An activity in which students use a rubber band and flexible straws to pull a dynamics cart so that the cart has a consistent angle and, therefore, a consistent horizontal component of force is described. A copy of the handout for the activity is included. (KR)

Three gifted and three learning-disabled gifted students (ages 13-15) viewed themselves on videotape solving mathematical problems and responded to questions pertaining to their problem-solving strategies. The non-learning-disabled students applied substantially more cognitive and metacognitive knowledge to the problem-solving task. (Author/DB)

Investigated the effect of children's problem schemata and working memory span on the accuracy of children's solutions of arithmetic word problems. Results supported the hypothesis that the amount of working memory resources activated is independent of schemata activation, and indicated a weak relationship between memory and problem-solving…

Reviews recent research related to metacognition and mathematical problem-solving performance. Offers suggestions for classroom activities to teach the skills of metacognition (i.e., plan, monitor, and evaluate thinking) in the context of mathematics. Offers instructor observations and students' self-evaluations about the types of metacognitive…

Students with language and learning disabilities may have difficulty solving mathematics word problems. Use of a sequential checklist, identifying clues and keywords, and illustrating a problem can all help the student identify and implement the correct computational process. (DB)

Except for its relationship to science, mathematics is the forgotten cousin in interdisciplinary teaching and learning. In the Journeys in Mathematics project, teachers engage children in imaginative activities that inspire them to identify patterns and relationships, solve problems, and communicate accurately, using Jonathan Swift's…

Describes the Workplace Literacy Project which teaches mathematics to remedial and special education secondary students through a combination of conceptual approaches and problem-solving exercises anchored in the students' world. The approach also incorporates the use of calculators and computer software such as spreadsheets. (DB)

Presents evidence indicating that spontaneously generated analogies can play a significant role in expert problem solving. Focuses on an evaluation strategy known as bridging that has been observed in solutions to both science and mathematics problems. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Examines the problem solving characteristics, strategy selection and use, and verification actions of African-American eighth-grade students (N=24). Indicates that students displayed approaches attributed to African-American learners, specifically the regular use of holistic reasoning. Concludes that success was correlated highly with strategy…

Uses a traditional approach with problem solving, a concrete approach with manipulatives, and a visual approach with computer spreadsheets to teach the arithmetic mean to 22 children in grades 4-6 in three multiage groups. Differences among pretest, posttest, and interview performances suggest some advantage to the use of a visual instructional…

Comparison of the effectiveness of two computerized environments, Schemes for Problem Analysis (SPA) and Algebraic Proposer (AP), with two sixth-grade classes found that in solving easy word problems, both software systems were equally helpful, but in harder word problems, those students who learned with SPA experienced more success than those who…

Investigated problem-solving methods used by 3 sixth-graders working on a variety of mathematics problems over the school year. Found that the students used different strategies: one used visual strategies, one a more verbal approach, and the third a combination of the two. Over time, all three moved toward more nonvisual, verbal/analytic forms of…

This study investigated whether undergraduate students encode spurious correlations in memory and exhibit them during the learning process leading to ineffectual problem solving. Findings suggested that even experienced students relied on surface-structure feature-algorithm correlations for solving new problems. Findings pose implications for…

Pilots and evaluates a math activity initially utilizing M&Ms as manipulatives, then progressing to computer software math activities, in five early childhood classrooms. Concludes that there were no significant differences between learning tasks, monolingual students vs. bilingual students, and manipulative (hands-off) activities vs. computer…

Examines 16 high school computer textbooks used in Taiwan with an attempt to analyze the nature and the presentation styles of programming examples in them. Concludes that presentation of programming examples in most of the analyzed textbooks lacked a detailed explanation of some of the problem-solving steps. (Contains 26 references.) (Author/ASK)