New insights in the world of organized crime and the realization that they only can tackle problems in cooperation with many other actors, made the police force of the inner city of Amsterdam feel the need to get insight in the problems it is dealing with and possible solution directions. As this situation constitutes a complex problem were many actors are involved, a participative approach for...

Problem-based learning (PBL) provides real-world, purposeful interactions to help graduate and undergraduate students learn how to work with and learn from a diverse group of people laterally and horizontally within a learning community. At the same time, information technology in the 21 century provides the opportunity to integrate learner support into PBL learning environments. PBL and techno...

The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of four different modes of representation in mathematical problem solving (MPS), and more specifically to develop a model, which provides information about the effects of these representations in the solution procedures of one-step problems of additive structures. Data were collected from 1447 pupils in Grades 1, 2 and 3 of elementary ...

This study investigated the effects of delay of reinforcement on the classroom academic behaviors (rate of increase and accuracy of mathematical problem coapletion) by elementary students. A total of 11 fourth graders with a history of low achievement in arithmetic were divided into two groups and given timed arithmetic tests daily. Three reinforcement conditions were used (immediate, 1-day del...

Many real-world applications have profited from netform innovations in both modeling and solution strategies. Practical experience shoves that advances in netform modeling and solution strategies overcome many of the difficulties in conceptual design and problem solving of previous approaches to system optimization. Moreover, they provide the type of technologies required of truly useful decisi...

Some effort has been made to examine why people often do not adopt efficient strategies, however little attempt has been made to determine the conditions that support strategy generation. This study examines how practice may lead to efficient strategy generation, through perceptual noticing and the elaboration of a device representation. Forty-three participants were required to complete drawin...

This paper reports on the outcomes of applying the notions provided by the reconstructed proto-theory of design, based on Aristotle’s remarks, to the parameter analysis method of conceptual design. Two research questions are addressed: (1) What further clarification and explanation to the approach of parameter analysis is provided by the proto-theory? (2) Which conclusions can be drawn from the...

Background In Rwanda, 30,000 volunteer community health workers (CHWs) treat children under five for pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. A 2010 community supply chain (SC) assessment identified a lack of SC skills and poor coordination between CHWs, health centres (HCs) and districts as barriers to CHW product availability. SC4CCM tested standard resupply procedures (RSPs) and multi-level quality...