This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module examines the geography of human activities that produce the major…

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module introduces the complexities in the relationships among environmental…

This study explored the use of an inquiry-based interactive multimedia program to identify the process by which students' higher order thinking skills developed in a science classroom. Videotapes of students' interactions with computers were analyzed to identify the use of higher order thinking skills. The Macintosh multimedia research package…

The president of the school board of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Illinois mandated that the Student Assessment unit provide training for all CPS teachers on how to help their students score higher on standardized tests. This paper describes the two books developed as training materials and their preparation. The first step was a literature…

This two volume collection of proceedings contains working group reports, research reports, oral reports, poster session reports and discussion group reports presented at PME-NA 21. Only the plenary and research reports are full reports; the others are brief abstracts. Full reports include: (1) "Representation, Vision and Visualization:…

The ability to understand and frame problems encountered in practice is a critical skill for school leaders. This paper reports on a study that inquired about the teaching and learning of problem-framing skills in the Prospective Principals Program at Stanford University, a preparation program for school administrators that relies on problem-based…

This book shows students how to increase their power to analyze problems and comprehend what they read. First it outlines and illustrates methods that good problem solvers use in attacking complex ideas, then it provides practice in applying these methods to a variety of comprehension and reasoning questions. The "Whimbey Method" of teaching…

This paper discusses techniques and resources to use to stimulate creativity through a web site for several "generations" of gifted and talented learners. To organize a web site to stimulate creativity, two categories of development issues must be considered: intrinsic person variables, and process variables such as thinking skills,…

Today's highly technical information society is marked by constant change. To be competent, functional, and prepared to deal with the future, students need to be able to analyze, question, and evaluate information critically. Therefore, the educational community has renewed interest in teaching critical thinking. Unfortunately, educational…

This paper uses a theoretical framework for concept mapping as an instance of a learning environment - the knowledge arena - and examines it against an existing framework for active learning called REAL (Rich Environment for Active Learning). The paper is intended to help in the understanding of environments for learning. Section 1 defines a…

This document is a guide for teaching and learning concerning inquiry education. It identifies scientific inquiry in correlation with the National Science Education Standards and discusses the various functions and strategies for assessment. Contents include: (1) Inquiry in Science and in Classrooms; (2) Inquiry in the National Science Education…

The purpose of this project was to examine the levels of achievement and metacognition in expressing mathematics understanding and problem solving processes by students in a second grade classroom when the students used writing in daily mathematics learning according to their scores on a mathematical problem solving assessment and individual…

A review of the literature reveals that obstacles to the successful transfer of basic skills, knowledge, and thinking skills during classroom instructional time differ depending on which of three components of expertise is entailed: conceptual understanding, domain-specific basic skills, or domain-specific strategies. This paper focuses on…

Effective Thinking Outdoors (ETO) is an organization that teaches thinking skills and strategies via significant outdoor experiences. Identifies the three elements of thinking as creativity, play, and persistence; presents a graphic depiction of the problem-solving process and aims; and describes an ETO exercise, determining old routes of travel…

Reports on a study designed to assess the value of the Tailored Response Test (TRT) as a learning device. Results suggest that the TRT, which involves active cognitive processing, has a positive effect on learning and is valuable as an evaluation and a learning tool. (DDR)