hea departmental reps meeting leeds

Physics Education ResearchThe University of Edinburgh

What’s the problem with problem solving?

Ross Galloway

Simon Bates, Darren Hendrie, Judy Hardy,

Karon McBride, Marsali Wallace


Project themes

Uncovering how effective problem solving skills are acquired inside and outside the classroom

Evaluating the effectiveness of specific instructional measures to improve problem solving skills

1a) Self-study group networks

1b) High-time-resolution testing

2a) Problem solving rubric

2b) Student-generated problems


Self-study group networks

John Smith JCMB WorkshopAlice Brown LibraryBob Dean Pollock HallsCharlie Parker JCMB study room

Systematically survey all students in all years on who they work with at 3 points during academic year



1st year



all year groups



• ‘Live’ data gathering more effective than on-line for this sort of study

• Essentially no meaningful inter-year interactions

• Peer Assisted Learning scheme being introduced to

counter this


High-time-resolution testing

Structured problem, featuring 5 topics covering full length of course

Give same problem to different groups of students every week for whole semester

Monitor variation of ability with time and with instruction



• Simple models of ‘learning follows instruction’ do not appear to apply

• Long term and repeated exposure appears

necessary for complete acquisition of ability


Problem solving rubric

Multi-component, criterion-based assessment grid

Clearly describes student score in each problem area


• Rubric appears to promote student adoption of beneficial problem solving techniques

• Rubric makes task requirements clear to students

• Rubric facilitates student understanding of and action

on feedback



• PeerWise: Web-based MCQ repository built by students

• Students:

– develop new questions with associated explanations

– answer existing questions and rate them for quality and difficulty

– take part in discussions– can follow other authors

Student-generated problems



Workshoptraining

Live Due


16


• There is a large, untapped well of student creativity

• Good way to engage all students, and really stretch able students

• Appear to be positive correlations between student content generation and course performance (at least for some students)
