Transformational Events is a new pedagogic pattern that explains how innovations (and other transformations) happened. The pattern is three temporal stages: an interval of increasingly unsatisfactory ad hoc solutions to a persistent problem (the "mess"), an offer of an invention or of a new way of thinking, and a period of widespread adoption and…

Writing treatment that involved repeated copying and recall of target words was implemented with 8 individuals with severe aphasia in order to discern the best candidates for the treatment. Four of the 8 participants had strong positive responses to the copy and recall treatment (CART), relearning spellings for 15 targeted words during 10 to 12…

Our research suggests static and animated graphics can lead to more animated thinking and more correct problem solving in computer-based probability learning. Pilot software modules were developed for graduate online statistics courses and representation research. A study with novice graduate student statisticians compared problem solving in five…

In this paper, some aspects of French mathematical education theory concerning "problem situations" are taken into account. In this theoretical framework, the choice of problem situations is fundamental in order to allow pupils to make hypotheses, to mobilize their knowledge, to argue, and finally, to construct new knowledge. Certain…

This paper reports on the mathematical thinking of participants of a long-term study, now in its 17th year, who did mathematics together through their public school and early university years. In particular, it describes how fundamental ideas and images of a cohort group of students are elaborated and presented in symbolic expressions of…

This article demonstrates how the system archetype "drifting goals" can be used in the classroom to explore ethical dilemmas. System archetypes provide a framework that shifts the focus from seeing ethical dilemmas as stemming solely from the acts of individuals to exploring the systemic structures that are responsible for generic patterns of…

Problem-based learning has great potential for management education. Placing students in a problem-centered environment may help bridge the gap between theory and practice. One important but underdeveloped issue for problem-based learning is the context design of the problem-solving situation. This article's purpose is to develop a framework for…

Recent papers document that student problem-solving competence varies (often strongly) with representational format, and that there are significant differences between the effects that traditional and reform-based instructional environments have on these competences [Kohl and Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1, 010104 (2005); Kohl and…

Preparing for an oral examination is an alternative way for students to learn mathematics by working cooperatively in small teams to solve problems. Reformed college mathematics courses are emphasizing the ability to communicate ideas clearly, both orally and in writing. The instructor is able to ask probing questions that are not usually possible…

When Creative Problem Solving (CPS) was introduced into social studies programs, the students' participation in the classrooms began to change. They began to assume leadership roles and take on a sense of responsibility; they asked questions and worked cooperatively to decide on social action. In this article, the authors argue that CPS has the…

The Danish experience during the German occupation, presented through the experiences of the Rosen and Johansen families, provides the literary and historical background for the activities the author presents in this article. He designed the four activities for maximum student involvement, with each requiring students to respond to Lois Lowry's…

Creating and maintaining a successful and comprehensive school counseling program built on group work requires far more than excellent group skills. Results derived from an in-depth case study illustrate how an elementary school counselor's knowledge and skills (e.g., vision, identity, beliefs and values, capabilities, and behaviors) contributed…

In preparing to teach speed to a Y10 intermediate class in a multicultural secondary modern, the author was aware of the difficulty in getting students not only to follow a complex logical argument, but also to be able to reproduce it in a variety of different problem situations. Normally one would set out the working out of the problem as a…

The purpose of this conceptual analysis is to investigate how contemporary video and computer games might inform instructional design by looking at how narrative devices and techniques support problem solving within complex, multimodal environments. Specifically, this analysis presents a brief overview of game genres and the role of narrative in…

A great deal of similarity exists between engineering and technology education. Many schools and state education administrators are working to bring engineering principles and problem-solving approaches into the technology education classroom. More and more, technology education is viewed as a breeding ground for tomorrow's new crop of engineers.…