The Context

Honors Organismal Biology course 120 junior level students 3rd semester of 4 semester curriculum students work in permanent groups, during class group problems are “upper Bloom’s” exam-style problems

The QuestionsDoes requiring students to write out their thinking processes and problem solving strategies help them improve their problem solving abilities?Does sharing their written thinking processes and problem solving strategies with their peers help them improve their problem solving abilities?

Teaching Goals:develop problem solving skillstransfer problem solving skills to new problemsdevelop appropriate study skills, strategies, and habits

Why is this interesting?

thinking and problem solving skills are transferable

thinking and problem solving skills are higher order Bloom’s

Study Design Overview

Fall class 2x per week use same problems in Yr1 and Yr2 neurophysiology, renal, and GI sections (maybe more)

Study Design Baseline data

(pre/post) metacognitive awareness survey (pre/post) study process questionnaire (pre/post) problem solving self-confidence GPA, Biocore GPA

(Yr1) individual problem solutions (rubric)

(Yr2) individual problem solutions & intervention:

documented problem solutions (rubric)

Class Yr1

10 min individual problem solution turn in solution 10 min group problem solution turn in group solution class review of problem grade individual and group solutions measure difference

Class Yr210 min individual problem solution5 min outline strategy used to solve the problem turn in solution and individual strategy 10 min group problem solution 5 min outline group strategy turn in group solution and group strategy class review of problem grade individual and group solutions measure difference

Analysis

develop rubric to assess problem solutions (ability)

develop rubric to assess problem solution strategies

AnalysisDoes writing problem solution strategies

improve problem solving ability?compare problem solving ability in Yr1 vs. Yr2

correlate changes in problem solving ability throughout Y2 with changes in individual strategy outlines in Y2

compare pre-post metacognitive, study skills, and self-confidence in problem solving ability surveys