General Problem-solving Skills Research Articles

General Problem-solving Skills Can be Enhanced by Short-time Use of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Future students are confronted with a complex world that demands the ability to solve problems in unstructured, undefined, and unfamiliar situations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the development of problem-solving skills through the implementation of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). While previous research has primarily focused on content-related and long-term measurements when examining the effects of PBL, this study took a different approach by exploring the general increase in problem-solving skills resulting from PBL. The sample consisted of 90 second-semester students who were assessed at three different time points using three subscales of the Wilde-Intelligenz-Test I & II: analogies (AL), letter series (BR) and numerical series (ZN). The findings revealed a significant improvement in general problem-solving abilities within the PBL group. These results provide valuable insights into the impact of PBL on the development of general problem-solving skills, even within a domain-independent and short-term context. Lecturers are encouraged to consider implementing PBL in their study programs, as it equips graduates with the necessary skills to tackle the challenges of today’s dynamic and constantly changing world.

Mixed-mode instruction using active learning in small teams improves generic problem-solving skills of university students

ABSTRACT The importance of advancing the ‘employability skills’ of students throughout their undergraduate education has been increasingly recognised by students and university instructors. Development of these essential skills is hindered by the lack of widely available assessment tools and shortage of detailed descriptions of effective instructional strategies. Evidence supports use of active learning in small groups for advancement of several transferable soft skills, including teamwork, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills (PSS). In this study, a previously reported testing strategy was used to measure the progress of generic PSS of students taking a one-semester, final-year undergraduate biochemistry course. Mixed-mode delivery based on a ‘flipped classroom’ approach allowed introduction of significant active learning components, including problem-based learning (PBL) in small teams (seven–eight students), workshops, bonus testing and lectures. Detailed descriptions of the instructional techniques used together with the Covid-19 pandemic-forced transition to fully online tutor-less PBL are provided. Data collected over two consecutive years demonstrate statistically significant improvement in the PSS test scores for the 89 students taking this course. Marks of students obtained in three different assessments (examinations, peer evaluations and PSS tests) are compared, revealing medium to low correlation. The benefits resulting from introducing active learning techniques and multiple assessments in undergraduate classes are discussed.

Learning Styles and Development of Cognitive Skills in Mathematics Learning

Modern schoolchildren are the new digital generation and their preferences for working with information are based on of the dominant sensory modality which can be visual, auditory, and tactile/ kinesthetic. Therefore, to organize effective mathematics teaching it is necessary to use a personalized system of teaching techniques, instructional methods, and educational technologies taking into account the way students process information from the outside world. In light of neuropedagogy achievements and the idea of the dynamic balance, the purpose of the article is to provide evidence for the current need for taking into account the students’ perceptual learning styles which reflect the nature of interhemispheric interaction in the process of cognitive learning development in mathematics learning. The article is also aimed at establishing a scientific rationale for a classification of teaching methods for development of general learning skills, logical operations, and problem solving skills in mathematics learning based on the criteria of “dominant hemisphere” and “learning style”. The research methods are content analysis of scientific, educational and methodological literature to review the methods for cognitive skill development; testing the students’ level of general learning skills and the level of verbal reasoning; modeling method, Google questioning of teachers from different regions of the Russian Federation, qualitative analysis of the empirical data. The scientific novelty of the study is the obtained results: empirical data in respect to personalized learning technologies used by Russian teachers; identifying the stages of cognitive skill development in mathematics learning based on the perceptual learning styles of students; establishing a scientific rationale for a classification of techniques for development of general learning skills according to the criteria of “type of learning in accordance with the dominant hemisphere”; developing the criteria for assessing cognitive skills on the basis of the students’ learning styles. The theoretical significance of the study lies in its contribution to the mathematics methodology in regard to personalized learning technologies, the techniques for developing cognitive skills in mathematics learning taking into account students’ learning styles and applying the ideas of neuropedagogy and the idea of the dynamic balance in teaching mathematics..

