Design and Application of Interactive Simulations in Problem-Solving in University-Level Physics Education

In recent years, interactive computer simulations have been progressively integrated in the teaching of the sciences and have contributed significant improvements in the teaching–learning process. Practicing problem-solving is a key factor in science and engineering education. The aim of this study was to design simulation-based problem-solving teaching materials and assess their effectiveness in improving students’ ability to solve problems in university-level physics. Firstly, we analyze the effect of using simulation-based materials in the development of students’ skills in employing procedures that are typically used in the scientific method of problem-solving. We found that a significant percentage of the experimental students used expert-type scientific procedures such as qualitative analysis of the problem, making hypotheses, and analysis of results. At the end of the course, only a minority of the students persisted with habits based solely on mathematical equations. Secondly, we compare the effectiveness in terms of problem-solving of the experimental group students with the students who are taught conventionally. We found that the implementation of the problem-solving strategy improved experimental students’ results regarding obtaining a correct solution from the academic point of view, in standard textbook problems. Thirdly, we explore students’ satisfaction with simulation-based problem-solving teaching materials and we found that the majority appear to be satisfied with the methodology proposed and took on a favorable attitude to learning problem-solving. The research was carried out among first-year Engineering Degree students.     

工科毕业设计指导教师的作用及其对学习投入与学习成效的影响

经济增长模式转型要求工科人才培养的转型升级.毕业设计作为工科人才走向工作岗位或继续深造前最重要的工程实践与综合素质的锻炼平台,是培养创新实践人才的关键环节.如何优化毕业设计过程,充分发挥指导教师的作用从而实现毕业设计的教学目标是本科工科人才培育的改革重点.本研究整合了教师角色的相关理论,聚焦教师角色与作用,从教师专业素...     

Case analysis of children's reasoning in problem-solving process

Recognising critical reasoning and problem-solving as one of the key skills for twenty-first century citizenship, various types of problem contexts have been practiced in science classrooms to enhance students’ understandings and use of evidence-based thinking and justification. Good problems need to allow students to adapt and evaluate the effectiveness of their knowledge, reasoning and problem-solving strategies. When students are engaged in complex and open-ended problem tasks, it is assumed their reasoning and problem-solving paths become complex with creativity and evidence in order to justify their conclusion and solutions. This study investigated the levels of reasoning evident in student discourse when engaging in different types of problem-solving tasks and the role of teacher interactions on students’ reasoning. Fifteen students and a classroom teacher in a Grade 5–6 classroom participated in this study. Through case analyses, the study findings suggest that (a) there was no clear co-relation between certain structures of problem tasks and the level of reasoning in students’ problem-solving discourse, (b) students exhibited more data-based reasoning than evidence-based and rule-based justification in experiment-based problem-solving tasks, and (c) teacher intervention supported higher levels of student reasoning. Pedagogical reflections on the difficulties of constructing effective problem-solving tasks and the need for developing teacher scaffolding strategies are discussed.     

纠错复原型机器人教学案例研究

中小学机器人课程作为一门典型的工程教育类课程备受关注,如何在机器人教育中培养学生的工程设计思维和问题解决能力值得研究者思考。通过纠错任务解决机器人产品中的问题,能够促进学生理解机器人内部组成结构及功能,培养问题解决能力,获取更深层的学习体验。结合已有研究,文章尝试将纠错复原型教学模式应用于中小学机器人教育,通过感知与操作、拆分与分析、识别与诊断、测试与总结等步骤引导学生发现问题、思考问题并解决问题,旨在为机器人教育提供实践参考。     

Learning problem-solving through making games at the game design and learning summer program

Today’s complex and fast-evolving world necessitates young students to possess design and problem-solving skills more than ever. One alternative method of teaching children problem-solving or thinking skills has been using computer programming, and more recently, game-design tasks. In this pre-experimental study, a group of middle school students (n = 18) with an age average of 12.6 attended a game-design summer program for 10 days. Students were assessed in their problem-solving skills, specifically in system analysis and design, decision-making, and troubleshooting domains, at the beginning and end of the program. The results indicated that there were significant improvements in students’ problem-solving skills after attending the summer program, Wilks’ Λ = .258, F (3, 15) = 14.397, p < .001, η ² = .742. For system analysis and design, and decision-making follow-up t-tests pointed to large and medium effect sizes, while for troubleshooting the gains were not significant. This study is a contributes to the growing body of literature investigating the benefits of designing games for young children by adding that game-design activities can be suitable venues for young children to learn and practice problem-solving skills.     

