Problem-solving Process Research Articles

Investigating response behavior through TF-IDF and Word2vec text analysis: A case study of PISA 2012 problem-solving process data

The process data in computer-based problem-solving evaluation is rich in valuable implicit information. However, its diverse and irregular structure poses challenges for effective feature extraction, leading to varying degrees of information loss in existing methods. Process-response behavior exhibits similarities to textual data in terms of the key units and contextual relationships. Despite the scarcity of relevant research, exploring text analysis methods for feature recognition in process data is significant. This study investigated the efficacy of Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) and Word to Vector (Word2vec) in extracting response behavior features and compared the predictive, analytical, and clustering effects of classical machine learning methods (supervised and unsupervised) on response behavior. An analysis of the PISA 2012 computer-based problem-solving dataset revealed that TF-IDF effectively extracted key response behaviors, whereas Word2vec captured effective features from sequenced response behaviors. In addition, in supervised machine learning using both methods, the random forest model based on TF-IDF performed the best, followed by the SVM model based on Word2vec. Word2vec-based models outperformed TF-IDF-based ones in the F1-score, accuracy, and recall (except for precision) across the logistic regression, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machine algorithms. In unsupervised machine learning, the k-means algorithm effectively clustered different response behavior patterns extracted by these methods. The findings underscore the theoretical and methodological transferability of these text analysis methods in educational and psychological assessment contexts. This study offers valuable insights for research and practice in similar domains by yielding rich feature representations, supplementing fine-grained assessment evidence, fostering personalized learning, and introducing novel insights for educational assessment.

Analysis of Student Problems on Acids and Bases Subject to Improve Problem-Solving Skills

Acids and bases are one of the materials that students find difficult in learning chemistry. The objective of this study is to examine the difficulties encountered by students when learning about acids and bases, as well as their challenges in developing problem-solving abilities. Additionally, the study attempts to assess the importance of including ethical considerations in the problem-solving process. This is a qualitative study with a case study design. The study included a total of nine students and three lecturers from the chemistry education department of UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar. Structured interviews were conducted to collect data, which was then analyzed using thematic analysis. The result revealed themes related to students' difficulties in studying acids and bases subject, namely understanding the initial concept, understanding the concept abstractly and complicatedly, memorizing formulas and theories, memorizing concepts and symbols, requiring deep understanding and thinking, and difficulty in calculating. Themes related to acid-base objectives that are difficult for students to master are the theory and concepts of acids and bases, naming acids and bases, water ionization, classifying acids and bases and calculating pH. Furthermore, the research results revealed that students were not adequately trained in the cultivation of problem-solving skills due to the teacher's failure to offer problem sets that effectively improved their problem-solving capabilities and were relevant to real-life situations. The importance of integrating ethics into the problem-solving process is underscored by several themes, including knowing Allah, increasing faith and piety in Allah, increasing students' insight and curiosity, enjoying learning chemistry, and ensuring that chemistry is not misused. For this reason, it is necessary to develop strategies, strengthen training and integrate ethics to improve problem-solving skills.

Creating Thirdspace: Indigenous Learning Lab to Transform a School Discipline System

Racial disproportionality in school discipline is an enduring systemic problem. This study is based on a collaboration with 14 school stakeholders: American Indian students, parents, community members, and educators at a high school in a community-driven problem-solving process called Indigenous Learning Lab (ILL). ILL members addressed the root causes of the racialized school discipline and created a new school discipline system. Using critical geography and decolonizing methodology as the theoretical and analytical framework, this study aimed to unpack the emergence of Thirdspace—a space of resistance, possibilities, and hopes—in ILL to address enduring racial disproportionality. Members challenged race-neutrality of data sense-making, mapped out dystopia, revitalized American Indian epistemology, and mapped out a real utopian vision of schooling.

