Discusses the advantages of teaching with open-ended tasks and compares students' responses to open-ended, closed-area, and perimeter tasks. (ASK)

Paints a different picture of students' reasoning with meiosis as they solved complex, computer-generated genetics problems, some of which required them to revise their understanding of meiosis in response to anomalous data. Students were able to develop a rich understanding of meiosis and can utilize that knowledge to solve genetics problems.…

Presents a descriptive outline of problem-solving methods, which include: (1) identifying the problem; (2) generating possible solutions; (3) evaluating the possible solutions; and (4) implementing the preferred solution. Explains two types of problems: problems to find, and problems to prove. Offers recommendations for teaching problem solving.…

Describes a teaching method used to tackle a team project in which students may use every form of communication except speech. Students must analyze a problem and collaboratively develop and test possible solutions without talking. This process often changes preconceived ideas about themselves and others, and about scientific knowledge and problem…

Uses environmental impact analysis as a unifying theme to provide students with real problem-solving experiences without neglecting the principles and theories of the basic scientific disciplines undergirding environmental science. Provides information about stressed stream analysis, which connects environmental impact analysis and Great Lakes…

Describes problem-based learning, in which students encounter and solve a problem through reasoning and identifying learning needs, typically through a group process. Provides a rationale and guidelines to use problem-based learning effectively to strengthen service learning curricula. (SLD)

Argues that high school teachers have given up on trying to teach equations and mathematics to poorly prepared, inner-city, or very average students. Describes a mathematical problem-solving physics course for all types of students from average to honors. (CCM)

Discusses how service courses in technical writing and their user departments, motivated by calls from industry for students with problem-solving abilities, have incorporated higher-level thinking modes into their assignments. Considers how teachers are changing their pedagogical methods from simple transference of information from teacher to…

Examines the role of metacognition, particularly problem solving strategies, in how second language students learn in a multimedia environment, studying problem solving strategies used by students completing exercises in Mydlarski and Paramskas' program, Vi-Conte. Presents recommendations for training teachers, noting that the flexibility of…

Presents a prototype of an instructional task that aims at improved problem-solving skills based on the understanding of domain knowledge. (Author/CCM)

Physics problems presented by teachers or in textbooks are usually quantitative and offer only one solution. Suggests that getting students to solve qualitative problems and confronting them with multiple solutions can help them develop conceptual understanding and robust problem-solving strategies. (Author/ASK)

Describes the two-course engineering design graphics sequence on introductory design and graphics topics. The first course focuses on conceptual design and the development of visualization and sketching skills while the second one concentrates on detail design and parametric modeling. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/ASK)

Points out student struggles with the determination of empirical and molecular formulas and introduces a teaching approach to increase student understanding. Uses scenarios to present the experimental data before presenting the problem. (YDS)

Discusses traditional problem solving approaches. Reports that both high school students and college freshmen struggle with proportional reasoning and introduces a new method for quantitative problem solving at the high school level. (Contains 33 references.) (YDS)

Brainstorming may be the best-known tool for group idea generation and is widely taught in gifted and talented programs. Many empirical studies have been conducted regarding the effectiveness of brainstorming, and they have provided useful insights into the salient barriers facing groups who use this tool. Although a great deal of this literature…