This study reports on the development and psychometric properties of a new 87-item Mathematics Information Processing Scale that explores learning strategies, metacognitive problem-solving skills, and attentional deployment. Results with 340 college students support the use of the instrument, for which factor analysis identified five theoretically…

A growing body of empirical and theoretical work indicates that young children (grades K-3) have difficulties solving word problems because of deficient language and text comprehension strategies. Describes a computer simulation designed to model working memory demands in "bottom-up" comprehension of arithmetic word problems, offering a…

Investigates whether exposure to discourse elements affects idea production in novice writers. Results indicate that students given discourse prompts generated significantly more ideas than those given purely motivational prompts and that they spent more time generating ideas, suggesting that instruction in discourse elements may prove beneficial.…

From a constructivist perspective, the World Wide Web offers students an opportunity to be engaged in sense making, problem solving, and open investigation of the learning process. Students have access to a wide range of information, can develop in socially relevant ways, and are empowered. Selected Web sites (i.e. the White House home page) are…

Compares collaborative problem solving by learners sitting side-by-side with computer-mediated learning at a distance. Three aspects are studied: high school students' problem- solving strategies and interpretation of the teaching situation; their use of components of the situation; and the cognitive processes involved in understanding domain…

Reports on a pilot study that investigated the creative impact of information and communication technology (ICT) in a grade 6 class in England. Presents a model of creativity that includes problem solving, creative cognition, and social interaction; and discusses the creation of personal Web pages. (Author/LRW)

Differences in critical thinking between undergraduate and graduate students in the social and mathematical sciences was investigated using multiple measures of critical thinking that reflect different types of problem structure. Educational level and academic area differences were found across measures. (Author/MLW)

Describes study designed to examine the effects of textual and/or computer animated orienting strategies and practice on rule-using and problem-solving skills of elementary school students using computer-assisted instruction. Four different versions of a lesson based on Isaac Newton's Law of Motion are described, and results are analyzed. (28…

This review of 20 studies examines 3 predictions concerning the effects of conceptual models on students' understanding of scientific prose: (1) that models improve recall of conceptual information; (2) that they decrease verbatim retention; and (3) that they increase creative solutions on transfer problems. (SLD)

Five women university students' representations of their learning were analyzed and related to their on-going adaptations to course demands. Representations involved their goals, working plans and perceptions of difficulties. Qualitative data from students' accounts were tabulated schematically in relation to Duncker's concepts of productive…

Presents an alternate form of assignment, called "Special Problems," that incorporates writing in journals into the mathematics classroom. The method requires students to provide process narratives to accompany selected homework exercises. Allows the teacher to monitor the student's thought processes and development. (MDH)

The game "Pythagoras" is an adaptation of the tangram puzzle. Describes the process of finding all the possible convex polygons with seven sides to prove that the solution to a given puzzle shape of seven sides difficult to find was not possible. (MDH)

Challenges the readers comprehension of mathematical induction by presenting four examples of arguments that misrepresent the concept. Discusses the reasons why the arguments lead to false conclusions. (MDH)

Relates research findings on the way primary-grade students communicate mathematical ideas through the use of symbols to a framework for students to investigate the part-whole relationship of quantity. Discusses children's problem-solving abilities, linking word problems and symbols, the importance of context for understanding symbols, and the…

Presents a series of hands-on activities for grades K-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 6-8 using the common theme of kites to develop number sense in basic operations and fractions. Teachers' guides and worksheets are provided. (MDH)