Examines the writings of Burbules and Young, two major educational theorists committed to promoting and understanding the practice of dialogue in educational contexts, focusing on Jurgen Habermas's theory of communicative action. Their works have shown the necessity for researchers to move across disciplinary boundaries and developing theories of…

Maintains that undergraduate psychology curricula almost always include one or more required experimental courses. Describes the use of the human subjects review process as a method of stimulating critical thinking. Discusses questions posed by the review process and classroom applications of the approach. (CFR)

Discussion of differences between problem-solving techniques of novices and experts suggests that both the experts' mental model and common novice problems can be derived from analyses of several expert and novice protocols. Three instructional strategies based on these differences are discussed, including the use of a computer simulation to solve…

Presents four cases of real-world probabilistic situations to promote more effective teaching of probability. Calculates the probability of obtaining six of six different prizes successively in six, seven, eight, and nine boxes of cereal, generalizes the problem to n boxes of cereal, and offers suggestions to extend the problem. (MDH)

Reports observations of primary teachers (n=14) efforts to provide activity-based lessons for their pupils. Teachers' beliefs that their lessons were student-centered were not confirmed by the observations of the lessons. Discusses implications of the findings for inservice teacher education and parental involvement. (MDH)

Presents examples of questions and answers arising from a hands-on and exploratory approach to discrete mathematics using cuisenaire rods. Combinatorial questions about trains formed of cuisenaire rods provide the setting for discovering numerical patterns by experimentation and organizing the results using induction and successive differences.…

Offers calculus students and teachers the opportunity to motivate and discover the first Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) in an experimental, experiential, inductive, intuitive, vernacular-based manner. Starting from the observation that a distance traveled at a constant speed corresponds to the area inside a rectangle, the FTC is discovered,…

Discusses problem-solving evaluation methods and describes the development of an instrument to evaluate an individual's problem-solving processes. Provides an example of the instrument. (MDH)

In 2 experiments, 280 college students studied animations depicting a mechanical operation with concurrent oral narration of the process, successive animation and narration, animation alone, narration alone, or no instruction (the control group). Results are consistent with a dual coding model of retention and problem solving. (SLD)

Reports on a study of the effects of computer-simulated experiments (CSE), problem solving, and conventional approaches on high school students' chemistry achievement, science process skills, and attitudes toward chemistry. Testing indicated CSE and problem solving produced greater achievement in chemistry and science process skills. CSE produced…

Nine articles discuss research on cooperative learning with computers and how student interactions at the computer facilitate learning. Current research on cooperative learning methods and computer-assisted learning; and microcomputer-based group problem solving, social-cognitive behaviors, higher order thinking, interdependence, autonomy,…

This article, which is organized around a single, well-known algorithm for root extraction, presents a way of incorporating dynamical systems into the teaching of mathematics. Included are sample exercises using complex numbers and the computer where students have the opportunity to do some analysis on this algorithm. (KR)

Various ways in which computers can be used in the classroom depending on the subject, students' background, and individual teaching style are discussed. A way to evaluate professional software packages for use in the classroom is included. (KR)

The programing language PROLOG is compared to LOGO in terms of its ability to handle mathematical ideas. This is demonstrated by using PROLOG in solving a geometric theorem and two lemmas. The listings of the computer programs used to solve the problems are included. (KR)

Points out the centrality of imagery in the educational process and argues that images from the Exile period of Hebrew history could provide analogies and metaphors for study of the current ecological crisis. Explores parallels between these historical eras. Urges humans to see themselves as connected to nature rather than dominating nature. (DB)