Problem solving in science and the laboratory involves a generative process where potential, multiple solutions are developed. The exploratory phase consists of evaluating these multiple options and selecting the best one. The creative phase is the first one (corresponds to hypothesis development) and the critical thinking phase is the exploratory one where the way to test that hypothesis is developed and implemented.  Science students need to understand certain facts, concepts, strategies and procedures and may even  need to address their beliefs about their ability to solve the problem in order to be able to solve a problem successfully.

http://www.education.com/reference/article/problem-solving1/

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2736021/

 

Wendy Carter

http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/teaching-activities/problem-solving/

http://www.education.com/reference/article/problem-solving-strategies-algorithms/

I as a math teacher, lean toward algorithms for solving problems, but I found this interesting regarding the fact that not all problems can be solved using an algorithm.  The portion that grabbed my attention was this paragraph. The real world problems that require a different thought process. And may not be albe to actually come to a conclusion.

Problem-Solving and Indirect Instruction

I thought it was interesting to see how problem-solving can be nested within other Indirect Instructional strategies. The link shows how the Saskatoon, SK school district has done so.  http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/pd/instr/indirect.html

Polya

Hungarian mathematician George Polya is famous (in the math community anyway) for his book How to Solve Anything wherein he devises strategies for successful problem solving.

http://www.math.utah.edu/~pa/math/polya.html

Two Articles about Problem Solving

1.  Here's a great article about Creativity with some interesting puzzle and riddle exercises: http://99u.com/articles/7160/test-your-creativity-5-classic-creative-challenges  I'm interested in this sort of thing because I am considering a problem solving unit in 9th grade.  The students would have some options of problems to solve and then they would write about their process. Additionally, they would give the puzzles/problems to others and write about how that went.

2. Here is an article about using math and science to solve the problem of Where's Waldo: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/11/where_s_waldo_a_new_strategy_for_locating_the_missing_man_in_martin_hanford.html

I'm interested in having students read more non-fiction, including articles, from a broad range of fields.  I hope that this would get some students interested in a wider range of things.  I also feel as if kids don't quite understand how many fascinating things are posted on the internet; they are locked into looking at the same things.  This article is about problems solving, but not so much about the students problem solving.

Articles

http://www.education.com/reference/article/problem-solving1/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2736021/

Here are 2 articles for this week.
Wendy