the sciences as they were reported in 1990. The purposes of this and previous summaries include: (1) providing an overview of recent research activity for scholars in the field; (2) providing research information in succinct form for…

This instructional guide, one of a series developed by the Technical Education Advancement Modules (TEAM) project, is a 20-hour introduction to industrial physics that explains and demonstrates to industrial maintenance mechanics the direct relationship of physics to machinery. Project TEAM is intended to upgrade basic technical competencies of…

This manual contains materials for seven workshops on developing thinking skills in young children for teachers and teacher assistants in kindergarten through third grade. Contents of workshop (W) material focus, respectively, on (W1) convergent and divergent thinking; (W2) Bloom's levels of thinking; (W3) decision making, concept development, and…

This study investigated the types of tactics and strategies students used in working with computer simulations and examined if the skills acquired when using the computer simulation could be applied in other settings. Sixth grade students (N=50) from three different schools participated in the study and were observed over a period of six weeks.…

The International Environmental Education Programme (IEEP) of UNESCO has developed a series of teacher training modules in environmental education. This experimental module focuses on the pre-service training of secondary school science teachers and supervisors. The six chapters of the document address: (1) the environmental problem and…

Teachers are exposed to many varieties of inservice education throughout their careers. It is critical to evaluate the success of such programs. One criterion of success must be the degree to which teachers effectively implement what they have learned. This study examined the effects of an inservice education program emphasizing problem solving on…

Since 1983, the Educational Technology Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education has studied the uses of computers and other technologies to improve K-12 instruction in science, mathematics, and computing. Collaborative research groups--including scientists and mathematicians, practicing teachers, learning theorists, and software…

This annotated bibliography contains lists of curriculum materials, teachers' commentaries, articles, and books about adult and childrens' learning that have been written by participants in the network of American teacher centers. Citations are presented of writings in the following areas: (1) curriculum; (2) language arts; (3) mathematics…

A medical school course integrating basic science and clinical issues consists of 13 problem-based learning exercises, each exploring a clinical case. Using networked terminals in specially-designed small-group rooms, students progress through cases with a faculty facilitator. Users cite access to better images, accountability, and juxtaposition…

Provides a rationale for a learning environment in science classrooms that integrates science, mathematics, and technology while solving authentic problems. Describes activities that can be used in such an environment and presents data regarding students' attitudes toward the described activities. (MDH)

Compares models of the classroom dynamics for a traditional laboratory setting and a problem-solving-centered environment, both at the eighth grade science level. Descriptive data indicate no differences in the models, whereas path analyses suggest that, in the problem-solving model, student behaviors significantly correlate to lesson structure,…

For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

In the spring of 1989, over 2,000 pairs of fourth- and eighth-grade students were assessed on their ability to apply mathematical and scientific concepts. The tests (administered in alternate years during the written assessments of the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program) required students to apply what they knew about mathematics and…