Students' Mathematical Literacy in the Process of Teaching Problem Solving Strategies

The purpose of the study is to investigate the mathematical competence of 8th grade students in the context of teaching problem solving strategies. In the study, students were taught problem-solving strategies and were asked to solve problems prepared on these strategies using the appropriate strategy. The study was conducted with 32 eighth grade students in an elementary school. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The results of the pretest and posttest on mathematical competence suggest that the exercise in which problem-solving strategies were taught increased the level of mathematical competence of the students. In addition, data from the semi-structured interview sheets, student solution sheets, and observation notes identified progress in the students' problem-solving process and implementation of mathematical processes.

Problem Solving Process Based on the Newman Procedure in an Effort to Improve Students' Mathematical Reversible Thinking

Students' low Reversible Thinking and mathematical problem solving abilities, especially in working on mathematics problems in the form of stories. This research aims to determine and describe the increase in Reversible Thinking and problem solving abilities in mathematics problems in the form of stories after implementing the Newman Procedure in the learning and problem solving process. This type of research is the Kemmis and Taggart model of Class Action Research (PTK) which consists of 4 stages, namely planning, implementation, observation and reflection. This research was conducted in two cycles. Data collection techniques in this research are observation, tests, and documentation. The data analysis technique used is qualitative analysis to describe research results through observation and quantitative analysis techniques to analyze test assessment scores. The results of this research show an increase in students' reversible thinking abilities seen from changes in attitudes and behavior, seen from the ability to read questions quickly and clearly, able to understand the information contained in the reading, easy to transform information into mathematical language, confident to work on questions and able to take responsibility for the answers obtained.

Localization and Sound Power Estimation of Sound Sources in Industrial Plants using the Sound Field Scanning Method

Reducing sound emissions from industrial plants requires an initial step of localizing key contributing sources. Acoustic cameras are pivotal for quickly identifying these sources, yet challenges persist in low-frequency source localization and presenting results for effective impact assessment. This contribution introduces the Sound Field Scanning technology, utilizing a rotating linear microphone array covering a measurement surface with diameter of 2.5 meters for low-frequency source localization from 125Hz. The underlying sound imaging method compensates for Doppler distortions in the moving microphone signals and evaluates coherence spectra with a non-moving reference microphone to compute an acoustic image. For analysis, a method quantifying sound power contributions from specific regions in the optical image is presented. Comparing sound power metrics of the full optical field of view with metrics of regions of interest enables users to quickly rank source contributions and assess the impact of reducing these contributions on total sound power. In complex scenarios, preliminary investigations can be streamlined with a few measurements from diverse angles, expediting the problem-solving process with confidence. The method is exemplified through the analysis of sound emissions from a production plant.

Solve the medical specimen collection problem by Ant Colony Optimization

This research presents a multi-depot vehicle routing problem in which some freight is time-sensitive. It is inspired by the medical sample collection problem in which some specific medical samples (such as blood and urine) must be returned to the hospital or laboratory within a specific time in order to preserve the specimen’s efficacy. The medical specimen collection problem is emerging for a society with a rapidly aging population, which implies an increase in people requiring long-term care. This problem aims to determine the number of trucks needed and their associated routes in which the total cost is optimised. A solving process based on Ant Colony Optimization is proposed and used to solve two sets of benchmarks to verify its performance. Other scenarios, including non-urgent, all-urgent, and mixed-specimens cases, are also resolved. The study demonstrates a problem-solving process. The outcomes show that the proposed solving method can produce competitive solutions.

“I wonder, what if, let’s try”: Sesame Street’s playful learning curriculum impacts children’s problem solving

ABSTRACT To investigate whether educational television can enhance problem-solving process skills among preschool children, 116 three- to five-year-olds watched 12 episodes of Sesame Street – either engineering-based “playful problem solving” episodes, or episodes about social-emotional learning. Assessments were conducted on three levels: comprehension and delayed recall of educational content, parental observations of learning, and transfer of learning. Results indicated that 48–65% of children recalled problem-solving content after a 1–2 week delay, and 98% of parents reported examples of children’s real-life learning. Repeat viewing of playful problem solving episodes significantly predicted pretest-posttest gains in hands-on transfer tasks, with increases in both the variety of problem-solving heuristics used and the efficiency of children’s process. There were no significant effects on children’s solutions, suggesting children modeled process skills and did not simply learn right answers. Thus, data support Sesame Street’s educational impact on process skills, and demonstrate benefits of playful learning that can be obtained by viewing televised models.

