Success in using a computer in education as a problem-solving tool requires a change in the way of thinking or of approaching a problem. An algorithm, i.e., a finite step-by-step solution to a problem, can be designed around the data processing concepts of input, processing, and output to provide a basis for classifying problems. If educators concentrate on the how to, rather than on the correctness of the results, computers in the classroom can speed up the testing of specific algorithms. Developing an adequate, workable algorithm requires the critical steps of precisely defining the problem; careful attention to clarity, detail, and sequence; and a knowledge of the problem in order to explain the phases and smaller steps needed to solve the problem. The concepts of pseudocode and flowcharting standardize, solidify, and simplify the entire process. The ability to classify problems into one of three general categories (narratives, computational/verbal, and inputs/outputs) provides researchers with the framework upon which to build new and refine existing algorithms. Suggestions for the problem definition phase and an outline for this presentation are included. (DJR)