Developing Creativity Through Collaborative Problem Solving

An analysis of student collaborative problem solving activities mediated by collaborative simulations

Computational thinking (CT), which is a cognitive skill used to solve problems with computational solutions, has drawn increasing attention among researchers and practitioners due to the growing recognition of CT competence as a 21st century skill. Collaboration is commonly integrated into CT education to facilitate novice learning, but there is inadequate knowledge regarding the influences of collaboration in CT education. This meta‐analysis examined the overall effects on the cognitive, social and affective competencies of collaborative versus individual problem solving in CT through programming. We identified 33 publications involving 4717 learners, which allowed for 220 effect size comparisons. We found a medium effect size (Hedges' g = 0.562; p < 0.001) in favour of collaborative problem solving on cognitive learning outcomes and a small effect size (Hedges' g = 0.316; p < 0.01) on affective learning outcomes using a random‐effects model. Categorical moderator analysis revealed the moderating effects of educational level, programming environment, study duration, grouping method and group size. The competency model that was generated from the synthesized literature on collaborative computational problem solving yielded insights into the learning design and assessment of relevant activities. Practitioner notes What is already known about the topic? Although professional programming usually requires collaboration to accomplish common goals in the work environment, programming is predominantly taught on an individual basis in educational settings. Some intervention studies have reported inconsistent learning outcomes (positive and negative) from integrating collaborative problem solving (CPS) into programming education. There is a need for further scrutiny and exploration of the role of collaboration in the process of learning to program. What does this paper add? Our meta‐analysis showed that CPS is an effective pedagogical tool for developing students' cognitive, affective and social competencies. The moderator analysis revealed that CPS in programming has cognitive benefits irrespective of grouping method, group size and educational levels; however, there is a need for caution in regard to designing collaborative problem‐solving activities for different programming environments and durations. The model generated from the literature synthesis can yield insights into better assessing and designing collaborative problem‐solving activities. Implications for practice and/or policy? Integrating CPS into programming education can prepare students with 21st century skills. Social and affective competencies are crucial to students' learning capacity, which is an issue that needs to be better assessed. Future studies could look more rigorously into the effects of CPS in visual programming and robotics programming among younger age groups, such as primary or middle school students.

As been highlighted by many, for instance by PISA, Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) is a critical and necessary 21st century skill across educational settings. While many initiatives have been launched to investigate the nature of these skills, fewer are the attempts to understand how they should be assessed. However, in 2015, the PISA organization presented a framework for assessing CPS skills. This paper reports on a study investigating the predictive validity of the PISA assessment framework and if and how modes of communication influence the assessment of 24 students’ collaborative problem solving activities when using a computer-based assessment task system. The findings presented demonstrate that the PISA CPS assessment framework have a weak predictive validity, does not count for quality or productivity in communication, and that the mode of communication indeed influence CPS processes and in turn what is possible to assess.

Collaborative and individual problem solving are prominent ways people choose to problem solve. Accurate demonstrations of these types of problem solving can be demonstrated within television shows. Children's television in specific has two major genres: live action and cartoon. While focusing directly on children's television shows, this study looks at how problem solving is demonstrated throughout the two genres by choosing the two most popular live action and cartoon shows and eventually comparing them to see which held more collaborative problem solving. In this study, it is hypothesized that cartoon shows will hold more collaborative problem solving while live action shows will consist of more individual problem solving. Even though the most popular of each genre were chosen, the cartoon shows receive significantly more views than the live action shows. Through the research process it was found that cartoon shows held more collaborative problem solving than live action shows, while live action shows contained more individual problem solving. Contributing to the significance of this study, these findings can help future television producers come upon a conclusion on which type of problem solving would be most beneficial to implement amongst the show.

