Does the extent of problem familiarity influence students’ learning in problem-based learning?

This study investigated the relationship between problem familiarity and students’ learning in a problem-based course. Problem familiarity in this study refers to the extent to which a problem fits with students’ prior knowledge and experiences. As part of regular course work, 172 students were given two problems on different occasions. These problems varied in the extent of problem familiarity. Students’ report of their learning activities and tutor’s assessment of the students’ learning were collected at the end of the problems. Results showed that both the students and tutors found the familiar problem to be better for learning. However, some elements of unfamiliarity may not be all that bad. For instance, unfamiliarity may result in more questioning, thinking and reasoning. However, this did not contribute to significant difference in terms of overall critical reasoning. Results also indicated a need to closely examine students’ critical reasoning (in terms of evaluating multiple perspectives) and students’ collaborative learning (in terms of brainstorming and discussion) when given familiar/unfamiliar problems.     

Developing Food Science Core Competencies in Vietnam: The Role of Experience and Problem Solving in an Industry‐Based Undergraduate Research Course

Although many educators now recognize the value of problem‐based learning and experiential learning, undergraduate‐level food science courses that reflect these pedagogical approaches are still relatively novel, especially in East and Southeast Asia. Leveraging existing partnerships with farmers in Vietnam, a food science course for students at Nong Lam Univ. was designed and taught. The aim was to give students the opportunity to work in small groups and conduct evidence‐based research with farmers, apply food science principles, and develop Success Skills, including the ability to think critically and communicate clearly. Drawing on the experience of 2 student groups, this exploratory study describes what students learned from the process of conducting research. In one group, students learned to work through and resolve the challenge of initial disagreement and misunderstanding with farmers and ultimately carried out a project that aligned with the students’ research interests and farmers’ needs. Another group of students learned to consider the financial limitations of farmers when attempting to develop solutions for problems and ultimately worked with farmers to address a different problem that was less financially taxing. It is important to note the challenges of planning and teaching a course in which instructors are not able to predict exactly what students will learn or experience. This is largely dependent on each student's prior knowledge, experiences, and interests; yet this study demonstrates the transformative potential of teaching a research‐based food science course that gives students authentic opportunities to identify and address real‐world challenges.     

The Role of Content Knowledge in Ill-Structured Problem Solving for High School Physics Students

While Physics Education Research has a rich tradition of problem-solving scholarship, most of the work has focused on more traditional, well-defined problems. Less work has been done with ill-structured problems, problems that are better aligned with the engineering and design-based scenarios promoted by the Next Generation Science Standards. This study explored the relationship between physics content knowledge and ill-structured problem solving for two groups of high school students with different levels of content knowledge. Both groups of students completed an ill-structured problem set, using a talk-aloud procedure to narrate their thought process as they worked. Analysis of the data focused on identifying students’ solution pathways, as well as the obstacles that prevented them from reaching “reasonable” solutions. Students with more content knowledge were more successful reaching reasonable solutions for each of the problems, experiencing fewer obstacles. These students also employed a greater variety of solution pathways than those with less content knowledge. Results suggest that a student’s solution pathway choice may depend on how she perceives the problem.     

Analysing student written solutions to investigate if problem-solving processes are evident throughout

An interdisciplinary science course has been implemented at a university with the intention of providing students the opportunity to develop a range of key skills in relation to: real-world connections of science, problem-solving, information and communications technology use and team while linking subject knowledge in each of the science disciplines. One of the problems used in this interdisciplinary course has been selected to evaluate if it affords students the opportunity to explicitly display problem-solving processes. While the benefits of implementing problem-based learning have been well reported, far less research has been devoted to methods of assessing student problem-solving solutions. A problem-solving theoretical framework was used as a tool to assess student written solutions to indicate if problem-solving processes were present. In two academic years, student problem-solving processes were satisfactory for exploring and understanding, representing and formulating, and planning and executing, indicating that student collaboration on problems is a good initiator of developing these processes. In both academic years, students displayed poor monitoring and reflecting (MR) processes at the intermediate level. A key impact of evaluating student work in this way is that it facilitated meaningful feedback about the students’ problem-solving process rather than solely assessing the correctness of problem solutions.     

