Correlation Analysis of Scaffolding Creative Problem Solving Through Question Prompts with Process and Outcomes of Project-Based Service Learning

Abstract

This paper is intended to present on-going efforts on scaffolding for Creative Problem Solving (CPS) through question-prompts for freshmen’s Project-Based Community Service Learning, and to reveal the correlation of scaffolding creative problem solving through question prompts with students’ process and outcomes of their self-regulated learning and creative problemsolving in their problem-based community service learning projects. The presented results were based on the available data from the current investigation conducted in the course of one semester. Student participants were freshmen who were involved in the required community service learning projects. Participating students were assigned to the community service learning sites, required to provide innovative solutions to the problems they identified on the sites, and facilitated with the designed interventions of question prompts on self-regulated learning and creative problem solving, which included metacognitive prompts, procedural prompts, elaboration prompts, and reflective prompts, as well as prompts for creative problem solving strategies. The presented results were based on analysis of data collected through students’ process journals and project reports. The students’ utilization of question prompts, and self-regulated learning and creative problem process and outcomes were quantified first by employing the specific rubrics. Correlation analyses of question prompts with both process and outcomes of students’ project-based service learning were conducted. The analysis reveals that question prompts are positively related with important components of self-regulated learning process and creative problem solving outcomes. It implies that scaffolding through question prompts could play an important role in the process and outcomes of self-regulated learning and creative problem solving. The limitations of current findings and suggestions for future research are also discussed.