This study investigated novel pedagogies for helping teachers infuse inquiry into a standards-based science curriculum. Using a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) as a pedagogical vehicle, teams of middle-school students collaboratively solved problems around disease in a virtual town called River City. The students interacted with "avatars" of…

A series of studies conducted to identify the factors that block and unblock problem solving is described. Through the construction of an isomorph of the classic "water jar" problems developed by A. S. Luchins (1942) as a dynamic graphic micro-world, several factors involved in producing blocked states were identified. Subjects included…

The most common mode for the use of computers in education is for the student to be directed by the programed stimulus of the computer. This method has failed to solve the long-standing problems of education. The author suggests that the time-shared computer assisted instruction console should be used as a problem-solving tool for the student. He…

In order to provide high school students with general problem-solving skills, two LOGO computer-assisted instruction units were developed--one on the methods and strategies for solution and a second on the relation between formal and informal representations of problems. In both cases specific problem contexts were used to give definition and…

Computer assisted learning, (CAL) which embodies an interactive approach to learning, is distinguished from computer assisted instruction, and the usefulness of CAL with mildly handicapped students is considered. A project is described in which eight special education students used Turtle Graphics for developing thinking and problem solving…

Field review of four problem-solving software programs (Memory Castle, The Pond, King's Rule, and Puzzle Tanks) are reported. Although the software was generally successful in completing its objectives, some recommendations are made for better adapting them to the needs of learning disabled students. (CL)

Proposes activity theory as a framework for student project work that is a form of open-ended contextual activity-based learning emphasizing problem solving as a collaborative effort. Topics include project work from a Vygotskian perspective of activity theory; and the design of a prototype for Web-based project work. (LRW)

In order to facilitate the transition from learning from worked examples in earlier stages of skill acquisition to problem solving in later stages, it is effective to successively fade out worked solution steps--in comparison to the traditional method of employing example--problem pairs that is frequently used in cognitive-load research. In the…

This paper is based on the experience acquired in teaching materials science/engineering to first year university students. It has been observed that students struggle with some of the fundamental materials concepts addressed in the module/course. This applies to delivered lectures but extends to the incorporation of tutorial sessions provided…

This article begins with a comparison of two groups of teachers, working on the same tasks in Analytic Geometry. One group has only basic experience in CAS-assisted problem solving, and the other group has extensive experience. The comparison is discussed in terms of the interplay between reflection, operative knowledge and execution. The findings…

This paper reports on an ongoing project to develop an "eLingua" Latin language-learning application that combines natural-language text-input with computer game-based approaches to discovery learning. The program aims to create a content-based immersive environment within which to test the hypothesis that second-language learning is more…

The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of interactivity to a computer-based learning package enhances the learning process. A sample of 33 (22 male and 11 female) undergraduates on a Business and Management degree used a multimedia system to learn about the operation of a bicycle pump. The system consisted of a labelled…

The Math Forum Problems of the Week Library is designed to leverage the power of interactive technology to hold student interest while increasing their success as strategic thinkers. The Math Forum Library is an online source of non-routine challenges in which problem solving and mathematical communication are key elements of every problem. This…