Problem Solving

34. Of the following, which is the best description of a problem?

a.A state that exists when an individual is faced with an idea that he or she doesn’t understand.

b.A state that exists when an individual has a goal but lacks an obvious way of achieving the goal.

c.A state that exists when individuals disagree about a basic concepts, ideas, or goals.

d.A state that exists when an individual’s understanding of an idea includes the construction of misconceptions.

35. Which of the following is the best example of a well-defined problem?

a.Your eighth graders won’t consistently turn in their homework.

b.You have a doctor’s appointment, but you don’t know how to get to her office.

c.Your colleagues’ disagreements are having a negative effect on the morale in your department.

d.You want to make a career switch but don’t know what direction to take.

36.Of the following, the best example of a well-defined problem is:

a.chemistry students’ finding the molecular weight of an unknown compound.

b.nutrition students’ planning well-balanced meals on a budget.

c.PE students’ designing their own effective personal fitness plan.

d.English students’ writing a personal autobiography.

37.Which of the following content domains found in schools is least likely to have well-defined problems to consider?

a.Economics

b.Algebra

c.Chemistry

d.Geometry

38.Which of the following is the best example of an ill-defined problem?

a.24 x 13 =

b.How many miles can a car drive on a tank full of gas if the vehicle gets 25 miles to the gallon and the tank holds 16 gallons?

c.Should we purchase deadbolts for our house or a home security system?

d.If a three-pound bag of confectioner’s sugar contains 120 tablespoons, how many cups does it have?

39.Of the following, the best example of an ill-defined problem is:

a.students’ planning a strategy to combat the problem of homelessness in their city.

b.students’ devising proofs of a geometry problem.

c.students’ writing a paragraph to demonstrate knowledge of grammar and punctuation.

d.students’ computing the number of calories in different meals.

40.A teacher is discussing a poll saying that students rate their role as citizen as least important to them.  The class decides that this is an important problem that something should be done about. Of the following, the best description of this problem is:

a.ill-defined.

b.well-defined.

c.procedural.

d.concrete.

41.If their classrooms are typical, students are least likely to get which of the following?

a.Instruction in the use of specific algorithms

b.The domain-specific knowledge they need to solve problems

c.A considerable amount of practice in solving ill-defined problems

d.A considerable amount of practice in solving well-defined problems

42.Three of the following are suggestions for helping our students become better problem solvers. Which of the following is not a suggestion for helping our students learn to solve problems?

a.Describe the characteristics of expert problem solvers to use as models for novices.

b.Teach a specific set of strategies to help students improve their problem-solving abilities.

c.Help students understand a problem-solving model that can be applied to a variety of domains.

d.Focus on training students to have the effective endurance to persevere on difficult     problems.

43.  The first step in problem solving is to:

a.identify the problem.

b.devise a plan.

c.implement the plan.

d.evaluate the results.