Work in progress — Robust engineering problems for the study of problem solving strategies

Abstract: In order to analyze students’ problem-solving strategies, tablet PCs were used to capture student problem solving attempts for 3 separate problems (n=76) completed by students in an introductory engineering course. Specific goals of this project include: (1) elucidate how first year engineering students utilize problem solving strategies, and (2) evaluate successful and unsuccessful problem solving strategies, as well as errors and misconceptions, in terms of cognitive and metacognitive processes. Data collected from 36 students in Spring 2011 has been analyzed using a validated coding structure. The analysis identifies relevant events within wellstructured word problems which had multiple possible ways of solving the problem but only one correct answer. To assess mental workload students experience as they solve problems, a task load index (NASA-TLX) was administered after students completed each problem. The NASATLX is a survey with six subscales: three measuring demand put on the participant by the task and three measuring stress added by the participant as a result of interacting with the task. Statistical analysis of solution data for the three problems (related to efficiency of a multi-stage solar power system, formulating an equivalent circuit, and solving for the total pressure in a system) produced interesting results related to planning and visualization tasks such as organizing information at the beginning of the problem and drawing a visual representation of the system. Statistical comparisons revealed that students who conducted a complete planning phase were more likely to obtain correct solutions (p=0.05) and students who drew diagrams with labels that illustrated the relationship of variables were associated with lower overall mental workload (p=0.036), lower mental demand (p=0.018), and lower frustration (p=0.011). This information can be used to inform researchers on different strategies that novice problem solvers use to manage the problem solving process and the effectiveness of those strategies. The ultimate goal of this project is to better design and present problems in introductory engineering courses to capitalize on strategies that lead to successful building of problem-solving skills.

TL;DR: Examination of how students solve engineering problems and identifies variations based on student factors of gender, ethnicity, mathematics preparation and achievement, and prior engineering experience indicated that pre-engineering experience did not have a significant impact on successfully solving problems; however, having completed a calculus course was significantly related to successful problem solving.

TL;DR: Data show that the sections that implemented the new strategy have statistically significant higher performance than the other sections on problem-solving using loops, which is especially true for female students.

TL;DR: Here is a familiar problem having the same or similar unknwn form and here is a problem similar to yours and solved before.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the early stages of problem solving: problem recognition, problem definition, and problem representation, and propose a carpool among people who use downtown parking lots and institute a daytime local taxi service using these privately owned vehicles.

TL;DR: In this article, the performance of a group of grade 9 mathematics students trained to use a self-explanation procedure during study of a new theorem in geometry was compared with that of students who used their usual study procedures.