The Relationship between School Age Children’s Academic Performance and Innovative Physical Education Programs

Currently, there is great interest in the correlation between children’s physical activity and their academic performance. In this study, a pre-test/mid-test/post-test experimental strategy was used to avoid any disruption of educational activities, due to the random selection of children in each group. The experimental group was tested for eight months. We developed a methodology for innovative physical education classes and created a model of educational factors that encourage physical activity for children. The experimental group comprised 45 girls and 44 boys aged 6–7 years. The control group included 43 girls and 46 boys aged 6–7. Methods: Mathematical diagnostic progress tests were divided into two sections: tasks were allocated according to performance levels and the content as well as fields of activity and cognitive skills. The assessment of all areas of activity was based on student performance (unsatisfactory, satisfactory, basic, and advanced). Distribution of mathematical learning achievements by curriculum content: mathematical diagnosis was used to evaluate first-grade children’s mathematical knowledge and skills according to the five areas of the mathematics education curriculum: numbers and calculations; phenomena, equations, and inequalities; geometry, measures, and measurements; statistics and communication; and general problem-solving skills. The differences between the pre-test and mid-test results indicated that the number of children performing at a satisfactory level decreased (p = 0.035). The differences between the pre-test and post-test advanced (p = 0.038) and basic (p = 0.018) levels were found to be increased. Applying an innovative physical education program to first graders demonstrated a higher-level mathematics program in the areas of geometry, measures, and measurements; statistics; and communication and general problem-solving skills. Based on the interface between an innovative primary school physical education program and mathematics learning achievements, a research tool was developed that can be used in a quantitative research strategy.

Non-linear improvement in generic problem-solving skills of university students: a longitudinal study

ABSTRACTProblem solving has been characterized as one of the ‘employability skills’ due to the high demand for such abilities in a modern workplace. Most universities do not monitor progress of the generic problem-solving skills (PSS) of their students due to a lack of available assessment tools. We used previously reported 15-min tests to measure the generic PSS of students over the first three years of university. More than 600 students participated in this study, including 144 who wrote PSS tests in Year 1 and then again in Year 3 of their studies. Two versions of the PSS test were administered in September and December of both years. We observed a non-linear increase in PSS test scores with a significant growth during the first three months of Year 1, a similar increase over the next 21 months, then no change during the first three months of Year 3. Further studies are necessary to pinpoint the instructional techniques and situational factors facilitating the PSS development of students over the first three years of studies. Moreover, the plateau we observe in the third year indicates that proactive steps by universities and individual instructors are required to advance this important skill set in upper-year students.

Task Variation and Mental Models Divergence Influencing the Transfer of Team Learning

We investigate how teams develop and transfer general problem-solving skills across two ill-structured problems. We draw on cognitive flexibility theory in the instructional literature and propose that teams will achieve a higher performance on a novel task or transfer when they receive an external task intervention (i.e., task variation) and when the internal mechanisms (i.e., divergent mental models) are developed to make sense of the external intervention. To test these predictions, we designed a longitudinal experiment with 17 student teams that encountered task variation during their work on an initial task. Consistent with our predictions, we found that teams that experienced variations and whose mental models diverged during their work on an initial task achieved higher performance on a novel task than teams that experienced variation and whose mental models converged. Implications for the transfer of learning in teams on ill-structured problems are discussed.

Instructing introductory pharmacology in large undergraduate classes by using clinical problem-based learning (PBL) cases improves the generic problem-solving skills of students

After completing their studies at university, most pharmacology and pharmacy graduates will work in small-group settings with colleagues they do not choose. They will be required to independently navigate large volumes of scientific literature, searching for reliable sources of information about various drugs and clinical conditions; prioritize their tasks and hypotheses; problem solve; network and work effectively in a team environment; and evaluate the job performance of their co-workers. Although these skills are valued by the majority of science students and their potential employers, most standard university curricula are focused on delivering the course content. These standard curricula provide very few opportunities for students to work on their essential workplace skills.

An Innovative Family Support Program by and for Indigenous Australians: Reflections in Evaluation Practice

The Family Wellbeing course is an initiative that attempts to address the emotional effects of colonisation among Indigenous Australians. The course aims to remedy the need for Indigenous people to take control at a personal level through a process of healing and acquisition of generic problem-solving skills.

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.

