The president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics argues that many mathematics textbooks feature unrealistic problems that do not teach problem solving or mathematical thinking. Realistic activities and games which will teach children to think are described, as are methods for teaching essential mathematics skills. (PP)

Six major categories encompassing the various ways in which computers can be used to enhance mathematics education are listed and described. Examples of problem solving, drill and practice, management of instruction, and tutorial applications are followed by predictions about the future of instructional computing in mathematics education.…

The need of American youth to be responsible and contributing members of society has led to the rise of "youth participation" projects across the country. Various programs have been established to enable young people to participate in meaningful activities. (JN)

The field of teacher education is in need of a problematic approach which would emphasize a more humanistic and less technological stance. Illustrations are given as to how such an approach could be applied in two different realms of teacher education: (1) mathematics education; and (2) field experiences for student teachers. (PP)

The need to manage resources effectively and the high turnover rate of administrators have prompted several universities to implement academic leadership training programs. Leadership training techniques include the development of problem-solving and decision making skills, communication and interpersonal skills, and conflict resolution, resource…

An engineering case study is used as the focal point of a communications course. Communications theory and practical exercises are structured around the case study described, an adaptation and extension of the power station game developed in the early 1970s. Includes outline of and sample student activities. (JN)

The sequence of mathematics courses for elementary school teachers offered at the University of Montana is described. The ideas presented are noted to have worked well. (MP)

Describes an interdisciplinary program which uses simulation to investigate social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of environmental change. Summarizes the underlying process, outlines topics and activities for each of the four phases of the program, and presents one sample activity for each unit. (DC)

Introduces a teaching method called guided design which involves a series of problems and solutions with feedback that leads students in a logical sequence through material being taught. Presents 15 worksheets to demonstrate the use of this technique in an introductory ornithology course. (Author/DC)

The Interactive Research and Development Project is based on a strategy to bring classroom teachers, university researchers, and staff development personnel together to research questions of common concern and to plan a means to disseminate their findings. The development and implementation of a peer tutoring project designed to decrease…

Presents comments from a symposium at which scientists and science educators agreed that science education should focus more on problem solving and less on mastery of content. Also suggests ways to select textbooks that support a problem-solving approach. (DC)

A course in therapeutic decision-making, designed by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is described. Goals were to introduce the student to a rational method of making therapeutic decisions and to give the student experience in formulating therapeutic plans. (MLW)

Describes a single introductory course for both nonscience and physics majors, emphasizing wave aspects of selected physics phenomena rather than traditional Newtonian mechanics. Modes of presentation, consistent with the notion of a spiral syllabus, are explained with reference to the cognitive and educational theories of Bruner and Piaget.…

An attempt to make problem solving a real part of the mathematics program in a second-grade classroom is described. It is felt that teachers can aid children in establishing attitudes of willingness to take risks and tackle unfamiliar tasks by focusing early on problem solving as a process. (MP)

Describes aspects of Guided Design, a recent instructional strategy designed to teach process skills, in which students engage in the decision-making process to devise solutions for a series of open-ended problems. (CS)