Describes a class activity where individual students ask the teacher "yes and no" questions to find the amount of force the bicep uses to lift a 1 kilogram mass. (PR)

Analysis of responses (N=141) to a survey of teacher educators concerning the Case Method of Instruction (CMI) found that 78% were using or had recently used CMI; CMI was used most frequently in assessment and methods classes. Respondents identified CMI advantages as the application of theory to practice and development of problem-solving skills.…

Argues that science students often perceive physical events, the nature of scientific knowledge, and the nature of learning processes in different ways from science teachers and scientists, and that science teachers need to account for these differences in planning their science teaching. Contains 40 references. (WRM)

Provides theoretical evidence supporting the assumption that cognitive mapping is an effective learning method for students' hypermedia design activities. Checks the effects of student hypermedia design assignments in an ill-structured environment against the uniqueness of cognitive mapping, mapping styles, and cognitive mapping as a creative…

Describes a study which explored undergraduate students' reactions to a Web-based environment supporting problem-based learning. Findings revealed that while the majority of students saw value to be gained from learning in a student-centered, collaborative setting, many expressed preference for learning in the more conventional teacher-directed…

Describes the design of a biochemistry course that uses problem-based learning. Provides opportunities for students to question, dispute, confirm, and disconfirm their understanding of basic concepts. Emphasizes self-correction through dialogue. Topics covered include amino acids, metabolic pathways and inherited disease, proteins, enzymes and…

Assesses students' learning of evolution by natural selection within four different sections of an introductory biology course where each section used a different combination of curricular materials and instruction. Reports that comparisons between sections support the use of paired problem-solving instructional strategy in conjunction with the…

This article explains reasons for focusing on social studies as an untapped domain in which to foster thinking and problem solving skills of students with disabilities, discusses the use of multimedia technology in supporting projects in the social studies, explores considerations in implementing multimedia design projects, and examines challenges…

Describes the hypermodel approach to designing science education software. Hypermodels combine stored or web-based multimedia materials with a manipulable model of the subject domain. Hypermodels are scriptable, and are powerful tools for creating various activities or web-labs that challenge students to solve puzzles, then monitor and react to…

One hundred forty fourth graders were asked to solve proportion problems about juice-mixing situations both before and after an intervention that used a manipulative model or other materials in three experiments. Results indicate different approaches appear to be necessary to facilitate children's proportional reasoning, depending on the reasoning…

Describes the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy in an undergraduate classroom. Briefly describes PBL philosophy and protocols, and gives guidance in choosing and integrating a PBL problem into the curriculum. Contains 13 references. (WRM)

Describes a process by which technology education students negotiate a contract with the teacher, then develop a plan to fulfill the contract and meet specific criteria for assessment. Concludes that this process provides a mechanism for the individualization of learning, accommodates the development of independence and self-direction, and…

When the National Association of Social Workers (1999) ratified the Code of Ethics in 2000, it was an acknowledgement that dual relationships can be part of sound social work practice. The educational materials that are available to educators do not move sufficiently beyond a risk-reduction approach to dual relationships to an assessment of how a…

Researchers and educators have been developing tutors to help students learn by solving problems. The tutors vary in their ability to generate problems, generate answers, grade student answers, and provide feedback. At one end of the spectrum are tutors that depend on hand-coded problems, answers, and feedback. These tutors can be expected to be…

This paper outlines the types of verbal interactions teachers engage in to challenge children's thinking and problem-solving during cooperative learning. The paper also provides examples of how children model many of the verbal interactions they have seen demonstrated in their discourse with each other. It appears that when teachers are explicit…