Dynamics of undergraduate student generic problem-solving skills captured by a campus-wide study

The ability to effectively problem solve is a highly valued competency expected of university graduates, independent of their area of study. Evaluation of problem-solving skill (PSS) development is hindered by a shortage of available tools for monitoring student progress and by lack of defined instructional strategies for development of these skills. Our research is aimed at addressing these problems. We have developed an evaluation tool, which we applied to study the dynamics of undergraduate student PSS. We tested first- and upper-year students from 26 different courses (total enrollment of 2229 students). Overall improvement of PSS was detected for the first-year students over their first term of study. There were no significant differences between the PSS of first- and upper-year students, and no improvement was detected over a single term by measuring PSS in upper-year students. Only three courses were effective at facilitating PSS. Our data indicate that most of the standard lecture approaches do not develop undergraduate student PSS and that universities and individual instructors must take active steps to advance this critical skill set in university students.

Tutor-Less Problem-Based Learning in a Large Classroom Setting—Could It Also Save Costs?

Dear Editor: Klegeris et al. (2013 ) are to be congratulated for adding another important piece to our knowledge of how problem-based learning (PBL) can be implemented. As the debate about PBL is less about whether it works and more about what forms of it work, studies such as this will become more important. However, the authors miss one vital outcome measure of the research—that of cost. One of the major criticisms of PBL is that it can increase costs. Such increased costs are largely related to increased numbers of faculty. The average size of a PBL group is seven, and large faculty numbers are therefore required (Albanese, 2010 ). Anything that adjusts the student:facilitator ratio should have a dramatic effect on the number of facilitators required and thus on costs. Also, if tutor-less PBL can be carried out in a large classroom setting, then the cost of facilities will also be reduced. Forty-seven students received the intervention in this study; if we assume the group size was seven (as is usual in PBL), then this form of PBL would have saved the time of at least five tutors and the space requirements of five tutorial rooms. The costs of PBL relate mainly to faculty, facilities, scenarios, and learner inputs. Faculty and facilities are likely to make up a large majority of the costs, and these are the two components that are likely to be reduced if the study format is implemented. If the five tutors would normally have to meet their small group once per week for one half-day session in a tutorial room throughout the college year (which would constitute in the region of 30 weeks), then 75 tutor days and 75 days’ worth of room occupancies would be saved. The actual amount saved would depend on tutor salaries and room rates and would vary from country to country. At a time when student fees are increasing, any suggestions regarding more cost-effective forms of education are welcome. There is little published evidence on cost and value in PBL and some doubt as to whether cost-effectiveness and PBL are compatible, prompting Wittert and Nelson (2010 ) to entitle their chapter on the subject “Problem-Based Learning: Is a Cost Effective Approach Possible?” According to Finucane et al. (2009 ), the cost of delivering PBL to 240 students in the first 2 years of a graduate-entry medical school was €1,526,952 ($1,997,191), and the annual recurring cost was €664,000 ($868,485) per year. Klegeris et al. (2013 ) may have shown one possible cost-effective approach to this important pedagogy.

Large-scale studies on the transferability of general problem-solving skills and the pedagogic potential of physics

Research suggests that problem-solving skills are transferable across domains. This claim, however, needs further empirical substantiation. We suggest correlation studies as a methodology for making preliminary inferences about transfer. The correlation of the physics performance of students with their performance in chemistry and mathematics in highly competitive problem-solving examinations was studied using a massive database. The sample sizes ranged from hundreds to a few hundred thousand. Encouraged by the presence of significant correlations, we interviewed 20 students to explore the pedagogic potential of physics in imparting transferable problem-solving skills. We report strategies and practices relevant to physics employed by these students which foster transfer.

Improvement in generic problem-solving abilities of students by use of tutor-less problem-based learning in a large classroom setting.

Problem-based learning (PBL) was originally introduced in medical education programs as a form of small-group learning, but its use has now spread to large undergraduate classrooms in various other disciplines. Introduction of new teaching techniques, including PBL-based methods, needs to be justified by demonstrating the benefits of such techniques over classical teaching styles. Previously, we demonstrated that introduction of tutor-less PBL in a large third-year biochemistry undergraduate class increased student satisfaction and attendance. The current study assessed the generic problem-solving abilities of students from the same class at the beginning and end of the term, and compared student scores with similar data obtained in three classes not using PBL. Two generic problem-solving tests of equal difficulty were administered such that students took different tests at the beginning and the end of the term. Blinded marking showed a statistically significant 13% increase in the test scores of the biochemistry students exposed to PBL, while no trend toward significant change in scores was observed in any of the control groups not using PBL. Our study is among the first to demonstrate that use of tutor-less PBL in a large classroom leads to statistically significant improvement in generic problem-solving skills of students.

