Most would agree that the acquisition of problem-solving ability is a primary goal of education. The emergence of the new information technologiesin the last ten years has raised high expectations with respect to the possibilities of the computer as an instructional tool for enhancing students' problem-solving skills. This volume is the first to assemble, review, and discuss the theoretical, methodological, and developmental knowledge relating to this topical issue in a multidisciplinary confrontation of highly recommended experts in cognitive science, computer science, educational technology, and instructional psychology. Contributors describe the most recent results and the most advanced methodological approaches relating to the application of the computer for encouraging knowledge construction, stimulating higher-order thinking and problem solving, and creating powerfullearning environments for pursuing those objectives. The computer applications relate to a variety of content domains and age levels.
This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date look at problem solving research and practice over the last fifteen years. The first chapter describes differences in types of problems, individual differences among problem-solvers, as well as the domain and context within which a problem is being solved. Part one describes six kinds of problems and the methods required to solve them. Part two goes beyond traditional discussions of case design and introduces six different purposes or functions of cases, the building blocks of problem-solving learning environments. It also describes methods for constructing cases to support problem solving. Part three introduces a number of cognitive skills required for studying cases and solving problems. Finally, Part four describes several methods for assessing problem solving. Key features includes: Teaching Focus – The book is not merely a review of research. It also provides specific research-based advice on how to design problem-solving learning environments. Illustrative Cases – A rich array of cases illustrates how to build problem-solving learning environments. Part two introduces six different functions of cases and also describes the parameters of a case. Chapter Integration – Key theories and concepts are addressed across chapters and links to other chapters are made explicit. The idea is to show how different kinds of problems, cases, skills, and assessments are integrated. Author expertise – A prolific researcher and writer, the author has been researching and publishing books and articles on learning to solve problems for the past fifteen years. This book is appropriate for advanced courses in instructional design and technology, science education, applied cognitive psychology, thinking and reasoning, and educational psychology. Instructional designers, especially those involved in designing problem-based learning, as well as curriculum designers who seek new ways of structuring curriculum will find it an invaluable reference tool.
One side-effect of having made great leaps in computing over the last few decades, is the resulting over-abundance in software tools created to solve the diverse problems. Problem solving with computers has, in consequence, become more demanding; instead of focusing on the problem when conceptualizing strategies to solve them, users are side-tracked by the pursuit of even more programming tools (as available).Computer-Based Problem Solving Process is a work intended to offer a systematic treatment to the theory and practice of designing, implementing, and using software tools during the problem solving process. This method is obtained by enabling computer systems to be more Intuitive with human logic rather than machine logic. Instead of software dedicated to computer experts, the author advocates an approach dedicated to computer users in general. This approach does not require users to have an advanced computer education, though it does advocate a deeper education of the computer user in his or her problem domain logic.This book is intended for system software teachers, designers and implementers of various aspects of system software, as well as readers who have made computers a part of their day-today problem solving.
Over the past century, educational psychologists and researchers have posited many theories to explain how individuals learn, i.e. how they acquire, organize and deploy knowledge and skills. The 20th century can be considered the century of psychology on learning and related fields of interest (such as motivation, cognition, metacognition etc.) and it is fascinating to see the various mainstreams of learning, remembered and forgotten over the 20th century and note that basic assumptions of early theories survived several paradigm shifts of psychology and epistemology. Beyond folk psychology and its naïve theories of learning, psychological learning theories can be grouped into some basic categories, such as behaviorist learning theories, connectionist learning theories, cognitive learning theories, constructivist learning theories, and social learning theories. Learning theories are not limited to psychology and related fields of interest but rather we can find the topic of learning in various disciplines, such as philosophy and epistemology, education, information science, biology, and – as a result of the emergence of computer technologies – especially also in the field of computer sciences and artificial intelligence. As a consequence, machine learning struck a chord in the 1980s and became an important field of the learning sciences in general. As the learning sciences became more specialized and complex, the various fields of interest were widely spread and separated from each other; as a consequence, even presently, there is no comprehensive overview of the sciences of learning or the central theoretical concepts and vocabulary on which researchers rely. The Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning provides an up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the specific terms mostly used in the sciences of learning and its related fields, including relevant areas of instruction, pedagogy, cognitive sciences, and especially machine learning and knowledge engineering. This modern compendium will be an indispensable source of information for scientists, educators, engineers, and technical staff active in all fields of learning. More specifically, the Encyclopedia provides fast access to the most relevant theoretical terms provides up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the most important theories within the various fields of the learning sciences and adjacent sciences and communication technologies; supplies clear and precise explanations of the theoretical terms, cross-references to related entries and up-to-date references to important research and publications. The Encyclopedia also contains biographical entries of individuals who have substantially contributed to the sciences of learning; the entries are written by a distinguished panel of researchers in the various fields of the learning sciences.
First released in the Spring of 1999, How People Learn has been expanded to show how the theories and insights from the original book can translate into actions and practice, now making a real connection between classroom activities and learning behavior. This edition includes far-reaching suggestions for research that could increase the impact that classroom teaching has on actual learning. Like the original edition, this book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain that provides answers to a number of compelling questions. When do infants begin to learn? How do experts learn and how is this different from non-experts? What can teachers and schools do-with curricula, classroom settings, and teaching methodsâ€"to help children learn most effectively? New evidence from many branches of science has significantly added to our understanding of what it means to know, from the neural processes that occur during learning to the influence of culture on what people see and absorb. How People Learn examines these findings and their implications for what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess what our children learn. The book uses exemplary teaching to illustrate how approaches based on what we now know result in in-depth learning. This new knowledge calls into question concepts and practices firmly entrenched in our current education system. Topics include: How learning actually changes the physical structure of the brain. How existing knowledge affects what people notice and how they learn. What the thought processes of experts tell us about how to teach. The amazing learning potential of infants. The relationship of classroom learning and everyday settings of community and workplace. Learning needs and opportunities for teachers. A realistic look at the role of technology in education.
