Using Computers as Personal Problem Solving Coaches

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Physics (13). This project creates a set of web-delivered computer programs to provide students with effective coaching while they practice solving problems in the context of an introductory physics course. It provides individualized guidance and feedback while they solve problems in a variety of contexts which fulfills a major goal of education. These programs, known as Computer-Assisted Problem-Solving (CAPS) Coaches, draw on research on teaching students effective problem-solving skills and on using computers to provide students with individualized guidance and feedback from the cognitive science, human-computer interactions, and physics education literatures. Assessments of the CAPS Coaches for educational efficacy are conducted with students in large-enrollment introductory physics classes for physical science and engineering majors. As part of the assessment, a rubric suitable is being developed for evaluating the problem-solving skills of large numbers of students based on their written problem solutions. The CAPS Coaches are (1) highly interactive, (2) make explicit the thought processes necessary for effective problem solving, (3) use a modified reciprocal-teaching strategy to give students practice in the basic cognitive functions necessary for effective problem solving, (4) provide students with individualized guidance and feedback based on careful instructional design, and (5) accommodate the multiple solution paths students might choose for solving a problem. Intellectual merit: This project contributes to the knowledge base on how to design effective instruction (computer based or not) to help students improve their problem-solving skills. It provides an exemplary model of the application of research from diverse fields to the production of practical tools to improve student learning in real-world contexts. Broader impacts: The development of the rubric for assessing problem-solving skills can speed the development and adoption of innovative instructional materials targeted at problem solving by making evaluations of such materials more convenient and quicker to perform. Technology can improve education by providing students with (1) more interactive and individualized instruction, (2) opportunities to receive effective instruction outside the classroom, and (3) access to alternative forms of instruction. This can be especially important to students for whom standard instruction is insufficient, such as distance-education students, students with disabilities, under-prepared students, or students underrepresented in science.