Sequential Problem Solving | Page 2

find that students instantaneously begin to act more
mature because of the realization that their peers have a common body
of knowledge about values and character traits and checklists to
evaluate the behavior of others. For teachers, the sequence of
presentation here can be readily altered to suit the teachable moment,

that moment when a unique, high interest situation arises that lends
itself to discussion of a particular topic. The sequence presented here is
merely one way in which the various interlocking subjects can be
presented.
This presentation is intentionally concise to provide the reader with a
composite picture of the use of checklists in logical thinking, without
burdening the reader with statistical findings or repetitious historical
background information.
The ideas presented here are referenced to credible academic research
wherever possible. Endnotes are used extensively to direct the reader to
in-depth authoritative resources, and additional references are provided
for each section at the back of the book.
In this book I have used the pronoun "he" for humanity in general,
rather than using he/she or similar conventions. This usage was
selected to enhance the flow of the written word and should not be
taken literally. The word "he" is used here to include both women and
men and applies to them with equality.
Solving problems is a daily, if not hourly, part of our lives. It is
therefore useful to put the mechanics of problem solving and human
interpersonal relationships into flowchart form, so that when stress is
intense we have some way of making more certain that we are thinking
flawlessly. (A comprehensive flowchart is included in the HTML
version.)
* * * * *
Research Skills.
Rapid Reading.
Effective learners use certain reading techniques[1] that greatly
increase both their comprehension and the time required to learn new
subjects.

One useful method of reducing new material learning time is the SQ3R
method[2]:
Scan. Question. Read. Review. Recite.
Scanning provides a rapid overview. Many well written books follow
logical outlines that can orient the reader to the subject matter. The
outline might follow this pattern:
Title. Table of Contents. Main Introduction and conclusion.

Chapter 1.
Introduction. Conclusion.

Chapter 2.


Chapter 3.
Conclusion. Definitions.
Questioning is a natural, instinctive, second step that most learners
follow. In the scanning process, certain questions naturally arise. These
should be noted in a short list of questions to be answered through
reading. The questioning procedure helps the reader stay focused.
Reading occurs very rapidly if a systematic plan is followed:
First, determine the main idea from the title, the first paragraph, and the
last paragraph.

Second, determine if a large subject is divided into smaller subjects
with some outlining scheme.
Next, follow the title, introduction, body, conclusion rule to find the
main idea of each smaller section. Each smaller section can then be
scanned for keywords. Keyword recognition signals the reader to pay
closer attention for critical definitions and ideas that follow.
Finally, review as often as necessary to keep focused. Outlining and
note taking often help.
Reviewing new material on a strict schedule is necessary to solidify
new material in the memory, and to transfer it from short term memory
to long term memory.
Forgetfulness is a matter of periodic review. Memorization through
repetition and forgetfulness follow a similar pattern. Each is gained or
lost by halves for the same time period. The following graph illustrates
the phenomenon.
The memory loss/recall increase with review phenomenon has been
verified many times.[3]
Generally memory is lost by one-half for each doubled time increment.
One day after first learning one-half is lost. By day two, one-half of that
remaining memory is lost, and by day four, one-half again is lost. By
day four, only one-sixteenth of the original memory is intact.
At a similar rate, with review after one day only one-half of the
material that was reviewed will be lost. If reviewed again on day two,
the amount lost is again divided by two. If reviewed six times in a
thirty-two day period, the about retained will be more than ninety-eight
percent and the amount lost will only be about two per-cent in the next
thirty-two days versus fifty per-cent in one day.
* * * * *
Memorization

Three common ways of remembering are: repetition, association, and
exaggeration. [4] An similar skill is outlining, and samples of various
outlining styles can be found in Appendix 1.
Repetition is the key to long term memory. Physiologically, when brain
cells are activated by the memory process, the nerve cell coating,
known as the glial sheath, increases in thickness and becomes thicker
and thicker with each repetition, strengthening the electrical pathway in
brain that constitutes memory. In addition, when associations between
parts of a thing remembered are formed, the nerve cell body sends out
axon runners to other