Knowing what you don't know makes failure productive

To progress from intuitive ideas to deep conceptual understanding, students need to become aware of gaps in their ideas. Attempting to solve problems prior to instruction may lead to a global awareness of knowledge gaps (i.e., awareness without being able to identify which specific component is lacking). These gaps may subsequently be specified by comparing students' solutions to the canonical solution. In our first experiment, the teacher highlighted specific gaps by comparing typical student solutions to the canonical solution before or after problem solving. The second experiment varied the factors form of instruction (with or without student solutions) and timing of instruction (problem-solving prior to or after instruction). Problem-solving prior to instruction triggered a global awareness of knowledge gaps. While this was beneficial for learning when combined with instruction with student solutions, our results indicate that comparing student solutions during instruction to specify the gaps is the most relevant factor.     

Finding the right problem

In an educational setting, a solution that has worked for one problem may not work for the same problem that occurs at a different time in a different work conditions. However, administrators and teachers resort to quick solutions to the perceived problem, consequently affecting not only the curriculum but also the students ’ learning. This paper shows how administrators and teachers can find problems prior to problem solution by taking three steps: (1) Examining the interconnectivity of things; (2) Exploring possible and alternative problems and (3) Asking the right question. The paper demonstrates not only how these steps operate in specific situations encountered by administrators and teachers but also how finding the problem can be an effective tool in performing their respective roles.     

Spreadsheets as cognitive tools: A study of the impact of spreadsheets on problem solving of math story problems

In this study, we investigated the impact of computer spreadsheets on the problem solving practices of students for math story problems, and more specifically on the transition from arithmetic to algebraic reasoning, through the construction of algebraic expressions. We investigated the relationships among the students’ prior knowledge and skills, the verification processes, and the effectiveness of the problem solving tasks. For identifying the factors involved in the problem solving process and their role, in our analysis we employed the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. We mainly focused on math story problems and on students of tertiary education with little prior experience on the use of computers and spreadsheets. Analysis of the data indicates that spreadsheets can support the transition from arithmetic to algebraic reasoning and this transition is influenced by prior skills of the students relevant to the interaction with the interface (enter formula skills), and the students’ frequency of verification of the solution.     

Completion problems can reduce the illusions of understanding in a computer-based learning environment on genetics

Inaccurate judgments of task difficulty and invested mental effort may negatively affect how accurate students monitor their own performance. When students are not able to accurately monitor their own performance, they cannot control their learning effectively (e.g., allocate adequate mental effort and study time). Although students' judgments of task difficulty and invested mental effort are closely related to their study behaviors, it is still an open question how the accuracy of these judgments can be improved in learning from problem solving. The present study focused on the impact of three types of instructional support on the accuracy of students' judgments of difficulty and invested mental effort in relation to their performance while learning genetics in a computer-based environment. Sixty-seven university students with different prior knowledge received either incomplete worked-out examples, completion problems, or conventional problems. Results indicated that lower prior knowledge students performed better with completion problems, while higher prior knowledge students performed better with conventional problems. Incomplete worked-out examples resulted in an overestimation of performance, that is, an illusion of understanding, whereas completion and conventional problems showed neither over- nor underestimation. The findings suggest that completion problems can be used to avoid students' misjudgments of their competencies.     

Taking a different path: A mother's reflections on homeschooling

Research conducted on academically gifted children's problem‐solving abilities suggests that heightened cognitive flexibility is an important component of academic intelligence. For example, academically gifted children are better able to adapt prior knowledge to formulate solutions to novel problems than other people. To date, little research has focused on applying these findings to the social domain. We propose that social‐cognitive flexibility (i.e., the ability to adapt prior social knowledge to formulate solutions to new interpersonal situations) is an important component of social intelligence. This article draws a comparison between the structure of academic and social intelligence, and speculates an important relationship exists between flexible social problem‐solving and social gift‐edness.     

