This paper describes an approach to task analysis which seeks to identify potential sources of difficulty in the self-discovery of improved procedures by students who have been taught simpler procedures. The approach considers novices' procedures in terms of the changes needed to produce an expert procedure; the knowledge required to make those…

A computer-based curricular package was developed to teach elementary school students to solve arithmetic word problems and to teach problem solving skills applicable to situations not involving word problems. An information processing model for solving word problems was used to sequence the problems. Pilot test results with five students…

The concept of an algorithm derives from the physical sciences, but it has often been misunderstood and misapplied in the social sciences and in education. The theoretical and practical significance of algorithms stems from their applicability to problems of learning, instruction, and instructional design, and they may potentially provide the…

Addressed to both librarians and systems analysts, this book attempts to apply the analytic methods of operations research and systems analysis to the operating problems of the library. The first part of the book discusses theoretical models with emphasis on the pattern of book use, on its change with time and on the problem of estimating and…

The purpose of this study was to formulate a linear programming model to simulate a foundation type support program and to apply this model to a state support program for the public elementary and secondary school districts in the State of Iowa. The model was successful in producing optimal solutions to five objective functions proposed for…

A discussion is given of the formative evaluation process as it was conceptualized and conducted to assess a R&D training program under development. Included are a discussion of the evaluation context, the evaluation model, the procedures and instruments developed and implemented and their success, the types of evaluation problems encountered…

The objectives of this project to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of American Indian education through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) were (1) a system analysis of the BIA schools to identify educational goals and objectives and the critical factors contributing to or impeding eeducational effectiveness in achieving the goals; (2)…

The general purposes of a model are discussed, then seven papers are presented which demonstrate several different facets of the problems associated with constructing and using models of mathematics learning. In the first paper, the task addressed concerns how to incorporate developmental psychology into perceptions of what is happening in the…

Noting that mathematical modeling is a relatively new phenomenon in higher education and that much can be learned from the misdirections and mistakes that characterize modeling in general, the author describes major criticisms of modeling and suggests improvements, particularly in communication between modelers and potential model users. (JT)

Using a model for higher education, the author explores the relationship between planning and university autonomy. He examines how the two imperatives can be satisfied at the same time. (Author/AV)

This theory takes in concepts of a "decision" and the decision-making process. The process model has three parts: (1) personal and situational variables, (2) decision behavior modes, and (3) decision procedures. Emphasis is placed on the influence of personal values in decision making. Implications for adult education research are drawn.…

The purpose of this paper is to present problems (and solutions) from the areas of marketing, population planning, system reliability, and mathematics to show how a computer simulation can be used as a problem-solving strategy in probability. Examples using BASIC and two methods of generating random numbers are given. (Author/MP)

Describes a learning activity when students construct a model of a buried valley by using computer assistance. Explanation of the problem includes mathematical models and illustrations. (MA)

This model of consultation is a process of highly structured consensus for decision making. The consultant provides a framework for generating plans and solutions. The weakest link in consultation appears to be research and evaluation. Infusing consulting interns and university professors into internal operations will result in better evaluation…

Discusses an experiment designed to give students a feel for the way in which theoretical models evolve. Students are given a system unknown to them and asked to develop a consistent model which fully explains all their observations on the system. (Author/GA)