The objective of this study is to explore new ways of assessing collaborative problem solving (CPS) processes based on different modalities of audio data and their combination. The data collection took place in an educational lab setting during an experiment with adult teams from professional contexts who collaboratively solved multiple problems as part of a CPS training. From audio data, both verbal (ie, speech) and non‐verbal (ie, pitch) aspects were extracted. Four analysis methods were used, including (a) content analysis; (b) linguistic inquiry and word count; (c) verbal entrainment analysis; and (d) acoustic–prosodic entrainment based on pitch data. Insights are given into the CPS processes of the participating groups using these measures and relevant relationships between some of these measures are further investigated. Based on content analysis, it was found that most of the interactions during the CPS process are task oriented, whereas team‐oriented interactions are less present. Second, three measures of proportion of contribution in CPS were investigated and clear differences in participation patterns between and within teams were found. We suggest that a combination of utterance count and words per sentence could provide valuable insights for quantity and equality of participation. Third, the study explored pronoun use and found that the most frequently used personal pronouns were first‐person singular. Next, the results indicated a relationship between pronoun use and the relative frequency of interactions. Fourth, a rather weak relationship between lexical entrainment measures and the acoustic–prosodic measures were found, suggesting that these measures are indicative of separate communicative aspects in CPS. This study contributes to a better understanding of which type of audio‐based data is most informative to teachers and students as a feedback or assessment tool. This study complements previous research as it focuses on spoken human‐to‐human communication collected in an authentic context. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Support and guidance systems for learning coaches, teachers and learners are needed to foster the educational quality of collaborative problem solving (CPS) activities. CPS is a complex process and measuring the quality of CPS processes remains challenging. Multimodal learning analytics, focusing on verbal and non‐verbal data sources and using content analysis, linguistic inquiry and word count and verbal and acoustic entrainment measures could be valuable to measure the quality of CPS. What this paper adds The majority of interactions during CPS processes are task oriented or cognitive of nature, whereas team‐oriented interactions are less present. Utterance count and words per sentence should be used in combination, as they are indicative of different aspects. Pronoun use in learners' discourse is related to the types of CPS interactions. Lexical entrainment measures and acoustic–prosodic are indicative of distinctive communicative aspects in CPS. Implications for practice and/or policy Quality indicators of CPS processes should include both verbal and non‐verbal measures of students' interactions. Educational researchers and the (Edtech) industry should further leverage their forces to foster the development of (semi‐)automated systems for measuring the quality of CPS processes. It should be further investigated how quality indicators of CPS processes can be most meaningful to trainers, teachers and learners, for example, through the use of dashboards.

The objective of this study is to identify the instructional design requirements of Educational Robotics (ER) activities for sustaining collaborative problem solving (CPS) skills. In CPS activities, learners work in teams towards the analysis, the identification and the solution of a problem. PISA and most of the 21st century skills frameworks have promoted the importance of CPS for 21st century education. In this study, we aim to analyze ER opportunities for 21st century education, in general, and CPS skills, according to the PISA CPS framework. To achieve this, we first review the design requirements of the learning activities that have been identified in the literature as sustaining CPS. Afterwards, we identify the design requirements of ER activities that can sustain the development of CPS. Activities engaging learners in authentic ill-defined problems, with a certain level of complexity are identified as design requirements that have the possibility to promote CPS in ER activities.

Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) is a multifaceted process where students with strong social and cognitive skills tend to excel. However, improving these skills requires an in-depth understanding of the relationship between skills and students' internal state of mind. It is difficult to assess a student's state of mind based on external cues like facial expressions, speech and behaviour, as these can be easily disguised. This study used a portable EEG device to measure brainwave signals during online CPS tasks, focusing on variations in brain activity using the Approximate Entropy (ApEn) metric to understand why students with high CPS skills perform better. Seventy-two undergraduates participated, with their brainwaves continuously recorded during CPS activities. The findings showed distinct brainwave patterns among students with different social and cognitive skills. Notably, brain activity was heightened during the problem-solving stage compared to the conceptualisation stage. Students with higher social skills showed significant activity in the alpha (inspiration), beta (decision-making) and gamma (creative thinking) bands, while those with stronger cognitive skills primarily activated the alpha band. These results highlight the need to tailor online CPS activities to effectively support students' development in both social and cognitive domains.

This chapter addresses several key issues, including theory and measurement of collaborative learning and theory and measurement of problem solving. It presents findings based on three relevant studies in which computers were used for administering, scoring, and reporting collaborative problem-solving skills measures. The three studies use the teamwork processes model developed by CRESST researchers for the measurement of collaborative learning processes. The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) model consists of six skills: adaptability, coordination, decision making, interpersonal, leadership, and communication. Collaborative problem solving has been shown in educational research to enhance students' cognitive development. Collaborative problem solving is first divided into two components: collaborative learning and problem solving. Adaptability refers to the group's ability to monitor the source and nature of problems through an awareness of team activities and factors bearing on the task. CRESST has developed a problem-solving assessment model with three subelements: content understanding, problem-solving strategies, and self-regulation.

Multiscale movement coordination dynamics in collaborative team problem solving

ABSTRACTThe development of students’ practical operation and their collaborative problem solving (CPS) ability are emphasized in higher education nowadays. Providing students a simulation learning tool and an social networking environment can improve the students’ learning in CPS activities. This can be a potential learning environment for the students when the automatic scaffolding guidance tools are appropriately given to them. Therefore, the present study developed a scaffolding-based CPS learning environment. This empirical study explored learners’ learning performance. The students’ online discussion messages were also encoded for the later quantitative content analysis to explore their cognitive process in CPS activities. The study included 94 participants, who were divided into the study sheet group (use the simulation tool and paper study sheets for discussions) and the scaffolding mind tool group. The results showed that learning performance of the scaffolding mind tool group was significantly better than that of the study sheet group. Moreover, learners in the scaffolding mind tool group showed more diverse levels in the cognitive process. The researcher further conducted a Lag sequential analysis based on the coding results. The results also suggested that the scaffolding mind tool group showed more diverse cognitive process transitions in their behavioral patterns.

