Designed to assist teachers in using the microcomputer as a tool to teach problem solving strategies, this document is divided into two sections: the first introduces the concept of problem solving as a thinking process, and suggests means by which a teacher can become an effective guide for the learning of problem solving skills; the second…

This guide contains the "Work It Out" simulation, which is pertinent to a variety of curriculum areas, both academic and vocational. The purpose of "Work It Out" is to introduce the student to work-related problem situations and to promote skills in identifying alternatives when solving problems. Part I discusses use of the…

To determine whether children's knowledge of arithmetic facts becomes increasingly "automatic" with age, 7-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and adults were given a number-matching task for which mental arithmetic should have been irrelevant. Specifically, students were required to verify the presence of a probe number in a previously presented pair (e.g.,…

A number of studies have reported that there is a strong tendency to ignore base-rate information in favor of individuating information, except when the former can readily be incorporated into a causal schema. In this study, students in eight undergraduate classes were given problems in which the base-rate information was either causal or…

This pamphlet discusses group problem solving in schools. Its point of departure is that teachers go at problems from a number of different directions and that principals need to capitalize on those differences and bring a whole range of skills and perceptions to the problem-solving process. Rather than trying to get everyone to think alike,…

This publication builds a conceptual framework that categorizes alternative policy instruments for educational reform into actions. It defines four categories of policy instruments and hypothesizes how each will operate in addressing different policy problems in different political and organizational contexts. Subsequent research will assess…

The dual purpose of this study was (1) to design instruction in problem representation and solution of algebraic word problems in order to improve the algebraic problem solving skills of learning disabled (LD) adolescents; and (2) to devise and evaluate the effectiveness of instructional procedures for teaching LD adolescents to represent and…

This issue contains abstracts and critical comments for 11 published reports of research in mathematics education. The reports are concerned with: (1) the development of counting strategies; (2) a structural model for mathematics achievement for men and women; (3) teaching children to subtract by counting up; (4) teaching children to add using…

This paper discusses ways that students can better be taught to think. It argues that poor/low-achieving students served by Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 could genuinely profit from instruction on thinking and that, for maximum impact, such instruction should be introduced as a course in itself, separate from…

Reading comprehension can be more effectively taught using new instructional frameworks--such as explicit comprehension instruction--rather than the basal reading model. Traditionally, comprehension has been taught through a process of mentioning the skill that students should apply, practicing the skill in workbooks, and assessing student…

Improved teaching performance, changes in teaching methods, and changes in staff/faculty development are discussed. For each "sample of experience" emphasis is placed on student learning, assessment of student performance, and the learning experience of the individual student. Improved teaching performance requires institutional policies and their…

This study guide is designed to help students learn to use science skills to solve biological problems, learn to apply knowledge about biology in their own lives, and learn to communicate with others about biology. The activities in this guide use information related to each chapter in the 1987 BSCS Green Version textbook. Students can use the…

This personal/social skills training series consisting of five modules is designed to complement basic academic skills and employment skills training. The objective of the training is to address the affective competencies that adults need to attain and succeed in vocational training and employment. An introduction provides materials for the…

This study focused on the problem-solving of family groups including an adolescent diabetic. The study sought to: compare three methods used to identify and analyze phases in family problem-solving interactions, establish criteria to evaluate the methods, utilize the criteria to evaluate the three methods, and select a method. The three methods…

The curriculum guide in social studies was developed to serve hearing impaired children at the Kendall Demonstration School elementary/middle school in Washington, D.C. An introductory section provides the curriculum rationale with discussion of the development of conceptual knowledge, of empathy and perspective, and of information gathering and…