Problem solving, both theoretical and practical, is the underlying skill developed through the physics curriculum. Service-learning has been integrated into engineering curricula, but programs proposed for that field often do not fit well into the structure of physics departments. A consultant-based approach to service-learning offers physics…

A need has emerged in the curriculum for more teamwork experience, for the development of better communication and critical thinking skills, and for the acquisition of specialized knowledge. A focus on the processes by which problems are solved has served our discipline well and can continue to serve us if in the classroom we make appropriate…

Designed to expose high school students to an alternative method of conflict resolution, this lesson revolves around the Indian movement for independence from Great Britain and the principles of non-violence advocated by Mahatma Gandhi which helped make that movement successful. The activities presented are designed to fit into a general world…

This report examines cooperative learning in the Central Elementary School, a special demonstration school in a cooperative project between the Snohomish, Washington School District and Western Washington State University. After reporting the research findings on cooperative learning approaches identified in "Effective Schooling Practices: A…

An educational program was developed to assist family groups with adolescent diabetics to improve their problem-solving skills. The program is based on theoretical assumptions and research findings from a study of family problem-solving, which involved nine intact, well-functioning families (five families with a diabetic adolescent and four…

This chapter explains how the Guided Design method of teaching can be used to solve problems, and how this method was used in the development of a new method of teaching. Called the Feedback Lecture, this method is illustrated through an example, and research data on its effectiveness is presented. The Guided Decision-Making Process is also…

Based on a workshop presented by Charles Wales, a guided design project was developed for a junior mechanical design class at California State University-Chico. This course involves lectures on the design process and an extension of the basic mechanics of materials concepts, particularly as related to design and prevention of failure. The…

Argumentation courses, which emphasize the theories of argumentation, and debate courses, which teach competitive debate, can effectively teach critical thinking, training students to see situations from a variety of perspectives and then to evaluate those perspectives for their relative merit. William G. Perry maps out nine stages by which…

Although simulation is among the least common of the many methods consultants employ to stimulate team development, realistic simulation can help in the diagnosis of management teams. Simulations fill a gap in the repertoire of data collection methods for organizational diagnosis and development by affording an opportunity for direct observation…

A step-by-step explanation is provided of SOLVE (Solutions, Outcomes, Liabilities, Values, and Evaluations), a method for resolving moral problems to satisfy others as well as the individual conscience. As indicated in introductory comments, SOLVE separates moral dilemmas into their constituent parts. Each moral problem has a number of…

References on problem solving are categorized and annotated in this document. The philosophy of problem solving, especially its meaning and its implications for the mathematics curriculum, are examined in references included in the first section. In the second section, references on different strategies and techniques of problem solving that…

Rural gifted students are often characterized in the literature as sharing many of the needs and problems of other culturally diverse groups. They are viewed as having problems related to self-esteem, level of aspiration, and frustration with an instructional program which often fails to provide for learning relevant to the students' interests and…

This document was initiated with the collection of 150 questions in telephone interviews of a national sampling of junior high school and high school teachers. A Mathematics Consultant Panel reviewed the questions, and selected topics were developed, for which there were research bases for answers. The material covers: (1) Effective Mathematics…

An innovative teaching method used in a theories of personality class at Eastern New Mexico University is described. The objectives of this method were to foster growth in creativity among students by involving them in creative activities or experiential sessions and to test for improvement in student creativity scores. The following procedure was…

This document consists of two major parts. The first, titled Initial Comments, discusses the motivation for creating this material, provides a list of minimal characteristics in calculators for various educational levels, notes a number of basic assumptions on calculator use, and discusses curriculum concerns regarding effects of calculators. The…