Changes in frontal-parietal activation and math skills performance following adaptive number sense training: Preliminary results from a pilot study

Number sense is believed to be critical for math development. It is putatively an implicitly learned skill and may therefore have limitations in terms of being explicitly trained, particularly in individuals with altered neurodevelopment. A case series study was conducted using an adaptive, computerised programme that focused on number sense and general problem-solving skills. The study was designed to investigate training effects on performance as well as brain function in a group of children with Turner syndrome who are at risk for math difficulties and altered development of math-related brain networks. Standardised measurements of math and math-related cognitive skills as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were used to assess behavioural and neurobiological outcomes following training. Participants demonstrated significantly increased basic math skills, including number sense, and calculation as well as processing speed, cognitive flexibility and visual-spatial processing skills. With the exception of calculation, increased scores also were clinically significant (i.e., recovered) based on reliable change analysis. Participants additionally demonstrated significantly increased bilateral parietal lobe activation and decreased frontal-striatal and mesial temporal activation following the training programme. These findings show proof of concept for an accessible training approach that may be potentially associated with improved number sense, math and related skills, as well as functional changes in math-related neural systems, even among individuals at risk for altered brain development.

KNOWLEDGE USE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GEOMETRY PROOF BY SRI LANKAN STUDENTS

Within the domain of geometry, proof and proof development continues to be a problematic area for students. Battista (2007) suggested that the investigation of knowledge components that students bring to understanding and constructing geometry proofs could provide important insights into the above issue. This issue also features prominently in the deliberations of the 2009 International Commission on Mathematics Instruction Study on the learning and teaching of proofs in mathematics, in general, and geometry, in particular. In the study reported here, we consider knowledge use by a cohort of 166 Sri Lankan students during the construction of geometry proofs. Three knowledge components were hypothesised to influence the students’ attempts at proof development: geometry content knowledge, general problem-solving skills and geometry reasoning skills. Regression analyses supported our conjecture that all 3 knowledge components played important functions in developing proofs. We suggest that whilst students have to acquire a robust body of geometric content knowledge, the activation and the utilisation of this knowledge during the construction of proof need to be guided by general problem-solving and reasoning skills.

An Empowerment Approach for Elders Living With Diabetes: A Pilot Study of a Community-Based Self-Help Group—The Diabetes Club

ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a disabling, deadly disease, affecting one in five of adults over 65. Unfortunately, for the few elders that receive diabetes self-care training it is often taught using traditional didactic methods that are insensitive to their unique needs and immersed in the traditional medical paradigm. Integrating diabetes self-care into daily living demands more than knowledge acquisition and skill mastery; it requires acceptance of the disease, motivation for change, instrumental and emotional support, general problem-solving skills, and control over one's life – empowerment. This project sought to develop and pilot-test a peer-led, community-based, self-help intervention for elders with diabetes—the Diabetes Club. The intervention targeted diabetes self-efficacy, seeking to empower elders then increase diabetes self-care behavior targets, resulting in improved glycemic control. Club members and social workers collectively developed, implemented, tested intervention protocols, detailed in this paper with additional materials available on a dedicated website. Albeit over a short time period, findings showed significant improvements in diabetes self-efficacy, self-care behaviors, and reduction of glycosolated hemoglobin (A1C). The results are promising, demonstrating the benefits of social-work involvement in diabetes and the potential of elders helping themselves and each other.

Do Hybrid Lecture Formats Influence Laboratory Performance in Large, Pre-Professional Biology Courses?

Introductory biology courses for pre-professional majors at large universities are usually high-enrollment lectures with associated labs that complement the lecture, but are independently taught and administered. Although web-based instructional formats have become popular alternatives to traditional lectures, it is unknown how these formats affect laboratory performance. To test for effects of hybrid formats on laboratory performance, we conducted a teaching experiment. Students taking an introductory biology course enrolled in either a traditional format lecture or a hybrid (part lecture, part online) lecture. We used laboratory scores and performance on common final exam questions to assess laboratory and lecture performance, respectively. Overall, laboratory performance did not differ between students in the hybrid vs. the traditional lecture, but we did observe a significant interaction between minority status and course format. Minority students in the hybrid lecture scored higher in laboratory relative to nonminority classmates. Minorities in hybrid formats may have benefited more from general characteristics of online homework (e.g., learned more actively, improved general problem-solving skills like those used in laboratory). Or, minorities may have benefited because online components may have created a more balanced social atmosphere or helped offset negative effects of lower computer and internet availability in some minority groups. Hybrid course designs and online instructional components may help narrow performance gaps between minorities and nonminorities. We caution, however, that minority students in the hybrid lecture performed worse than classmates on common lecture exam questions (despite laboratory improvement). Hybrid course designs should be implemented cautiously until more research is completed.

Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Psychosocial Intervention Program for Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration

The psychosocial needs of patients suffering from severe visual loss associated with advanced age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) are generally ignored in the clinical routine. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a psychosocial intervention program for ARMD patients. This intervention program was based on six modules carried out in five weekly group sessions. These modules included (a) progressive muscle relaxation; (b) exchange of disease-related experiences; (c) understanding the connections among thought, emotion, and behavior; (d) description of and emphasis on the use of available resources; (e) improvement of general problem-solving skills, and (f) information exchange on ARMD-related treatment and rehabilitation options. A preliminary evaluation of this intervention program was performed with the aid of a preintervention-postintervention comparison-group research design, which included 14 individuals (mean age of 73.1 years) in the interventional group and 8 participants (mean age of 72.6 years) in the comparison group. The preintervention-postintervention assessment addressed a set of emotional (e.g., positive and negative affect) as well as behavioral (e.g., limitations to activities and instrumental activities of daily living) outcome measures. Although the sample size of the pilot evaluation test was small, our results demonstrate the usefulness of this pilot program. A statistical analysis comparing the interventional group with the comparison group revealed that the intervention group benefited from the program in five out of six outcome measures. Psychosocial group intervention is a promising approach to improve the quality of life in patients suffering from ARMD.

Markedness and salience in language contact and second-language acquisition: evidence from a non-canonical contact language

Mühlhäusler [J. Pidgin Creole Lang. 14(1999)121] has argued in his discussion of non-canonical creoles that the study of those contact varieties ‘which researchers in the past have found difficult to label’ ( ibid., p. 357) is important for our understanding of contact languages. This article argues that their study can also be relevant to our understanding of second language acquisition/use as non-canonical contact languages are often situated on a continuum between pidginization (a group-based process of collective L2 norm emergence under conditions of minimal input) and the more general processes of (untutored) second language acquisition. An example of a non-canonical contact language is Namibian Black German. In the paper data on participle regularization in Namibian Black German and other German-oriented contact varieties (e.g. Unserdeutsch, Gastarbeiterdeutsch) will be discussed. Recent work in linguistic theory has argued that the language faculty has a dual structure, consisting of a lexicon and a computational system [ Chomsky, N., 1986. Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin and Use. Praeger, New York]. The formation of regular and irregular participles has been interpreted as reflecting this dual structure: regular participles show rule-based inflections, strong participles are lexical entries. The direction of language change as well as data from German L1 acquisition and elicited production experiments with native speakers have provided support for this model [Behav. Brain Sci. 22(1999)991]. The L2 data discussed in this paper suggests that the dual mechanism model cannot account for German L2 performance data or the direction of contact-induced language change. In this context, the article reviews questions of salience and markedness, access to the LAD and the relevance of general problem-solving skills in language learning.

Automatic Assessment of Problem-Solving Skills in Mathematics

Since 1985 the CALM Project for computer aided learning in mathematics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh has delivered automatic assessment to large groups of students in engineering and science. Initially, CALM used the computer to assess basic mathematical skills/techniques and acquired facts/knowledge. CALM has been proud of its testing capability, providing as it does a comparison of numerical and mathematical expressions as answers. This is well beyond the multiple-choice format favoured in some subjects but not appropriate in much of mathematics. However, much progress has been made through the design of intermediate steps, the inclusion of hints and the extension of question types. In the SCHOLAR Project, delivered over the Web to 58,000 students in all Scottish schools during the last academic year, more complex mathematical skills have been tested automatically using the on-line assessment engine known as CUE. This article addresses the advances in automatic assessment with particular emphasis on mathematics. The capability of the computer to assess more general problem-solving skills in mathematics is explored. The article concludes with some thoughts on how the subject might expand in the near future.