Presents a Project WET water education activity. Students analyze public values regarding water issues to help them evaluate approaches to managing water resources. Students recognize that people have different values, evaluate strengths and weaknesses of proposed solutions, and examine the purpose of diverse advocacy groups. (LZ)

Students (n=61) in an experimental course stressing active student involvement and the use of a computer algebra system scored higher than students (n=76) in a traditional college algebra course on final measures of inductive reasoning, visualization, and problem solving while maintaining equivalent manipulation and computation skills. (Author/MLB)

Describes a pilot project to deal with the problem of articulating postsecondary language study. This project consists of 1 elementary school immersion teacher and 21 foreign language teachers from high schools and colleges. The project has the potential of effecting a statewide adoption of proficiency standards and an improvement in the quality…

Describes the application of the General Purpose Utility Problem-Solving technique that was developed at the University of Technology, Sydney, to the problem experienced by a satellite university campus library where there were periodic shelving backlogs. Highlights include cluster methods, total quality management applications, and the use of…

Offers practical suggestions for a coherent approach to the teaching of grammar in foreign language classrooms. As a context for the ideas offered, the article synthesizes some of the views expressed by recent writers on this subject. The model outlined provides a basis for work designed to focus more on accurate use of language than on…

Interviewed 59 2nd- and 44 3rd-year elementary school students concerning their solutions to arithmetic problems commensurate with their age and ability. The results indicate that as children progress through school, they continue to use counting as an important part of their problem-solving repertoire, combining counting skills in idiosyncratic…

Proposes causal field theory as a model of causal reasoning. Suggests that anomaly detection through comparison with natural events triggers causal reasoning. This anomaly is interpreted in terms of agency; therefore, natural phenomena can be understood through an appeal to agency. The mechanism proposed never changes with development, whereas…

Discusses how to conduct a top-level analysis of training management functions to identify problems within a training system resulting from rapid growth, the acquisition of new departments, or mergers. The data gathering process and analyses are explained, training management functions and activities are described, and root causes and solutions…

Examined the relationship of maternal interaction and private speech to task performance, using a sample of four- and five-year-old children. Findings underscore the positive, self-regulatory function of private speech, highlight the role of adult communicative support in extending the child's competencies, and call attention to the cognitive and…

Total Quality uses group methods to identify and collectively prevent or solve specific problems related to consumer satisfaction and quality issues in business. This article integrates social influencing strategies with developmental group processes for facilitating consumer satisfaction and problem-solving in total quality groups. A case study…

Discusses the problem-solving attempts of second-grade students while solving a rate problem. (MKR)

Outlines a model for distance collaboration between business writing classrooms using network technology. Discusses ways to teach national and international audience awareness, problem solving, and the contextual nature of cases. Discusses goals for distance collaboration, sample assignments, and the pros and cons of network technologies. (SR)

This article describes a six-week course for design students called "Needs Awareness and Design" which stresses the development of creative thinking skills. Brainstorming is recommended for identifying many ideas, and synectics is stressed for actual problem solving. (DB)

Fifty children, ranging in age from 4 to 10, were individually administered a series of tasks involving different combinations of 2 items selected from a discrete set of items. Analyses of their performances revealed a series of six, increasingly sophisticated, solution strategies ranging from random number selection of items to a systematic…

The challenge for the college governing board is to use the assets of the institution's known past as a foundation for planning for the largely unknown future. They must handle the difficult tasks of replacing a president, responding to legitimate new demands, and avoiding institutional stagnation. (MSE)