Collaborative research: Alternative strategies for problem solving in science

本研究的目的是描述科学学习和问题解决过程中视觉空间策略和分析策略之间的相互作用。最近的研究表明，一些科学问题，一直认为需要一个空间可视化策略，实际上往往是解决的分析策略。因此，PI提出了一个三阶段的项目，以表征在一般和有机化学空间问题解决过程中的认知策略的使用。他们的目的是确定视觉空间策略的差异使用和学生和教师，高和低空间能力的个人，男性和女性的科学问题解决的分析策略的可用性。他们还将制定和评估培训这些战略的方法。在项目的第一阶段，他们将进行任务和协议分析的学生和教师解决问题的化学领域和空间能力的措施。在第二阶段，他们将收集有关学生空间能力、性别和教育背景的数据，以确定在解决视觉空间问题时使用策略的决定因素，包括一般和化学领域。在第三阶段，他们将培训化学助教，在课堂讨论部分向学生教授替代策略。他们将通过在教学前和教学后评估策略训练对不同空间能力水平的学生解决问题的影响。

The goal of the proposed research is to describe the interaction between visuo-spatial and analytical strategies during learning and problem solving in science. Recent studies have indicated that some scientific problems that had been assumed to require a spatial visualization strategy, in fact are often solved by analytic strategies. Therefore, the PIs propose a three-phase project to characterize the use of cognitive strategies during spatial problem solving in both general and organic chemistry. They aim to identify the differential use of visuo-spatial strategies and the availability of analytical strategies for scientific problem solving by students and instructors, individuals with high and low spatial ability, and men and women. They will also develop and evaluate methods of training these strategies. In Phase I of the project they will conduct task and protocol analyses of student and instructor problem solving in the domain of chemistry and in spatial ability measures. In Phase II, they will collect data on students spatial abilities, gender, and educational background to identify the determinants of strategy use in visuo-spatial problem solving, both generally and in the chemistry domain. In Phase III, they will train chemistry teaching assistants to teach alternative strategies to students in their class discussion sections. They will examine the effects of strategy training on problem solving by students of different levels of spatial abilities by assessing their strategies before an after instruction.