This paper is a preliminary inquiry by a non-mathematician into graphic methods of sequential planning and ways in which hierarchical analysis and tree structures can be helpful in developing interest in the use of mathematical modeling in the search for creative solutions to real-life problems. Highlights include a discussion of hierarchical…

This paper is designed to help educational leaders improve their decision making strategies (and correspondingly educational practice) by evaluating their own strategy in concert with a model proposed in the paper. The proposed model provides educational leaders with an enhanced context within which one can effectively analyze and evaluate…

An interdisciplinary effort by Texas Tech University to help undergraduate civil engineering students make better-informed occupational choices is the subject of this paper. The theoretical and empirical bases of the project, which is designed to improve counseling of freshmen students for both inter- and intra-occupational decision making, are…

Teachers at all grade levels need to recognize the importance of instruction in consumer reading and decision making skills. The definitions and prerequisites of a literate consumer underscore the importance of reading and reasoning skills development for making effective decisions. Consumer educators must also recognize that economic…

School psychologists are often asked to make significant decisions about students, but there has been a lack of research on how psychologists make such decisions. Obtaining the objective that school psychologists make sound decisions is an important goal, which involves training in how to minimize the adverse impact of predictable biases in human…

Good teachers of reading should ask questions which link the research knowledge base in reading, effective teaching, and learning with proficient decision-making skills. These questions should focus on the content to be taught, the behaviors of the student, and the behaviors of the teacher. Content questions address central concepts, prior…

This paper holds that despite, or perhaps because of, the development of recent ideas about diversity and cultural relativity, universities are obligated to teach communication ethics. Further, it holds that the implications of giving bachelor's degrees to students who do not have a solid grasp of universal ethical guidelines are potentially…

Research that identifies factors that facilitate information processing and enhance performance without reducing group confidence and decision satisfaction may influence future development of groupwork systems. This paper contains a review of the literature on cognitive and motivational issues in both group decision-making and learning contexts…

Noting that a distinction can be made between the different types of problems faced by managers in today's organizations, and that managers increasingly face problems of a more complex nature, this paper suggests that an interactive management approach is best for solving complicated problems. Following an introduction that distinguishes between…

This workshop focuses on the utility of decision making counseling: what it is, how it is operationalized into counseling behaviors, and what applications it has to counseling. Four sequential stages are proposed for explaining the use of the technique, including: (1) conceptualization; (2) enlargement of the response repertoire; (3)…

Two computer-based instructional projects and a workbook model designed to emphasize three different applications of expertise in medical problem-solving are described. The "CVTEST" Project (cardiovascular) explored the use of a computer program to provide guidance to students and facilitate self-assessment. The program does not directly teach,…

With the emergence of greater stress in the life of today's youth, much effort has gone into the investigation of effective coping methods for adolescents. By employing coping strategies, youth gain self-control and learn appropriate behavioral responses to many of life's stressors. Effective coping can assist adolescents in mastering cognitive,…

One of the most persistent dilemmas faced by practicing educational administrators is choosing an appropriate model for decision making. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the appropriateness of Cohen, March, and Olsen's (1972) Garbage Can Model of decision making. The case study examined the decision-making behavior of the…

Processes that integrate the logical and participative dimensions of group decision making and problem solving are increasingly important to those responsible for the organizational development of educational systems. This paper describes a model (The Optimal Combination of Processes for Creative Problem Solving) that was designed to deal with a…

Based on the proposition that shared decision making affords greater opportunity for the support, commitment, and motivation necessary to achieve improved learning situations in small communities, the Rural Education Program (REP) of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory has developed a planning model to aid small rural school districts.…