In an accompanying study, Alibali et al. [Alibali, M. W., Ockuly, K. M., Fischer, A. D. (2009) "Learning new problem-solving strategies leads to changes in problem representation." "Cognitive Development, 24," 89-101.] present an important experimental result: introducing a new strategy can affect conceptual aspects of children's problem…

Description of expert system development focuses on identifying the problem, or knowledge, domain, and discusses three methods for defining the domain: (1) brainstorming, (2) concept analysis, and (3) information processing analysis, which describes cognitive processes. The techniques are illustrated by a description of an auto manfacturer's sales…

This paper represents one portion of an ongoing effort to elaborate on pedagogical principles based on structural-developmental (largely Piagetian) theory and research. Here, a concept of "problem structure" is developed as a means for identifying physical factors that contribute to children's ability to apply experimental reasoning.…

The relationship of cognitive development to learning science is considered. Views of thinking from both a psychological and a scientific standpoint are compared in order to shed light on current science teaching practice. Metacognition and problem solving are discussed. (Author/MT)

Teaching/learning trends include (1) incremental (information explosion); (2) stationary (biology of cognitive processes); and (3) iterative (recurring debates over teaching methods). Effects are externalization of knowledge structures, the importance of "importance," and instructional "enabling," failure of teachers and students to confront real…

Competence-based extensions of Knowledge Space Theory are suggested as a formal framework for implementing key features of personalised learning in technology-enhanced learning. The approach links learning objects and assessment problems to the relevant skills that are taught or required. Various ways to derive these skills from domain ontologies…

A mathematician who has been teaching for 58 years discusses 3 types of knowledge that are subjects for teaching or learning (what, how, and why) and why teaching must include problem solving or the use of the Socratic, Moore, or discovery method. (MKR)

Students and instructors may be frustrated with students' lack of understanding of sociological concepts. We suggest that the difficulty of teaching and learning sociology is that sociological concepts and relationships require the use of abstract reasoning patterns. Many students are unaccustomed to using these abstract reasoning patterns. We use…

Information-processing students solving problems in the 1960s and 1970s accepted the tradition of early experimental psychology in concentrating primarily on the study of "knowledge-lean" tasks in which competence can usually be acquired over short periods of learning and experience. In recent years, experts have examined knowledge-rich…

Two groups of adolescents and a group of Coast Guard officials were interviewed about hypothetical political problems. Solutions presented were arrayed along a continuum of expertise, according to the complexity of subjects' political schemata and skills used in problem representation. (BC)

Describes an adventure activity in which a group achieved a seemingly impossible goal by changing the way it imagined the task. Discusses the sequence of steps in metaphor development that led to the triggering of a generative metaphor: a new image of the task that allowed reframing of the problem and its eventual solution. (SV)

The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for the evaluation of M-demand of chemistry problems. It was shown that dimensional analysis upon the Neo-Piagetian theory of Pascual-Leone could help science teachers to understand the epistemological basis of their discipline. (CW)

Proposes that there is a universal method for all realms of knowledge. Reviews Descartes's definition of the universal method, the engineering definition, and the philosophical basis for the universal method. Contends that the engineering method best represents the universal method. (ML)

Hypermedia as a learning environment complements traditional instruction as it places the student at a higher level of control. Instead of "wait and see" what the teacher expects the student to learn next, hypermedia stimulates the student to become aware of his/her own cognitive needs and interests. This paper presents a combination of notions…

This paper presents a theoretical framework for investigating the role of algorithms in mathematical thinking using a combined ontological-psychological outlook. The intent is to demonstrate that the processes of learning and of problem solving incorporate an elaborate interplay between operational and structural conceptualizations of the same…