Every Problem, Every Step, All in Focus: Learning to Solve Vision-Language Problems With Integrated Attention.

Integrating information from vision and language modalities has sparked interesting applications in the fields of computer vision and natural language processing. Existing methods, though promising in tasks like image captioning and visual question answering, face challenges in understanding real-life issues and offering step-by-step solutions. In particular, they typically limit their scope to solutions with a sequential structure, thus ignoring complex inter-step dependencies. To bridge this gap, we propose a graph-based approach to vision-language problem solving. It leverages a novel integrated attention mechanism that jointly considers the importance of features within each step as well as across multiple steps. Together with a graph neural network method, this attention mechanism can be progressively learned to predict sequential and non-sequential solution graphs depending on the characterization of the problem-solving process. To tightly couple attention with the problem-solving procedure, we further design new learning objectives with attention metrics that quantify this integrated attention, which better aligns visual and language information within steps, and more accurately captures information flow between steps. Experimental results on VisualHow, a comprehensive dataset of varying solution structures, show significant improvements in predicting steps and dependencies, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach in tackling various vision-language problems.

문제중심학습이 간호학생의 자기결정성 학습동기, 자기주도적 학습능력, 문제해결과정에 미치는 효과

Objectives This study is a single-group pre-post quasi-experimental study aimed at applying problem-based learning and identifying changes in self-determined learning motivation, self-directed learning ability, and problem-solving process. Methods The subjects of the study were 142 fourth-year nursing students at a university located in the U city who took adult nursing courses and agreed to participate in this study. Data were collected by self filling out questionnaires on self-determination learning motivation, self-directed learning ability, and problem-solving process before and after problem-based learning. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 to determine frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, and differences in variables before and after problem-based learning using paired t-test, and the relationships between variables were analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Results After problem-based learning, overall classes, the nursing students are self-determination learning motivation (t=-4.29, p<.001) and among the sub-domains of self-determination learning motivation, evaluation identified regulation (t=-2.12, p=.036), and intrinsic motivation (t=-5.13, p<.001) were significant improved. Self-directed learning ability (t=-4.31, p<.001) and among the sub-domains of Self-directed learning ability, management of learning process (t=-4.94, p<.001), evaluation of learning outcome (t=-3.38, p=.001), ego concepts (t=-2.06, p=.041), continuity of learning (t=-2.99, p=.003), and management of learning resource use (t=-3.41, p=.001) were significantly improved. In addition, problem solving process (t=-6.42, p<.001), and among the sub-domains of problem solving process, clarifying problem (t=-4.45, p<.001), seeking a solution (t=-4.86, p<.001), decision making (t=-3.72, p<.001), applying the solution (t=-5.04, p<.001), and evaluation and reflection (t=-4.72, p<.001) were signficantly improved. Conclusions This study was confirmed that classes applying problem-based learning are an effective teaching and learning method in improving nursing students' self-determined learning motivation, self-directed learning ability, and problem-solving process.

Case Study of a Social-Venture Planning Course : Focusing on Characteristics of Social Problem-Solving Processes and the Effects on Entrepreneurial Competency

This study developed an educational program, the “Social-Venture Planning Course”, to tackle social issues and aimed to identify features of the social problem-solving processes of students and to scrutinize changes in their entrepreneurial competencies. The course was designed as a liberal arts class for undergraduate students. Various qualitative data were gathered throughout the program, and entrepreneurial competency was assessed before and after the course and then analyzed. The study revealed three key characteristics in the students' problem-solving processes. First, students demonstrated a nuanced understanding of social problems, recognizing their complexity beyond a simple dichotomy of solver and affected stakeholder. Second, they showed a practical and feasible approach to solutions, prioritizing real-world applicability over idealistic perfection. Third, students displayed creativity by adapting existing solutions and presenting their own unique approaches, showcasing their ability to think innovatively within practical constraints. The Social-Venture Planning Course led to significant improvements in students' entrepreneurial competencies. Notably, substantial enhancements in problem-solving competency and management knowledge indicated the course's effectiveness in these areas, while interpersonal skills and idea generation competency remained unchanging. The study's conclusions and discussions offered valuable insights for the effective implementation of the Social-Venture Planning Course, highlighting its potential to foster a wide range of entrepreneurial competencies.

