Teaching problem-solving heuristics to engineers and testing for results: hit or miss

The author review his previously published model (1987, 1988) for understanding problem-solving cognitive activity. He then uses it and some student problem-solving protocols to evaluate ways in which instruction can fail to help the student. Ways of determining the student´s zone of proximal development, ways of presenting heuristics that will enable student growth, and ways of evaluating problems to assure that they are in the student´s zone of proximal development are then presented along with an example