A heuristic description is given of the rediscovery with "Sketchpad" of a less-well-known, but beautiful, generalization of the nine-point circle to a nine-point conic, as well as an associated generalization of the Euler line. The author's initial analytic geometry proofs, which made use of the symbolic algebra facility of the TI-92 calculator,…

Research on Vygotsky's zone of proximal development theory was used as a foundation to investigate differences in the learning and transfer ability of 30 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 30 students with matched low achievement (LA), from grades 7 and 8. The two groups were assessed on their problem-solving ability on a balance scale…

Two adults (ages 37 and 57) with severe mental retardation in a supported employment setting (a janatorial supply company) were taught to use self-instruction in combination with multiple exemplar training to solve work-related problems. The combined strategy resulted in generalization to nontrained problems.The use of the strategy to promote…

This paper presents the Hypothesis Testing Theory/Model and the Information Processing Model developed by M. Parrill-Bernstein in relation to the field of behavior disorders. The models provide a framework for (1) studying both problem solving skills and social behavior and (2) developing intervention programs for behavior disordered adolescents.…

This study, which was concerned with the ways in which actions can be elaborated and can influence children's awareness of actions, examined the relationship between action and awareness during childrens' performance on the Towers of Hanoi problem. A total of 94 children between the ages of 6 and 8 years were asked to solve a three-disc version of…

Four experiments were conducted to determine the source of difficulty of Wason's THOG problem. The THOG problem permits examination of the way people tackle a novel hypothetico-deductive problem. The results are interpreted as demonstrating the importance of problem presentation in problem solving. (Author/PN)

Discusses paradigmatic teaching, or teaching for analogical transfer, which requires teaching a basic structure by appropriate examples, as well as teaching its application in various fields and contexts. Examples for problem solving, inductive thinking, and learning to learn are given, and a training program with adult learners is described. (15…

A strategy for transferring learning from adventure experiences to daily life situations incorporates the use of isomorphs and metaphors. Explains how to develop isomorphic frames and select metaphoric experiences that can be used in adventure programming, especially with clients in therapy. (LP)

A two-stage problem-solving strategy involving cue cards and their gradual withdrawal was used to teach nine sheltered workshop employees how to prevent work-related accidents. Results indicated that participants used the strategy appropriately and generalized their skills to similar and dissimilar situations up to eight weeks after training.…

Fifty-two second-grade students were taught a generalizable problem-solving strategy for mathematics word problems. Results were mixed but were generally supportive of the notion that classwide student tutoring teams and direct instruction are useful adjuncts to teacher-led instruction in word problem solving in mathematics. (JDD)

Mathematical optimization problems are not typical in the classical curriculum of mathematics. In this paper we show how several generalizations of an easy problem on optimal transportation were solved by gifted secondary school pupils in a correspondence mathematical seminar, how they can be used in university courses of linear programming and…

This study explored the problem-solving schemas developed by 7th-grade pre-algebra students as they participated in a teaching experiment that was designed to help students develop effective schemas for solving algebraic problem situations involving contexts of (1) growth and change and (2) size and shape. This article describes the qualities and…

Models and modeling are frequently used as instructional tools in science education to convey important information concerning both the explanatory and structural features of topic areas in science. The efficacy of models as such rests almost entirely upon students' ability to conceptualize them as abstracted "representations" of…

Gifted students in grades 6-8 were divided into two experimental groups, one receiving traditional creative problem-solving training and the other receiving creative problem-solving with transfer strategies infused; there was also a control group receiving training in various memory tasks, analogical skills, and logic exercises. After the…

Two individuals with severe mental retardation, participants in a supported employment program, were taught to use self-instruction in combination with multiple exemplar training to solve work-related problems. Use of the combined strategy resulted in generalization of self-instruction statements and correct responses to untrained problem…