In most schools the dominant supporting technology has been either the stand-alone personal computer or a modest local network. The situation is changing rapidly as a rising number of schools provide access to the Internet for their staff and pupils, opening avenues for communication and networking hitherto not possible. This book reflects on this change. It aims to further the vision of how these new technologies could improve and transform aspects of education. Yet in parallel it asks serious questions about the realities of an interface between the social, cultural and pedagogical contexts of education and the actual affordances that these new information and communication technologies offer. The chapters in this book provide a heady mix of foresight and practical reporting, of planning for the future but at the same time respecting the problems education already has with current technologies. The richness of the points presented here stems in part from the range of experience of the international authors - from academics and administrators, to teachers and curriculum designers. This mix ensures that the central questions on communications and networking in education are considered not simply from a variety of personal perspectives, but also from different cultural and environmental experiences. And yet interest also lies in the commonality of reporting and discussion based on activity in the field. All the contributions draw heavily on research and experience in devising and running projects and experimental activities in a range of schools and teacher-training institutions and environments. The opinions expressed are thus grounded in knowledge gained from work embedded in the reality of today's educational settings. This must be the only sound base upon which to consider the issues of the future. This book is essential reading for all professionals involved in all aspects of information and communication technologies in education. Teachers, lecturers, researchers, students and administrators will find it invaluable.
The present volume contains a large number of the papers contributed to the Advanced Study Institute on the Psychological and Educational Foundations of Technology-Based Learning Environments, which took place in Crete in the summer of 1992. The purpose of the Advanced Study Institute was to bring together a small number of senior lecturers and advanced graduate students to investigate and discuss the psychological and educational foundations of technology-based learning environments and to draw the implications of recent research findings in the area of cognitive science for the development of educational technology. As is apparent from the diverse nature of the contributions included in this volume, the participants at the ASI came from different backgrounds and looked at the construction of technology -based learning environments from rather diverse points of view. Despite the diversity, a surprising degree of overlap and agreement was achieved. Most of the contributors agreed that the kinds of technology-supported learning environments we should construct should stimulate students to be active and constructive in their knowledge-building efforts, embed learning in meaningful and authentic activities, encourage collaboration and social interaction, and take into consideration students' prior knowledge and beliefs.
In recent years, the use of technology for the purposes of improving and enriching traditional instructional practices has received a great deal of attention. However, few works have explicitly examined cognitive, psychological, and educational principles on which technology-supported learning environments are based. This volume attempts to cover the need for a thorough theoretical analysis and discussion of the principles of system design that underlie the construction of technology-enhanced learning environments. It presents examples of technology-supported learning environments that cover a broad range of content domains, from the physical sciences and mathematics to the teaching of language and literacy. The emphasis in this book is not on the design of educational software but on the design of learning environments. A great deal of research on learning and instruction has recently moved out of the laboratory into the design of applications in instructional settings. By designing technology-supported learning environments instructional scientists attempt to better understand the theories and principles that are explicit in their theories of learning. The contributors to this volume examine how factors such as social interaction, the creation of meaningful activities, the use of multiple perspectives, and the construction of concrete representations influence the acquisition of new information and transfer.
The idea for this book grew out of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at the Catholic University at Leuven, Belgium. We are grateful to NATO for support in conducting this workshop and for support in the preparation of this book. We are particularly grateful for their emphasis on designing the workshop to build collegiality. They suggested that we hold the meeting in a small town and that we organize evening activities to keep the group together and to promote informal and extended discussions. What sage advice. The excitement grew over the three days as we shared understandings and enriched our perspectives. Indeed, there was even a proclaimed "near" conversion to a constructivist perspective from one colleague trained in traditional instructional design methods. While we report this as a bit of a humorous anecdote, it most clearly reflects the sense of excitement that developed. We would also like to thank the staff at the Catholic University for their great support during the workshop. Their efforts and their good cheer were important components in the success of the meeting. In particular we would like to thank Jan Elen, Catherine Vermunicht and Jef Vanden Branden. Finally we would like to thank the personnel at Indiana University for their help in assembling this book. Deborah Shaw prepared the index. We thank her for the skill and speed with which she was able to work.
Visual multimedia applications integrate animation, sound, graphics, and video to create an engaging, interactive, and effective learning environment. Such software allows students to exercise more control over the pacing and sequencing of their own learning. With the availability of more sophisticated computers, the potential to employ multimedia has grown tremendously. Advanced Technology-Assisted Problem Solving in Engineering Education: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a critical scholarly publication that examines the development and use of interactive multimedia and mixed reality applications that are used to support engineering pedagogy and curriculum. Containing leading international findings, this advanced publication delivers quality research using learning and consultancy for developing tactics to decipher dilemmas within the field. Highlighting a range of topics such as data analysis, augmented reality, and multimedia, this book is ideal for educators, engineers, curriculum designers, educational software developers, IT consultants, researchers, academicians, and students.