Students' Difficulty in Understanding Problems in the Contextual Problem-Solving Process

The main procedure that students need to master in the problem-solving process is understanding the problem before proceeding to the next steps. This research aims to investigate students' difficulties and the factors causing these difficulties in understanding the problem. This research is qualitative in nature and is based on the philosophy of phenomenology. The research was conducted in an eighth-grade class at one of the Junior High Schools in Bandung, consisting of 28 students. Data collection techniques included tests, interviews, and think-aloud methods. The data collection instruments used were tests and interview guides. The tests used in this research had been previously validated for content, construct, and face validity by mathematics education experts. Data analysis in qualitative research involves data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The findings of this research indicate that the difficulties faced by students in understanding the problem include difficulties in comprehending language, difficulties in grasping both explicit and implicit meanings, difficulties in identifying the necessary information, and difficulties in connecting meanings. The main factors causing students' difficulties in understanding the problem are a lack of careful reading skills and a lack of understanding of the concepts held by students.

Uncovering the creative collaborative problem-solving process of young children in Augmented Reality(AR)-based play activity

Uncovering the creative collaborative problem-solving process of young children in Augmented Reality(AR)-based play activity

Exploration of High School Students' Problem-Solving Ability Based on Gender in Fluid Material

This research explores high school students' problem-solving abilities based on gender in a static and dynamic fluid material. The type of research is quantitative descriptive research design. The population of this research was class XII students at one of the state schools in Malang, East Java. The sampling technique was purposive sampling, which was done by selecting students taught by the same teacher. The selected sample consisted of 115 students, 34 males and 81 females. The data in this study was collected by giving a test, where the test instrument used was seven essay questions on fluid material, which had a reliability coefficient of 0.70 (high). The data obtained was then analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and the ANOVA test. The research results show differences in problem-solving ability between male and female students, where female students have higher problem-solving ability than male students in all problem-solving processes. The physics approach is the highest process mastered by students, while the mathematical procedure is the lowest. A physics problem-solving process is still in the low category, indicating that efforts are needed to improve students' problem-solving ability.

Problem Solving in Dance/Movement Therapy Research: Developing an Intervention Protocol for Adults Living with Treatment Resistant Depression

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) research requires creative and innovative thinking; this paper includes two parts demonstrating this. Part one describes and delves into the creative problem solving process undertaken over 2.5 years. Four main steps were followed towards developing an intervention session plan for a first-of-its-kind DMT study in treatment resistant depression: (i) Examining pre-existing knowledge: Reviewing insights gained from clinical practice and formal literature. (ii) Assessing the need for preliminary studies: This step demonstrates how to determine and navigate the potential need for preliminary studies in novel research. (iii) Integrating existing and new research: I discuss Watson’s (Watson, Sociological Research Online 25:66–83, 2020) braiding technique and how it may help integrate insights from steps one and two. (iv) Reviewing outputs: This includes examining the developed session plan by conducting a fidelity and biases check. Each step presents reflective questions that ultimately contributed towards protocol development. The questions listed may also be a beneficial guide to novice DMT researchers embarking on novel research.

2E5-5 Modeling of the dialogue between humans and ChatGPT during creative problem-solving process

2E5-5 Modeling of the dialogue between humans and ChatGPT during creative problem-solving process

Efficiency Divide: Comparative Analysis of Human & Neural Network Algorithm Development