The purpose of this study was to analyse secondary school students’ (N = 16) computer-supported collaborative mathematical problem solving. The problem addressed in the study was: What kinds of metacognitive processes appear during computer-supported collaborative learning in mathematics? Another aim of the study was to consider the applicability of networked learning in mathematics. The network-based learning environment Knowledge Forum (KF) was used to support students’ collaborative problem solving. The data consist of 188 posted computer notes, portfolio material such as notebooks, and observations. The computer notes were analysed through three stages of qualitative content analysis. The three stages were content analysis of computer notesin mathematical problem solving, content analysis of mathematical problem solving activity and content analysis of the students’ metacognitive activity. The results of the content analysis illustrate how networked discussions mediated mathematical knowledge and students’ questions, while the mathematical problem solving activity shows that the students co-regulate their thinking. The results of the content analysis of the students’ metacognitive activity revealed that the students use metacognitive knowledge and make metacognitive judgments and perform monitoring during networked discussions. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that working with the networked technology contributes to the students’ use of their mathematical knowledge and stimulates them into making their thinking visible. The findings also show some metacognitive activity in the students’ computer-supported collaborative problem solving in mathematics.

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is an essential competency in the 21st century. However, this skill is quite complex due to the two-dimensional domain having to measure at once. This study is a literature review aimed to presents various CPS measurement methods from empirical research for the past 17 years. Hence, teachers can get insight to implement and to develop CPS assessment mainly for training students to solve complex problems. Based on this review, there are two broad methods to measure CPS including using computer environment and real-life context. The former allows measurement to be more accurate and quicker, while the latter enables students to experience face-to-face interaction during problem solving. However, the development of CPS assessment using a computer needs professional ICT and an adequate number of computers as well as a high internet connection. In Indonesia, the implementation of computer-based assessment faces many challenges, and only some schools in the city centre can meet that requirement. Hence, it can be an alternative to measure the interaction of students during the CPS activity by putting high consideration of the using pedagogical content to facilitate CPS environment.

Identifying emergent roles and their relationship with learning outcomes and collaborative problem-solving skills

Collaborative efforts are inevitably demanded when solving a complex problem, which is often plagued with incomplete, ill-structured, and poor quality information. Therefore, a global knowledge modeling framework is required for cross-domain knowledge coordination. However, current knowledge modeling techniques pay little attention to temporal knowledge that is indispensable for navigating cross-domain collaborative task executions and their collaboration. In view of this challenge, a novel knowledge modeling framework, named POTMe, is investigated in this paper. This knowledge modeling framework provides a structured application context by articulating knowledge dependencies and temporal dependencies among problemsolving activities. The main contribution of this paper is twofold. First, this novel knowledge modeling framework provides a structured problem solving context. It enhances the consistency of global knowledge coordination among collaborative problem-solving activities. Second, temporal knowledge modeling is incorporated into this knowledge modeling framework. It is reified by a temporal reasoning rule, and aims at evaluating cross-domain task collaboration in an incorporated executive environment.

BackgroundCommunity health nurses collaborate in teams to address client care, organise services, and conduct preventive activities. Hence, it is crucial for students in this work context, to practise and enhance their collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills. To facilitate this, a hybrid serious game called "Carion" was developed, immersing second-year nursing students in a semester-long experience of working as district nurses in self-managed teams. The game challenges them to collectively tackle authentic and fictional problems. However, the extent and manner in which this hybrid serious game contributes to students' CPS skill development is unknown. AimThe aim of this study is to explore how students perceive the development of CPS by doing assignments carried out in the learning context of the hybrid serious game Carion. ParticipantsTwo teams each consisting of five second-year nursing students, were selected for the qualitative case study. Two lecturers acting as team coaches also participated in this study. 110 (response rate 61 %) second-year students participated in the quantitative survey at the beginning of the semester, 109 students at the end of the semester. MethodsThe study is a mixed method design. The qualitative component involves a case study while the quantitative component consists of an online survey. Qualitative and quantitative data regarding collaborative problem solving was collected at different time points using focus group interviews, one-on-one interviews, digital logbooks and an online self-assessment tool. ResultsQualitative analysis revealed insights into three key themes: (1) Collaboration, encompassing consulting with each other, and capitalising on each other’s qualities and strengths; (2) Problem solving, encompassing quicker and easier problem solving, allocating assignments, coming to a joint solution, and problem-solving method; and (3) Learning from each other, encompassing learning from each other’s knowledge and experience, and from each other’s ideas. No growth in collaborative problem-solving development was statistically shown in the group. ConclusionsThis study gives an ambiguous view on students' perception of their CPS development through involvement in various Carion assignments. Based on this exploratory investigation, prematurely labelling Carion as a potential educational environment for developing CPS among undergraduate nursing students in community healthcare would be unwarranted. Further research is needed, particularly in scrutinising the interplay between CPS and diverse learning activities, assignments and learning outcomes within this specific hybrid serious game context.