This survey book reviews four interrelated areas: (i) the relevance of heuristics in problem-solving approaches – why they are important and what research tells us about their use; (ii) the need to characterize and foster creative problem-solving approaches – what type of heuristics helps learners devise and practice creative solutions; (iii) the importance that learners formulate and pursue their own problems; and iv) the role played by the use of both multiple-purpose and ad hoc mathematical action types of technologies in problem-solving contexts – what ways of reasoning learners construct when they rely on the use of digital technologies, and how technology and technology approaches can be reconciled.
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.
First Published in 1986. This book is intended for those people who are interested in how mathematics is learned. It is intended especially for those who are interested in the mental processes involved in becoming mathematically competent and the mental processes that inhibit such competency from developing. The volume opens with an overview of the issue and then traces the relationships between conceptual and procedural knowledge in mathematics from preschool days through the years of formal schooling. Mathematics educators and cognitive psychologists from a variety of perspectives contribute theoretical arguments and empirical data to illuminate the nature of the relationships and, in tum, the nature of mathematics learning.
Problem Solving for Teaching and Learning explores the importance of problem solving to learning in everyday personal and social contexts. This book is divided into four sections: Setting the scene; Conceptualising problem solving; Teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about problem solving; and Fostering students’ problem-solving capabilities, allowing readers to gain an insight into the various sub-topics that problem solving in learning and teaching introduce. Drawing together diverse perspectives on problem solving located in a variety of educational settings, this book explores problem solving theory, including its cognitive architecture, as well as attending to its translation into teaching and learning in a range of settings, such as education and social environments. This book also suggests how effective problem-solving activities can be incorporated more explicitly in learning and teaching and examines the benefits of this approach. The ideas developed in Problem Solving for Teaching and Learning will act as a catalyst for transforming practices in teaching, learning, and social engagement in formal and informal educational settings, making this book an essential read for education academics and students specialising in cognitive psychology, educational psychology, and problem solving.
Since teaching is a practical activity, efficient problem-solving skill is one of the fundamental competencies teachers need to possess. All teachers face challenging school situations during teaching-learning process no matter where they teach or since when. Despite similarities appearing on the surface, every school situation is unique and depends on several internal and external factors that should have been taken into account. Therefore, in many problematic cases it is not enough to deal with the symptoms, but teachers need to go deeper. This book provides a theoretical and practical background for this step-by-step problem solving-oriented thinking process. The practical activities can help teachers to frame and identify their challenges, to analyse the cause and effect of their situation, and also to find their own solutions and strategies. The material in this book can be used in pre-service or in-service teacher training that deal with pedagogic cases, or challenges of teaching and learning processes. However, most of the tools can also be used individually by teachers at any stage of their career, including any type of compulsory education, thanks to the clear description of each technique.
Solving non-routine problems is a key competence in a world full of changes, uncertainty and surprise where we strive to achieve so many ambitious goals. But the world is also full of solutions because of the extraordinary competences of humans who search for and find them.
Praise for The Teaching Portfolio "This new edition of a classic text has added invaluable, immediately useful material. It's a must-read for faculty, department chairs, and academic administrators." —Irene W. D. Hecht, director, Department Leadership Programs, American Council on Education "This book offers a wealth of wisdom and materials. It contains essential knowledge, salient advice, and an immediately useful model for faculty engaged in promotion or tenure." —Raymond L. Calabrese, professor of educational administration, The Ohio State University "The Teaching Portfolio provides the guidelines and models that faculty need to prepare quality portfolios, plus the standards and practices required to evaluate them." —Linda B. Nilson, director, Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation, Clemson University "Focused on reflection, sound assessment, and collaboration, this inspiring and practical book should be read by every graduate student, faculty member, and administrator." —John Zubizarreta, professor of English, Columbia College "All the expanded and new sections of this book add real value, but administrators and review committees will clearly benefit from the new section on how to evaluate portfolios with a validated template." —Barbara Hornum, director, Center for Academic Excellence, Drexel University "This book is practical, insightful, and immediately useful. It's an essential resource for faculty seeking promotion/tenure or who want to improve their teaching." —Michele Stocker-Barkley, faculty, Department of Psychology, Kishwaukee Community College "The Teaching Portfolio has much to say to teachers of all ranks, disciplines, and institutions. It offers a rich compendium of practical guidelines, examples, and resources." —Mary Deane Sorcinelli, Associate Provost for Faculty Development, University of Massachusetts Amherst "Teaching portfolios help our Board on Rank and Tenure really understand the quality and value of individual teaching contributions." —Martha L. Wharton, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity, Loyola University, Maryland
Chemical education is essential to everybody because it deals with ideas that play major roles in personal, social, and economic decisions. This book is based on three principles: that all aspects of chemical education should be associated with research; that the development of opportunities for chemical education should be both a continuous process and be linked to research; and that the professional development of all those associated with chemical education should make extensive and diverse use of that research. It is intended for: pre-service and practising chemistry teachers and lecturers; chemistry teacher educators; chemical education researchers; the designers and managers of formal chemical curricula; informal chemical educators; authors of textbooks and curriculum support materials; practising chemists and chemical technologists. It addresses: the relation between chemistry and chemical education; curricula for chemical education; teaching and learning about chemical compounds and chemical change; the development of teachers; the development of chemical education as a field of enquiry. This is mainly done in respect of the full range of formal education contexts (schools, universities, vocational colleges) but also in respect of informal education contexts (books, science centres and museums).
A provocative collection of papers containing comprehensive reviews of previous research, teaching techniques, and pointers for direction of future study. Provides both a comprehensive assessment of the latest research on mathematical problem solving, with special emphasis on its teaching, and an attempt to increase communication across the active disciplines in this area.