Interdisciplinary Teaching Within Engineering Education

This paper reports the development and implementation of a multi-disciplinary course called ‘sustainable development’ within engineering education at the University of Technology Eindhoven (TUE). In this course, students of different disciplines have to cooperate with each other in a project, with the aim of finding (more) sustainable solutions for an environmental issue or problem put forward by industry or (governmental) institutions (e.g. a zero-energy dwelling). The educational form is based on project-oriented education. The project group, which consists of six to eight students from at least three disciplines, is responsible for the results and the project. During their project, the students can rely on a tutor, who is primarily a process guide. Together with the principal, the tutor advises on whether or not the proposed working plan is realistic and can be realized within the given time of 160 h (two half-days over 20 weeks). At the end, the students have to present and defend their work before a committee, which consists of the tutor, the principal and a subject expert. Experience has shown that multi-disciplinary project work has been an excellent teaching method and addition to engineering education curricula, so improving not only knowledge but also interdisciplinary thinking and skills. Environmental issues need a multi-disciplinary approach, and this course bridges the gap between disciplines, so stimulating interdisciplinary work within engineering education.     

Examining the preparatory effects of problem generation and solution generation on learning from instruction

The goal of this paper is to isolate the preparatory effects of problem-generation from solution generation in problem-posing contexts, and their underlying mechanisms on learning from instruction. Using a randomized-controlled design, students were assigned to one of two conditions: (a) problem-posing with solution generation, where they generated problems and solutions to a novel situation, or (b) problem-posing without solution generation, where they generated only problems. All students then received instruction on a novel math concept. Findings revealed that problem-posing with solution generation prior to instruction resulted in significantly better conceptual knowledge, without any significant difference in procedural knowledge and transfer. Although solution generation prior to instruction plays a critical role in the development of conceptual understanding, which is necessary for transfer, generating problems plays an equally critical role in transfer. Implications for learning and instruction are discussed.     

Elaborating the structures of a science discipline to improve problem-solving instruction: An account of Classical Genetics' theory structure,function, and development

Situating the conceptual knowledge of a science discipline in the context of its use in the solving of problems allows students the opportunity to develop: a highly structured and functional understanding of the conceptual structure of the discipline; general and discipline-specific problem-solving strategies and heuristics; and insight into the nature of science as an intellectual activity. In order realize these potential learning outcomes, the reconstructions of scientific theories used in problem solving must provide a detailed account of (1) realistic scientific problems and their solutions; (2) problem-solving strategies and patterns of reasoning of disciplinary experts; (3) the various ways that theories function for both disciplinary experts and students; and (4) the way theories, as solutions to realistic scientific problems, develop over time. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to provide further specificity regarding a philosophical reconstruction of the structure of Classical Genetics Theory that can facilitate problem-solving instruction. We analyze syntactic, semantic and problem-based accounts of theory structure with respect to the above criteria and develop a reconstruction that incorporates elements from the latter two. We then describe how that reconstruction can facilitate realistic problem solving on the part of students.     

Application of genetics knowledge to the solution of pedigree problems

This paper reports on a study of undergraduate genetics students' conceptual and procedural knowledge and how that knowledge influences students' success in pedigree problem solving. Findings indicate that many students lack the knowledge needed to test hypotheses relating to X-linked modes of inheritance using either patterns of inheritance or genotypes. Case study data illustrate how these knowledge deficiencies acted as an impediment to correct and conclusive solutions of pedigree problems. Specializations: problem solving, laboratory work, conceptual change, science teacher education.     

Crossing boundaries: the experiences of mature student mothers in initial teacher education

This paper presents a comparative study of two groups of student mothers from a teacher training course in the UK at the start and end of the 1990s, with a focus on gender issues. The study investigated the extent to which the women students could draw on their experiences as mothers to positive effect in their training, combining public and private spheres, and how far their domestic responsibilities created problems for them on the course. All the women possessed considerable skills, particularly in working with children, which were an attribute in their training. Although both groups faced similar difficulties, such as the double burden of domestic and course work, and changes in family life arising from their status transition, it was found that the more recent students could cross the boundaries between public and private roles more quickly and easily than those at the start of the 1990s. This was partly because the recent group had greater prior work experience and had already negotiated boundaries between private and public identities, and partly because some structural constraints had diminished by the end of the decade, at least at a local level. It is also argued that, although pressures on trainee teachers in general intensified during the 1990s, some effects of the changes were beneficial to student mothers. The findings are analysed within the dual frameworks of gender in higher education and initial teacher education.     

