Reports a study which identified different problem-solving strategies among Hong Kong high school chemistry students. Finds that student experts employed a recognition plus a working forwards strategy, whereas student novices attempted a means-end analysis to create a solution procedure. Comparisons were made with problem-solving in physics. (GG)

Integrating art into the curriculum engages most students, enhances their creative expression, and benefits them academically. Even bored, rebellious, and unmotivated students respond to the arts. Elliot Eisner and other discipline-based art education proponents feel the arts are central to enjoyable learning. Exemplary K-12 programs are…

Compares 7 biology faculty members, 9 genetic counselors, and 26 undergraduate students according to both expertise and problem-solving success within the domain of genetics. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that as expertise is attained, the individual restructures knowledge into a framework based upon the critical dimensions which…

Discusses definitions of problem solving, sources of real problems, selection of data for use in problems, developing strategies for solving, and deciding when solutions are acceptable. (MKR)

Reviews research indicating that students' cognitive models hold random events to be equiprobable Examined 87 students between the ages of 15 and 17 to determine whether masking a random event using geometric figures would affect the students' view of the event as equiprobable. Results indicated that masking overcame the equiprobable bias of the…

Fifty junior high school students were compared on achievement subtests requiring either analytic/convergent or holistic/divergent cognitive processing. Underachievers performed as well as achievers on tasks requiring holistic processing but did not perform as well on detailed or computational tasks requiring precision, attention to detail, and/or…

Describes an activity that was adapted from the Chemical Industry Education Center (CIEC) materials for use with special-needs students. The activity, "Transporting Chocolate," addresses a real-world problem and makes use of multisensory contexts to maximize the student's capabilities while minimizing limitations. (WRM)

Introduces a study that identifies which learning styles are prevalent in biology majors. Uses the findings of the study to design a microbiology course. Presents activities that address the different learning styles. Uses self-assessment and portfolios for student evaluation. Includes recommendations for instructional improvement. (Contains 19…

This paper summarizes a research project conducted to investigate the strategies developed by middle school students to solve a route-finding problem using Arc View GIS software. Three different types of route-finding strategies were identified. Some students were visual route-finders and used a highly visual strategy; others were logical route…

This paper investigates the learning behaviour, learning environment and learning outcomes of Hong Kong Chinese students enrolled on an Australian university's Bachelor of Business degree course taught by visiting Australian lecturers in Hong Kong. The Chinese students are task-focused and passive learners. They do not demonstrate creative…

Games have long been used as instructional tools, but actual research examining that concept has been sparse. Increased sophistication and lower cost in hardware and software for personal computers has created a budding movement to incorporate computer games into learning environments. This paper discusses criteria for selecting an instructional…

An important mandate of higher education is to provide students with the skills and strategies required to become self-regulating lifelong learners. This paper analyzes and interprets data gathered from two instructional settings both of which have been structured to promote self-regulated or self-directed learning. It includes an interpretation…

The effect on algebra achievement of college students of using a specific study method, algebra notecards, was examined. Whether achievement differed for adult learners and traditional college students, and the interaction between the study method and the status of the learner were also investigated. The research was conducted at the University of…

To reduce disciplinary cases without using suspension or alienating teachers and parents is a challenging task for principals. Forcing teachers to tolerate unruly student behavior is no solution. When both teachers and principals experience failure in eliciting desirable student attitudes and behavior, some relief measures are appropriate. This…

The present study was designed to test how well the measures of the cognitive constructs of M-space, cognitive style, and short-term storage space (STSS) could predict the amount of practice needed to induce successful problem solving behaviors, the ability to transfer behaviors to different contexts, and the readiness to abandon unsuccessful…