Problem-solving Models for Computer Literacy

Book excerpt: This book is intended for use as a student guide. It is about human problem solving and provides information on how the mind works, placing a major emphasis on the role of computers as an aid in problem solving. The book is written with the underlying philosophy of discovery-based learning based on two premises: first, through the appropriate study of the discipline of problem solving, a student can get better at solving both school problems and nonschool problems; second, computers are a powerful aid to problem solving, and a student can get better at solving certain types of problems by learning to make appropriate use of computers. Methodologies that cut across all disciplines--such as journals, learning to learn, metacognition, and modeling--are discussed. The chapters are as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) You Are a Smart Person; (3) What Is a Problem?; (4) A Four-Step Plan for Solving a Problem; (5) Problem-Solving Strategies; (6) Getting Better at Thinking; (7) Transfer of Learning; (8) Modeling; (9) General Purpose Computer Tools; and (10) Computer Systems. A glossary is included. (TMK)