A Framework for Student Projects in Computer Networks

This paper describes the delivery of a computer networks course with accompanying materials and software. The course is offered at the fourth-year undergraduate level, and has few formal pre-requisites, other than general programming skills. There is a substantial architectural and coding component to any practical course on networks, and it is important to challenge the experienced and knowledgeable students without making the material too difficult for the inexperienced students who have minimal experience in programming practical applications. Some students have an industrial background and are expecting to build practical working applications. At the other extreme are students with no exposure to operating system principles, and therefore lacking pertinent knowledge, such as concurrency concepts. Our programming framework provides an event-polling approach to avoid the complexity of more general concurrency techniques. Protocol layers are implemented with data types and use a finite state machine model to control their behaviors. The resulting course offers code structure and support to students with minimal background, without sacrificing pertinent concepts, and provides the ability to construct elaborate network applications using the coding structures introduced in the course.     

Design,Assessment, and Evaluation of a Problem‐based Learning Environment in Undergraduate Engineering

This article describes the design, evaluation, and results of an innovative undergraduate engineering course at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The course, ENGR 110 — Introduction to Engineering, is a problem‐based learning environment in which freshmen students work in teams to solve problems integral to a “mission to Mars”, that is, getting to Mars, constructing a research site on Mars, and developing a renewable power source there. In addition to traditional knowledge and skill objectives, the course focuses on “higher order” outcomes such as: framing and resolving ill‐defined problems; communicating via multiple media; exhibiting intellectual curiosity; and developing a rich conceptualisation of engineering. The course is described in terms of a set of pedagogical dimensions for problem‐based learning environments. Several cognitive assessment methods were used to assess student achievement and evaluate the effectiveness of the course. Results included statistically and educationally significant differences in “problem‐solving” between two classes of ENGR 110 students and two control classes of sophomore engineering students.     

物理问题解决的探讨

物理教学是通过引导学生去探索、解决一个个未知的问题,从而达到掌握知识、发展智力、培养能力的教学目标.本文以该目标为出发点,阐述了物理问题的产生,物理问题解决中存在的障碍和问题解决的一般方法,为培养学生分析问题和解决问题的能力寻找一条有效教学途径.     

Transfer of Learning as a Specific Case of Transition between Learning Contexts in a French Work-Integrated Learning Programme

The aim of this article is to discuss transfer of learning in a tertiary technical course in the French educational context. The focus is on a pedagogical sequence (i.e. a complex problem-solving activity) requiring different types of knowledge that students are expected to have learnt previously in the different parts of their training course (both at university and in the workplace). The theoretical approach considers transfer of learning as a complex transition, including not only cognitive but also social and identity changes. This type of transition can be more or less difficult according to the types of knowledge and the pedagogical organisation of the training course, including more or less connective activities between its different components. We recorded two groups of students during the pedagogical sequence and analysed their collective activity during the problem solving. Our findings show that students can easily transfer concrete knowledge from the workplace whereas they have great difficulty in using theoretical concepts and methods coming from the academic teachings at the university. We propose an interpretation of the students?? difficulties by analysing the characteristics of these different social learning contexts. We also discuss the way in which such types of connective activities can be designed and managed by teachers to improve their efficiency.     

公共设施设计课程的教学探讨

在以往公共设施设计的艺术教育中,存在一些教学与实践脱节的问题,问题的根本在于课程安排偏重于理论知识的介绍。对学生的实践环节安排比较薄弱,因而致使学生实践动手能力较弱。要解决这一问题要从根本上落实对学生设计能力及动手能力的培养。提高学生的创作能力、动手动脑的能力、团队合作的意识及设计语言国际化的培养。     

《思想道德修养》课程教学的思考与实践

思想道德课是一门讲授思想道德知识、综合性较强、内容非常丰富的、提高学生思想道德素质的基础课程。围绕大纲,开展大学生心理健康、大学生审美、人文精神、人与自然、形象设计、中华传统文化等教学活动,针对学生自身发展和思想实际中存在的问题进行有效的教育,从教学内容、教学艺术、教学思路、教学实践活动、考评设想等多方面入手,突出学生个性的发展和潜能的挖掘,致力于对学生人文精神的提升。