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.     

Impacts of learning inventive problem-solving principles: students’ transition from systematic searching to heuristic problem solving

This paper presents the outcomes of teaching an inventive problem-solving course in junior high schools in an attempt to deal with the current relative neglect of fostering students’ creativity and problem-solving capabilities in traditional schooling. The method involves carrying out systematic manipulation with attributes, functions and relationships between existing components and variables in a system. The 2-year research study comprised 112 students in the experimental group and 100 students in the control group. The findings indicated that in the post-course exam, the participants suggested a significantly greater number of original and useful solutions to problems presented to them compared to the pre-course exam and to the control group. The course also increased students’ self-beliefs about creativity. Although at the beginning of the course, the students adhered to ‘systematic searching’ using the inventive problem-solving principles they had learned, later on they moved to ‘semi-structured’ and heuristic problem solving, which deals with using strategies, techniques, rules-of-thumb or educated guessing in the problem-solving process. It is important to note, however, that teaching the proposed method in school should take place in the context of engaging students in challenging tasks and open-ended projects that encourage students to develop their ideas. There is only little benefit in merely teaching students inventive problem-solving principles and letting them solve discrete pre-designed exercises.     

Comparison of student marks obtained by an assessment panel reveals generic problem-solving skills and academic ability as distinct skill sets

Generic problem-solving skills have been identified as one of the key competencies valued by professional programmes, university students and their future employers. A lack of widely available and simple testing tools prevents assessment of the development of student problem-solving skills. As part of a research study, a generic problem-solving test was administered to 130 third-year science students during three consecutive years. A comparison between the scores students achieved in this test with their six academic marks obtained in this course showed no significant correlation. Lack of correlation between the problem-solving skill test scores and academic marks of students was confirmed in a larger population of students participating in a campus-wide study of generic problem-solving skills (n = 830). Problem solving and academic performance may represent two independent skill sets of students; testing problem-solving skills of students could be introduced to achieve a more comprehensive evaluation of undergraduate student progress and achievement.     

Exploring the characteristics of an optimal design of non-programming plugged learning for developing primary school students’ computational thinking in mathematics

Existing computational thinking (CT) research focuses on programming in K-12 education; however, there are challenges in introducing it into the formal disciplines. Therefore, we propose the introduction of non-programming plugged learning in mathematics to develop students’ CT. The research and teaching teams collaborated to develop an instructional design for primary school students. The participants were 112 third- and fourth-grade students (aged 9–10) who took part in three rounds of experiments. In this paper, we present an iterative problem-solving process in design-based implementation research, focusing on the implementation issues that lead to the design principles in the mathematics classroom. The computational tasks, environment, tools, and practices were iteratively improved over three rounds to incorporate CT effectively into mathematics. Results from the CT questionnaire demonstrated that the new program could significantly improve students’ CT abilities and compound thinking. The results of the post-test revealed that CT, including the sub-dimensions of decomposition, algorithmic thinking, and problem-solving improved threefold compared to the pre-test between the three rounds, indicating that strengthened CT design enhanced CT perceptions. Similarly, the students’ and teacher’ interviews confirmed their positive experiences with CT. Based on empirical research, we summarize design characteristics from computational tasks, computational environment and tools, and computational practices and propose design principles. We demonstrate the potential of non-programming plugged learning for developing primary school students’ CT in mathematics.

