A Web-based curriculum requiring critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills was developed. A multidisciplinary team of educators created the "virtual exchange." Students are assigned a scenario character to portray in their interactions with the other characters (students). They interact on the Internet to promote critical thinking…

An instructional approach used in a civil engineering curriculum at Queens University of Belfast (Northern Ireland) incorporates development of communication skills into active learning assignments. A "learning from disasters" exercise and two mock public inquiries illustrate the use and benefits of the technique. (Author/MSE)

The case method of teaching law was designed for a scholarly, not practical purpose. Because the main purpose of legal education today is to train lawyers, the problem method should be used as the primary strategy in the standard large class and core course in every year of law school. (MSE)

Assessed impact of school-based social competence training on skills, social adjustment, and self-reported substance use of 282 sixth and seventh graders. Found positive training effects on subjects' skills in handling interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety. Teacher ratings revealed improvements in subjects' constructive conflict…

Basic theorizing regarding the notion of "cultural schemata" is presented as well as an analysis of how this theory impacts cross-cultural understanding in modern China. It is concluded that task-based problem-solving approaches, which have a sociocultural basis, can provide a very useful structure for developing oral language skills in…

Teacher-librarians must prepare students to use technology and information effectively. An outline for a curriculum entitled "Computer Skills for Information Problem-Solving" is presented. Specific desired competencies are listed in the following areas: (1) task definition; (2) information-seeking strategies; (3) location and access; (4)…

Presents a longitudinal study comparing problem-solving performance for medical students trained using two different approaches to medical education. The first is traditional medical education involving lectures supplemented by laboratory exercises. The second approach is problem-based learning (PBL), where students learn basic concepts in small…

The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) is immersed in an educational system mainly based on master classes, and although graduates benefit from a good preparation, there is an appreciable rate of failure among the students. The UPV is aware of the restructuring requirements of the current system and consequently, and in accordance with the…

The IMMEX (Interactive Multi-Media Exercises) Web-based problem set platform enables the online delivery of complex, multimedia simulations, the rapid collection of student performance data, and has already been used in several genetic simulations. The next step is the use of these data to understand and improve student learning in a formative…

This study used an established behavioral observation methodology to examine the parenting practices of first-generation Latino parents of children 4 to 9 years of age. The study had three central aims, to examine: (1) the feasibility of using a behavioral observation methodology with Spanish-speaking immigrant families, (2) the utility of the…

This book contains a snapshot of state-of-the-art research on the design of automated instructional systems. Selected cognitive psychologists were asked to describe their approach to instruction and cognitive diagnosis, the theoretical basis of the approach, its utility and applicability, and the knowledge engineering or task analysis methods…

This curriculum guide is focused on helping secondary students with and without disabilities gain knowledge and skills that will allow them to increase their ability to achieve their goals in environments with varying levels of receptivity to the concept of self-determination. The curriculum is designed to be delivered over the course of one…

This study compared the effects of personal characteristics and teaching practices in the development of professional competencies by undergraduate engineering students. A survey completed by 480 engineering students gathered information concerning students' personal, academic, and demographic characteristics; characteristics of their current…

This teacher's curriculum guide is designed to help high school teachers guide students to develop a better understanding of difficult issues raised by questions of justice. It is hoped that the ideas, observations, questions, and procedures students learn in the curriculum will help them to make informed decisions about how to promote justice and…

During the 1989-90 school year, the Barrett Math Program was piloted in selected sections of grades K-7 in five Atlanta (Georgia) Public Schools (APS) elementary schools. The Barrett Math Program is designed to improve the total mathematical skills of elementary school students, including computation, concepts, and problem solving, as measured by…