Synthesizes a conceptual framework (or linguistic-conceptual systems) for thinking about conceptual frameworks, discusses their potential for helping users develop competence in applying them to unstructured problem solving, and outlines instructional implications. The theory-practice gap arises partly from failure to conceptualize the nature of…

Learning to see reality at multiple levels provides instructional leaders with several advantages (e.g., being adaptive and solving problems before they occur, being creative by choosing a different future, and being generative by bringing forth something new). Four distinct levels of reality in systems thinking are: events encountered on a daily…

Learners must acquire a general strategic orientation in their problem solving, to determine what counts as relevant information in problematic situations. A dynamic systems approach is called for in determining whether general or context-specific instructions are needed to promote transfer of relevant information to novel conditions. (Author/JDD)

Guidelines to facilitate the assessment and development of educational leadership decision-making skills are presented in this paper. Included are a review of traditional and contemporary concepts of the decision-making process, identification of appropriate techniques, and an analysis of four contemporary decision-making models by Thompson,…

Physical and social loss which accompany aging are often believed to promote dependency upon family, social services, and health care providers. Clinicians frequently complain about dependent clients and patients who leave the clinician feeling worn out, or worse, burned out. Very few publications have defined or addressed this problem identified…

Describes a classroom activity to introduce students to pros and cons of recent bottle bill legislation which proposes restrictions on the sale of nonreturnable beverage containers. Flowcharts are used to analyze the problem in a systems format. (Author/AV)

Proposes that teachers begin the school year with a class study of discipline and student participation in establishing classroom rules. Describes the components of such a lesson and the procedures and forms inherent in any effective discipline system. (RL)

During the summer of 1986 a group of 15 racially diverse students entering 10th and 11th grades participated in an intensive 4-week course taught by members of an NSF-funded project. The project's goals were to develop science and mathematics curricula based on the principles of systems dynamics. The course was a test of materials intended to…

This chapter addresses the issue of when counselors should suggest to their clients that their family members should become involved in the counseling process. Family systems theory and its application are reviewed, with a special focus on issues involving communication, problem solving, family roles, and boundaries. Family systems theory is a…

Presents a classification scheme applicable to systematic instructional design, which partitions the cognitive domain into the four levels of knowledge, understanding, mental processes, and strategies, each of which encompasses specific instructional objectives. Guidelines are offered to assist in the design and construction of these instructional…

This article considers the nature of creativity in industrial and business settings, describes the Manchester (England) Business School Creativity Unit, models creativity in systems terms, reviews action research of the 1970s, and identifies recent areas of research at Manchester including creativity blocks and the impact of creativity training in…

This simulation helps students in grades four to eight see their planet as one environment with limited resources shared by all. Students learn that the earth is a large system comprised of small systems, that systems are interdependent and often have irreplaceable parts, and that resources are not equally divided among countries. (RM)

This paper provides an introduction to a particular systems-theoretical approach to problem-solving in the management of education usually referred to as soft-systems methodology (SSM), developed by Peter Checkland in the 1970s. SSM should provide a powerful tool for managers in education at any level who have a strategic role because it can be…

Discusses the development of new computer systems that will overcome the "slowness" of modern computers. Describes ways to increase the speed of single processors by keeping more of a processor's components active. Outlines the theory behind the linking together of many processors to form a parallel computer. (TW)

One of the difficulties encountered by novice problem solvers in introductory physics is in the area of problem solving. It has been shown in other studies that poor problem solvers are affected by the surface aspects of the problem in contrast with more efficient problem solvers who are capable of constructing a mental model of the physical…