The present study attempted to elicit covert verbalization with a bit more assurance, as compared to Gagne and Smith, and to compare the effects of instructions to covertly verbalize with instructions to talk out loud while solving problems. (Author/MS)

Twenty gifted learners (11 years old) demonstrated performance superior to 20 average age matched learners on problem solving tasks related to memory and attention, but not on all measures related to performance efficiency and strategy selection. Average Ss used significantly more advanced strategies when continued access to feedback was…

Presents responses to the Stair Skipping problem that appeared in the April, 2000 issue of this journal. (KHR)

The research on worked examples has shown that for novices, studying worked examples is often a more effective and efficient way of learning than solving conventional problems. This theoretical paper argues that adding process-oriented information to worked examples can further enhance transfer performance, especially for complex cognitive skills…

In the mathematics education literature, there is currently a debate about the mechanisms by which group discussion can contribute to mathematical learning and under what conditions this learning is likely to occur. In this paper, we contribute to this debate by illustrating three learning opportunities that group discussions can create. In…

In the late seventies, Guy Brousseau set himself the goal of verifying experimentally a theory he had been building up for a number of years. The theory, consistent with what was later named (non-radical) constructivism, was that children, in suitable carefully arranged circumstances, can build their own knowledge of mathematics. The experiment,…

The authors use proven cognitive and learning principles and recent developments in the field of educational psychology to teach the concept of the sampling distribution of the mean, which is arguably one of the most central concepts in inferential statistics. The proposed pedagogical approach relies on cognitive load, contiguity, and experiential…

Many students who enter colleges and universities seem to be focused on memorizing and regurgitating information rather than on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Mentoring is crucial to help these students transition from the current approach to one that will be successful in college. Successful mentoring requires a…

In this article, the author presents an innovative approach to teaching multiplication facts for children in middle school or younger. After introducing the dangers of some contradictions that persist, relating a brief summary of related research and guidelines regarding math facts and their relation to strategic approaches to more complex math,…

Based on data from eleven thousand faculty members, this study shows that general education courses place greater emphasis on developing intellectual skills, personal and social responsibility, deep approaches to learning, and diverse interactions. In contrast, other courses emphasize practical skills and are linked with greater levels of…

TWO SWITCH-LIGHT PROBLEMS WERE USED TO INVESTIGATE THREE VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE PROBLEM-SOLVING PERFORMANCE--(1) THE NUMBER OF DISTRACTING RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES, (2) THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES, AND (3) THE NUMBER OF MINIMALLY REQUIRED RESPONSES. IN THE PROBLEMS USED, THE SUBJECT ATTEMPTED TO ACHIEVE A PARTICULAR PATTERN OF…

Addressing three related objectives, this paper: identifies characteristics and trends in rural areas which are problematic for the traditional approaches of education and social work; indicates some of the implications of traditional education and social work practice; and specifies how the Guided Design model can address these problematic…

The central purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of distractions in nonverbal problems on the problem solving behavior and performance of young children (grades 1-3) in 6 schools (N=360). Results indicated 66 percent of the subjects were distracted by irrelevant spatial-numerical or color attribute uses. (JC)