     

The influence of perceptually rich manipulatives and collaboration on mathematic problem-solving and perseverance

We conducted a two-part study to examine how the use of different manipulatives, levels of instructional guidance, and collaboration among college-aged students influenced their mathematics performance and perseverance. In Study 1, we manipulated different types of manipulatives (no manipulative, bland, and perceptually rich), and different contextual factors of instructional guidance (high vs. low) to identify how they influenced students’ ability to complete mathematical problems as well as impact students’ perseverance. Findings showed that participants’ use of bland manipulatives positively impacts their ability to complete word problems. Study 2, grounded in findings from Study 1, incorporated collaborative learning to lessen the negative effects of using perceptually rich manipulatives and enhance students’ perseverance in mathematics. The results from Study 2 aligned with the findings from Study 1 concerning the negative effect of perceptual richness for problem-solving and perseverance. Moreover, the collaboration of participants had a positive effect on students’ perseverance during problem-solving as students who collaborated with perceptually rich manipulatives persevered as much as those who collaborated with bland manipulatives as well as those who worked individually with bland manipulatives.     

Flipping the Math Classroom for Non-Math Majors to Enrich Their Learning Experience

Students’ learning experiences in an introductory statistics course for non-math majors are compared between two different instructional approaches under controlled conditions. Two sections of the course (n = 52) are taught using a flipped classroom approach and one section (n = 30) is taught using a traditional lecture approach. All sections are taught by the same instructor in the same semester. General perceptions as well as students’ understanding and retention of the course material are measured and compared. The flipped classroom students outperform their traditional lecture peers on exams, especially in terms of their mathematical problem-solving skills. The flipped classroom students are also more confident than their traditional lecture peers about their abilities and their understanding of the course material, crediting their understanding primarily to the in-class activities, which are made possible because the flipped classroom design promotes an experiential, active-learning environment without compromising content.     

Effects of 6E-oriented STEM practical activities in cultivating middle school students’ attitudes toward technology and technological inquiry ability

ABSTRACT

Background: STEM education has become a focus of research and teaching interest in recent years. However, not all scholars agree on the definition and purpose of STEM education. This paper summarizes related past research and suggests that, according to the requirements of Taiwan’s educational environment, STEM education should focus on the cultivation of middle school students’ attitudes toward technology and their ability to engage with technological inquiry.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of STEM education on attitudes toward technology and technological inquiry abilities of middle school students, this study used the 6E Learning byDeSIGN? model proposed by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association in the US to design a 6E-oriented STEM practical activity.

Sample: The sample of the study consisted of 139 seventh-grade students from six different classes who participated in a practical activity related to egg protection devices.

Design and methods: To achieve this research purpose, a quasi-experimental design was used, with pre-treatment and post-treatment evaluations of each group. Both the experimental and control groups participated in the activity; however, the experimental group students were guided through the activity using a 6E teaching strategy, whereas the control group students were guided using a problem-solving teaching strategy.

Results: The results showed that a 6E teaching strategy had a positive effect on middle school students’ attitudes toward technology and technological inquiry abilities, but these effects were not statistically different from the effect on the control group with problem-solving teaching strategy.

Conclusions: This study indicates there is no significant advantage in using a 6E process over a problem solving approach. Technology teachers aiming to improve students’ attitudes toward technology and their technological inquiry abilities consider refining the 6E-oriented STEM practical activity process, and students may demonstrate better performance in these two areas.     

The Role of Students’ Scientific Epistemic Beliefs in Computer-Simulated Problem Solving

Research on how epistemic beliefs influence students’ learning in different contexts is ambiguous. Given this, we have examined the relationships between students’ scientific epistemic beliefs, their problem solving, and solutions in a constructionist computer-simulation in classical mechanics. The problem-solving process and performance of 19 tenth-grade students, with different scientific epistemic beliefs, were video recorded and inductively coded. Quantitative analysis revealed that different sets of epistemic beliefs were conducive to different aspects of students’ problem-solving process and outcomes. Theoretically sophisticated beliefs were in general associated with logical strategies and high solution complexity. However, authority dependence was associated with high degree of adherence to instructions. Hence, there might not be a universal relationship between the theoretical sophistication of students’ epistemic beliefs and quality of learning outcomes. We suggest that the conduciveness to desired outcomes is a better measure of sophistication than theoretical non-contextualized a priori assumptions.     

