written by Robert J. Beichner, Duane Deardorff, and Binghua Zhang

Problem solving skills, although an important goal of many introductory science courses, are not easily mastered by many students. The GOAL approach is easy to recall and encourages students to Gather information about the problem, Organize an approach to the solution, Analyze the problem, and then Learn from their efforts. This mnemonic is based on the findings of other researchers who have studied how students solve problems and was conceived during development of an introductory physics text as a mental aid to avoid formula-centered problem solving and to teach skills employed by experienced problem solvers.

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Published March 1, 1997
Last Modified September 19, 2023

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