The Assessment of Performance Unit recognized the importance of reading and interpreting data but saw them as discrete aspects of "process" science. However, pupil performance on different components of the same data-handling assessment question is often very variable, indicating that these questions carry "hidden" cognitive…

Examines the prospect of facilitating the discovery process for scientific researchers through anticipatory learning that is viewed as critical to the enhancement of intuitive abilities in pattern recognition among researchers. Discusses intuition, metaphorical thinking, and aesthetics as playing significant roles in the development of pattern…

In "Thriving on Chaos," author Tom Peters suggests that future managers will need the quick reactions of video game players. Patient observation may work better. Chaos theory teaches that random happenings cannot be controlled; the toughest, randomly caused problems have no solutions; a leader's vision or moral code cannot be imposed on…

The stochastic interactive activation and competition (SIAC) model of perception is presented and tested using several data sets from previous research. The asymptotic predictions of the SIAC model are compared with those of the fuzzy logical model of perception (FLMP). Evidence favoring the FLMP is reviewed. (SLD)

Presented are 44 examples in which students are invited to guess what pattern of numbers is emerging and to decide whether the pattern will persist. Topics of examples include Pascal's triangle, integers, vertices, Fibonacci numbers, power series, partition functions, and Euler's theorem. The answers to all problems are included. (KR)

Shows that the construction of mental representations that capture a situation based on the comprehension of a diagram are mediated by the possession of appropriate background knowledge. Indicates that background knowledge deficiencies may make it difficult for beginning students of a domain to construct suitable mental representations from…

This paper argues that to talk about organisations learning is to reify and anthropomorphise organisations. Instead of thinking of an organisation as if it were a thing or a person it is closer to experience to think of an organisation as the patterning of peoples' interactions with each other. This paper explores the assumptions that are being…

Charlotte, the author's 11-year-old daughter, was born with Down syndrome, and is currently attending the local middle school. In terms of her disability Charlotte is developing very well and has a reading age of 9+, however her maths skills age is approximately 4 years. It is not necessarily the case that if a child has good language and literacy…

Seriation refers to the process of ordering objects along single or multiple magnitude dimensions such as length, weight, and color. The ability to order objects in terms of some attribute is essential for the child's understanding of the properties of numbers. This study investigated the effect on seriation performance of increasing both the…

Motivated by the brain, neural networks are a right-brained approach to artificial intelligence that is used to recognize patterns based on previous training. In practice, one would not program an expert system to recognize a pattern and one would not train a neural network to make decisions from rules; but one could combine the best features of…

Activities in which students make models of a variety of geometric solids are described. (SD)

Using arrays of dots and grids many numerical concepts can be illustrated for students. (SD)

A game involving operations on whole numbers, observing patterns in the relationships between operands and results, and seeking problems yielding various numerical solutions is described. (SD)

Many concepts can be introduced informally through activities. Among those which can be investigated using easily-made 10-by-10 pegboards are geometric shapes, coordinate systems, grouping and regrouping, and addition of two-place numbers. (SD)

Human behavior shows a variety of serially ordered action sequences. This paper presents a theory of serial order which describes how sequences of actions might be learned and performed. In this theory, parallel interactions across time (coarticulation) and parallel interactions across space (dual-task interference) are viewed as two aspects of a…