The paper delves into a comparative analysis between human and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in algorithm development, with a specific focus on the challenges presented in the "Advent of Code." The research thoroughly investigates the performance of Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), such as ChatGPT and Bard, in solving intricate algorithmic problems and benchmarks these results against those achieved by human participants. A sizeable portion of the study is dedicated to understanding the nuances of prompt engineering in AI and how it affects the problem-solving process, alongside exploring the choice of programming languages used by both AI and humans. The methodology of the research is extensive, involving the participation of both AI models and human subjects, who vary in their levels of programming expertise. This approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the correctness and efficiency of solutions, along with the time taken to resolve the given problems. The results from this study reveal intriguing insights. While AI models like GPTs demonstrate an impressive speed in problem resolution, they often fall short in accuracy when compared to human problem-solvers, particularly in tasks demanding deeper contextual understanding and creative reasoning. Furthermore, the study delves into the impact of time constraints on the effectiveness of problem-solving strategies employed by both AI and humans. It finds that under strict time constraints, AI models can quickly generate solutions, but these solutions may lack the depth and accuracy found in those devised by human participants. This aspect of the research highlights the trade-off between speed and precision in AI-driven problem solving. The research extends its implications beyond mere performance comparison. It suggests the potential for a synergistic approach where the computational efficiency and rapid problem-solving abilities of AI can be effectively combined with the nuanced understanding and creative problem-solving skills inherent in humans. This hybrid approach could redefine the future landscape of programming and algorithm development. The study not only provides a critical analysis of the capabilities of AI in the realm of algorithmic problem-solving but also paves the way for future exploration into the collaborative dynamics of human-AI interaction in programming. It highlights the evolving role of AI in programming and underscores the importance of balancing AI’s computational prowess with human creativity and adaptability in solving complex, real-world problems.

Student’s Collaboration and Creative Mathematical Thinking Skills in Problem-Based Learning Using Numeracy Problems

Collaboration and creative mathematical thinking are important for students. However, students' collaboration and creative mathematical thinking skills are still low because students are not used to collaborating or investigating the problem-solving process. This research aims to determine students' collaboration and creative mathematical thinking skills in the 10th grade in Problem-Based Learning using numeracy problems. This research was carried out on 25 vocational school students majoring in accounting in Palembang, Indonesia. The research method used was a mixed method. The results of research on students' collaboration skills show that most of the students are in the excellent category. Students can fulfill respect for others and commitment indicators, but the indicators of deliberation and participation are rarely fulfilled. The research results on students' creative mathematical thinking skills show that 80% are in the very good category, 16% are in the good category, and others are in the pretty good category. Students can fulfill three indicators, fluency, originality, and elaboration, but flexibility is rarely fulfilled. Creative thinking skills of students need to improve.

Student feedback on team-based learning in a preclinical oral surgery course: A pilot study

ObjectivesTeam-based learning (TBL) is a student-centered method where learning can be promoted and facilitated by changing the traditional teaching lecture into an active, dynamic, and more engaging problem-solving process. The present study evaluated the student's learning experience and satisfaction using a TBL method in a preclinical oral surgery course. MethodsTwelve TBL sessions were designed for second-year dental students. Six 3-h and 2-h sessions with various preclinical topics were conducted in academic Terms 1 and 2, respectively. Teaching activities such as tests and group discussions were included in the sessions. The last post-session questionnaire sought students' feedback and satisfaction to assess four parameters related to students’ knowledge acquirement, interpersonal skills enhancement, learning environment, and teacher–student relationships. ResultsMost average scores of the responses agreed with the related statements in the four parameters. The results of the Pearson's correlation test revealed that there was a significant relationship (r = 0.735; P < 0.05) between the parameters of the 3-h and 2-h sessions. ConclusionThe TBL method yielded positive and high levels of satisfaction, which may be attributed to the proper implementation of TBL methodology by the teacher and students.

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation Research and Practice: Taking Stock and Looking Toward the Future

ABSTRACT Family engagement and family–school partnership interventions present significant opportunities to support students who experience identified disabilities or academic or social-emotional challenges. One intervention that brings families and educators together via a collaborative problem-solving process and joint decision-making consultation framework is Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC). Decades of research has documented the efficacy of CBC for promoting positive outcomes for students through the relationship established between teachers and parents. Parent and teacher competencies and practices also improve significantly as a function of CBC. In this paper, we summarize recent research related to CBC’s efficacy for students with or at risk for developing disabilities, articulate important practices aimed at promoting and supporting collaborative partnerships, and lay out an agenda for future work.