Describes investigation of effectiveness of computer-presented organizational/memory aids (matrix and verbal charts controlled by computer or learner) as instructional technique for solving Pico-Fomi problems, and the acquisition of deductive inference rules when such aids are present. Results indicate chart use control should be adapted to…

Introduces a method for gathering process information related to computer simulations and examines changes in learners' responses as a means of understanding the kind of learning that occurs within the simulations. Data gathered from 87 undergraduate education majors using simulations that teach the application of behavior analysis procedures for…

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the presence or absence of metacognitive skill tools available in hyperspace environments on field independent and field dependent learners. Learners were engaged in problem solving in an information-rich hyperspace based on a lesson on the attack on Pearl Harbor. Forty undergraduates were…

Pretests measuring problem-solving ability were administered to 71 students in a high school mathematics class. One group was given computer-augmented instruction; the other group was given instruction augmented by mathematics laboratory activities. Posttest results for problem-solving ability were mixed, but the group receiving computer-augmented…

Describes three principal types of embedded training: help systems, simulations, and intelligent tutors. Implications of designing and implementing embedded training are discussed in terms of a set of propositions about the use of computers for learning. (Author/MBR)

Reports the results of a study that examined the patterns of interactions of high school student partners engaged in problem-solving activities while working through computer simulation activities in an astronomy lab. Observations, interviews with teachers and students, and a software program evaluation are discussed. (LRW)

Illustrates the diverse ways in which the computer spreadsheet can be used by both teachers and students as a problem-solving tool in high school mathematics, and provides detailed examples of spreadsheet use in word problems. Discusses the functions of spreadsheet tables, columns, and graphs. (AEF)

Describes a study that was conducted to determine whether learning to program a computer in Pascal or FORTRAN improved problem-solving skills of college students when compared to a control group and to determine which programing language was more effective in the development of problem-solving abilities. (26 references) (LRW)

Describes decision-aiding software, Policy/Goal Percentaging (P/G%), that can process a set of controversial alternatives when used with microcomputer-aided instruction. The benefits and objectives of microcomputer use are discussed, and applications of the software to problems in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities…

This study investigated the degree to which seventh- and eighth-grade students of different abilities acquired strategic planning knowledge from a problem-solving computer game called Wumpus. Regression analysis was used to determine the influences of individual differences and either activating or modeling instruction, and to assess transfer of…

Examines mathematics problem solving in a computer software environment using graphical representations of the results of simulations with adolescent students. Discusses the strengths and limitations of inferring goals and plans, the use of verbal protocols, and ways for computer-based learning environments to scaffold acquisition of domain…

This study investigated the impact of integrated learning systems, problem solving software, and simulation software on elementary students' reading performance. Results indicate students entering fourth through sixth grade profited more from instruction supplemented by problem-solving and simulation software than from skills instruction. Results…

Discussion of the evaluation of courseware focuses on a study conducted to evaluate the Health and Fitness Assessment (HAFA) program, which was designed to elicit problem solving skills to assess health and fitness parameters and develop exercise prescriptions. Protocol analysis is described and the analysis of interpretive statements is…

This study of third graders examined whether qualitatively distinct cooperative computer environments (using LOGO and curriculum-based instruction in writing) engender social experiences that enhance motivation and self-concepts as learners; and the extent to which differences in motivation and self-perception accounted for differences in…

Discusses knowledge base development as a pedagogical activity and describes a study of eighth graders that compared three instructional conditions: (1) expert system development work; (2) problem-solving activities using computer-assisted instruction; and (3) a control group that used traditional noncomputer methods. Pretest and posttest scores…