Traces the development and pedagogical theory of the case study method. Offers an overview of current discourse on its effectiveness. Presents results from a quasi-experiment. Finds that students exposed to the case method improved their problem solving skills measurably and significantly over a 15-week semester, outperforming the control group…

Assesses the conceptual change of teachers who have been involved in the development, implementation, field testing, and evaluation of several modules. Points out that the intrinsic nature of the STEMS (Science-Technology-Environment-Society) curriculum requires that the teachers who teach it also be the developers of its modules. (Contains 48…

Data from various national farm surveys suggest that computers on farms are used predominantly for bookkeeping and financial analysis. Computers are not fully exploited to integrate information from diverse aspects of farm operations and therefore, may not help users develop the "systems skills" important in off-farm employment. Implications for…

Emotion is an innate, powerful, and principally unconscious process that is perceptible in body language, responds vigorously to high-contrast information concerning dangers and opportunities, and often biases the direction of our problem- solving responses. Curricular challenges involving the arts, play, and classroom management are discussed.…

Uses a methodology for probing systems-thinking developed and used to investigate the way children (N=35) think about the natural environment. Findings suggest that eight-year-old children are capable of this type of thinking. (DDR)

Describes a project based on the book "Roxaboxen" by Alice McLerran for a multiage summer program at the Loudon Country Day School (Virginia) where children create an imaginary town. Discusses benefits of the project, including connecting children with books, illuminating the importance of play, use of imagination, and suitability for various…

Uses case-study approach to illuminate how a retired military officer serving as the principal of a south Tel-Aviv high school engages in the deliberative process (a communal experimental process designed to examine the consequences of actions under consideration) to solve a significant problem of a rising level of violence. (Contains 26…

Discusses collaborative classroom projects and partnerships called collaboratories which emphasize interactive, problem-solving, student-centered technology-based learning environments. Offers example of projects that include schools, universities, and businesses, and discusses the need to go beyond integrating technology into the curriculum to…

Analyzed a corpus of videotapes in which university students solved physics problems to determine how students learn to understand a physics equation. Found that students learn to understand physics equations in terms of a vocabulary of elements called symbolic forms, each associating a simple conceptual schema with a pattern of symbols. Findings…

Describes an online self-organizing social system (OSOSS) which allows large numbers of individuals to self-organize in a highly decentralized manner to solve problems and accomplish other goals. Topics include scalability and bandwidth in online learning; self-organization; learning objects; instructional design underlying OSOSS, including…

This study examined effects of individual differences in speak-span scores and variations in memory demands on class-inclusion performance of 10-, 13-, and 15-year-olds. Results from regression analyses and the mathematical model indicated that differences in age, speak span, and memory load affected performance. Effects of speak span and memory…

Describes a pilot mediation program that offers an empowering alternative to problem resolution used by mental health consumers receiving treatment at an inpatient psychiatric center. The training program uses mental health clinicians and consumers (peer advocates) to act as assistants in mediating disputes between consumers and between consumers…

A study investigated the problem-solving performance, style, and cross-cultural differences of 72 students (ages 9-15) with mild mental retardation from African American, European American, and Nigerian cultural backgrounds. Nigerians generated more independent responses and European American generated more independent responses than African…

Discusses Monte Carlo methods, powerful and useful techniques that rely on random numbers to solve deterministic problems whose solutions may be too difficult to obtain using conventional mathematics. Reviews two excellent candidates for the application of Monte Carlo methods. (ASK)

Discusses an alternate path to teaching introductory stoichiometry based on research findings. The recommendation is to use problems that can be solved easily by rapid mental calculation as well as by pure logic. (AIM)