This study examined the effects of task structure on fifth- and sixth-grade students' information seeking on the Internet. Results indicated that children prefer browsing to analytic-based searching. They have difficulty finding relevant information on the Internet; however, they searched more effectively on the ill-defined task than on the…

Examined whether use of robotics had a greater effect on elementary school children's achievement in science concepts and problem-solving abilities than use of battery-powered motorized manipulatives or no manipulatives. Found no significant difference in achievement from use of robotics except in programming language problem solving. Both…

Discusses the benefits for students and communities of service-learning experiences. Briefly describes student efforts to formulate and solve community problems as part of the Expeditionary Learning project (Massachusetts), which calls on adults and students to embark on experiential learning "expeditions" to renew themselves as…

A study investigated the effectiveness of incorporating discussion groups and problem solving in a first-year pharmaceutical dosage-forms course. Students responded positively to the group discussions focusing on problem solving and the discussion summaries, which demonstrated the diversity of approaches to problem solving and focused their…

Describes a teaching framework combining culturally sensitive and culturally specific perspectives to prepare students for cross-cultural clinical social work. Three components are (1) an overview of social constructivism; (2) exploration of culture and self to encourage openness to cultural diversity; and (3) a social-constructivist approach to…

Discusses ways in which new technologies, including multimedia and the World Wide Web, support and enhance a range of skills associated with deep-level processing and meaningful learning such as metacognition, problem solving, and critical thinking. Argues that these technologies are underestimated in their capacity to facilitate intellectual…

Explores what creative drama is, why it should be included in the teaching of both expository and creative writing, and how language arts teachers can implement creative drama activities to increase student success in writing and to improve learning. Describes how using creative drama to enhance creative writing restores authority to students for…

Argues that information technology can influence elements of the curriculum. Discusses several concerns related to the application of information technology in science education in the Arab world. Contains 27 references. (DDR)

Examines the scope and nature of upper elementary school pupils' difficulties with modeling and solving nonroutine additive word problems. Concludes that many errors result from the superficial, stereotyped approach of adding or subtracting two given numbers without considering the appropriateness of that action in relation to the problem context.…

Grade retention is ineffective. It is often imposed for nonacademic reasons, fails to improve academic achievement, and exacerbates the dropout problem. Social promotion is equally ineffective at providing appropriate instruction for low-performing students. Feasible alternatives include group problem solving, personalized instruction, and…

This study examined effects of contextualized math instruction on problem-solving performance of 17 middle school remedial students and 49 average-achieving prealgebra students. Results showed that both remedial and average students receiving contextualized-problem instruction outperformed comparison groups receiving word-problem instruction.…

Twenty-nine children with learning disabilities (LD) in grades 2 and 4 through 7 were compared with children without LD for their development of proportional structures of thought. Significantly fewer children with LD had constructed second-order logical structures necessary to act on problems using multiplicative and preproportional reasoning.…

Discussion of ICAE (Intelligent Computer Aided Education) systems focuses on Magix, a prototype ICAE system for use in problem-based learning in linear mathematics for 10- to 12-year olds. The system integrates the principles of constructivism, user-driven interaction, knowledge-based systems, and metacognition. (Author/LRW)

Describes an environmental-education research project in North Borneo that takes as a given that different social actors begin with different perceptions of environmental problems based upon different rationalities. Using an innovative educational mechanism called the adaptive concept, an intervention was designed, tested, and evaluated. Contains…

Reports on procedural and conceptual knowledge for solving a basic quantitative problem in chemistry by expert and novice secondary school students. Concludes that the major differences between experts and novices lay in conceptual understanding, use of a qualitative procedure, and the type of strategy used. Suggests some instructional techniques…