Improving learning achievements,motivations and problem-solving skills through a peer assessment-based game development approach

In this study, a peer assessment-based game development approach is proposed for improving students’ learning achievements, motivations and problem-solving skills. An experiment has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in a science course at an elementary school. A total of 167 sixth graders participated in the experiment, 82 of whom were assigned to the experimental group and learned with the peer assessment-based game development approach, while 85 students were in the control group and learned with the conventional game development approach. From the empirical results, it was found that the proposed approach could effectively promote students’ learning achievement, learning motivation, problem-solving skills, as well as their perceptions of the use of educational computer games. Moreover, it was found from the open-ended questions that most of the students perceived peer assessment-based game development as an effective learning strategy that helped them improve their deep learning status in terms of “in-depth thinking,” “creativity,” and “motivation.”     

毕业设计中培育学生机器学习知识和创新能力

为应对"双一流"背景下培养拔尖创新人才的需求,积极落实《江苏教育信息化2.0行动计划》,以南京邮电大学电子信息类专业学生为例,依据笔者实践经验首先总结了目前毕业设计存在的问题,然后探索了依托毕业设计培育大学生机器学习知识和创新能力新模式.本文主要从提倡以学习者为中心,开发多视角解决问题的课题,进行差异性选题,加强线上指导和团队建设,适当考核学生创新能力等方面进行了探讨.     

Case study of a problem-based learning course of physics in a telecommunications engineering degree

Active learning methods can be appropriate in engineering, as their methodology promotes meta-cognition, independent learning and problem-solving skills. Problem-based learning is the educational process by which problem-solving activities and instructor's guidance facilitate learning. Its key characteristic involves posing a ‘concrete problem’ to initiate the learning process, generally implemented by small groups of students. Many universities have developed and used active methodologies successfully in the teaching–learning process. During the past few years, the University of the Basque Country has promoted the use of active methodologies through several teacher training programmes. In this paper, we describe and analyse the results of the educational experience using the problem-based learning (PBL) method in a physics course for undergraduates enrolled in the technical telecommunications engineering degree programme. From an instructors’ perspective, PBL strengths include better student attitude in class and increased instructor–student and student–student interactions. The students emphasised developing teamwork and communication skills in a good learning atmosphere as positive aspects.     

Improving primary students’ collaborative problem solving competency in project-based science learning with productive failure instructional design in a seamless learning environment

The paper reports on an empirical study adopting a mixed research method, aiming at improving primary students’ collaborative problem solving competency in project-based learning with productive failure (PF) instructional design in a seamless learning environment. Two Grade Six classes participated in a project-based learning of “Plant Adaptations”. In Class 1 with 27 students, the project-based learning was conducted with PF instructional design; in Class 2 with 26 students, the project-based learning was conducted without PF instructional design. The learning activities spanned across farm, class, home and online spaces supported by mobile devices. Data collection includes various students’ created artifacts in groups in the inquiry process, student reflections, student focus group interviews and pre- and post-domain tests. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were employed. The research findings show that compared to Class 2, the students in Class 1 gained deeper understanding of conceptual knowledge and produced better group artifacts in collaborative problem-solving quality than those in Class 2; and the students in Class 1 were more positive in facing the challenges in their project-based learning process, and developed a sense of ownership of their learning. The findings imply that PF instructional design is conducive to developing primary students’ collaborative solving competency in science learning in a seamless learning environment.     

Case study of a problem-based learning course of project management for senior engineering students

The analysis of the current state of the Ukrainian system of engineering education indicates the prevalence of traditional teaching–learning approaches in contrast to the modern needs of the labour market. Many universities across the world use the problem/project-based learning (PBL) which is an effective approach for the development of design and management skills of engineering students. The paper describes a detailed structure of a PBL course in project management and practical experience related to its implementation in an engineering degree programme at Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy. Also, the results of surveys carried out in order to study the students’ generic competences’ development and perception of the PBL process are presented. The results show that students understand the diversity of PBL aspects and the influence of the PBL approach on their professional characteristics such as teamwork, ability of self-directed learning, communication and problem-solving skills.     

基于P/T数字转台的计算机控制课程设计

为了配合计算机控制技术课程的教学,加强学生对计算机控制技术的认识,开设了相关的课程设计。利用固高公司的产品——P/T数字转台实验系统为平台,开设相关的课程设计,要求学生以C++或其他高级语言为开发工具,根据学生的个体差异,提出不同的课程设计要求。通过课程设计,使学生进一步了解计算机控制技术的理论知识,并提高独立分析、解决问题和程序设计的能力。