788,721 research outputs found

    Students' Problem Solving Skills of Physics on the Gas Kinetic Theory Material

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    Some research aiming to improve problem-solving skills in physics by various learning models has been performed. So far, there is no comprehensive research that uses Inquiry-discovery learning model to improve problem solving skills (PSS) in physics with the aid of the PhET simulation in the material of kinetic theory of gases. This research aims to investigate the differences of PhET-aided Inquiry-discovery learning using a theoretical review on PSS in the material of kinetic theory of gases between the experimental class and control class. This research is a quasi-experimental study by a post-test only design. The data analysis was performed via a t-test. The analysis results showed students in the experimental get higher PSS class than those in the control class. Also, the students in the experimental class have the highest and lowest initial abilities which were still higher than the students in the control class. Hence, the inquiry-discovery learning model is recommended to enhance students' physics PSS. The implication of this research is to provide information that students can be empowered by inquairy-discovey learning model in improving PSS. Therefore, it is expected that the next researchers can explore students' PSS at each meeting in order to improve students' learning outcomes

    Working the Nexus: Teaching students to think, read and problem-solve like a lawyer

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    Despite a clear case for thinking skills in legal education, the approach to teaching these skills often appears to be implied in law curricula rather than identified explicitly. Thinking skills could be taught as part of reading law and legal problem solving. However, learning the full suite of thinking skills requires active teaching strategies which go beyond exposing students to the text of the law, and training them in its application by solving problem scenarios. The challenge for law teachers is to articulate how to learn legal thinking skills, and to do so at each level of the degree. This article outlines how the nexus between three component skills: critical legal thinking, reading law, and legal problem solving, can be put to work to provide a cohesive and scaffolded approach to the teaching of legal thinking. Although the approach in this article arises from the Smart Casual project, producing discipline-specific professional development resources directed at sessional teachers in law, we suggest that its application is relevant to all law teachers

    Happy software developers solve problems better: psychological measurements in empirical software engineering

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    For more than 30 years, it has been claimed that a way to improve software developers' productivity and software quality is to focus on people and to provide incentives to make developers satisfied and happy. This claim has rarely been verified in software engineering research, which faces an additional challenge in comparison to more traditional engineering fields: software development is an intellectual activity and is dominated by often-neglected human aspects. Among the skills required for software development, developers must possess high analytical problem-solving skills and creativity for the software construction process. According to psychology research, affects-emotions and moods-deeply influence the cognitive processing abilities and performance of workers, including creativity and analytical problem solving. Nonetheless, little research has investigated the correlation between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving performance of programmers. This article echoes the call to employ psychological measurements in software engineering research. We report a study with 42 participants to investigate the relationship between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving skills of software developers. The results offer support for the claim that happy developers are indeed better problem solvers in terms of their analytical abilities. The following contributions are made by this study: (1) providing a better understanding of the impact of affective states on the creativity and analytical problem-solving capacities of developers, (2) introducing and validating psychological measurements, theories, and concepts of affective states, creativity, and analytical-problem-solving skills in empirical software engineering, and (3) raising the need for studying the human factors of software engineering by employing a multidisciplinary viewpoint.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figures, published at Peer

    The Impact of Task- and Team-Generic Teamwork Skills Training on Team Effectiveness

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    This study examined the effects of training team members in three task- and teamgeneric teamwork skills: planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication. We first examined the degree to which task- and team-generic teamwork skills training impacted team performance on a task unrelated to the content of the training program.We then examined whether the effects of task- and team-generic teamwork skills training on team performance were due to the transfer of skills directly related to planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication. Results from 65 four-person project teams indicated that task- and team-generic teamwork skills training led to significantly higher levels of team performance. Results also indicated that the effects of task- and teamgeneric teamwork skills training on team performance were mediated by planning and task coordination and collaborative problem solving behavior. Although communication was positively affected by the task- and team-generic teamwork skills training, it did not mediate the relationship between task- and team-generic teamwork skills training and team performance.Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, as well as possible limitations and directions for future research

    Problem-solving Skills for Librarians

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    Every time a librarian conducts a reference interview, does research for a patron, teaches a workshop or bibliographic instruction session, that librarian is modeling good problem solving skills. When the same librarian is faced with the challenge of a micromanager, a coworker who is a trouble maker, or team workers who are not working, immobility sets in. These problems seem insurmountable. The same discipline and strong learning skills that propelled the librarian through graduate school, the good written and oral presentation abilities, and the critical thinking demonstrated every time librarians answer a question, are still there. Librarians are just little reluctant to flex these problem-solving muscles outside of their comfort zone. There are numerous problem-solving strategies that can be applied and the key to success is to apply one, any one. Approaching challenges in a calm, objective manner will allow librarians to employ their analytical, resourceful thinking to the development of solutions. The steps to problem-solving involve recognizing there is a problem, defining the problem, breaking it apart into components or factors, determining who is impacted, establishing a dialogue with those stakeholders, brainstorming potential solutions, and then securing involvement in change and participation toward a solution and implementation, even if steps are small. This presentation will provide examples of several problem-solving techniques that could be applied. Problem-solving frameworks will be discussed and worksheets with multiple choice problems and solutions will be reviewed. Problem scenarios will be presented and practical problem-solving techniques will be demonstrated

    How can I learn more when I collaborate in a virtual group?

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    Learning in virtual groups has been a process studied and analysed long from multiple perspectives. However, the literature is scarce when we look for models to explain information problem solving skills in online collaboration. A descriptive model of cognitive skills involved in individual information problem solving while using internet information can be found in recent research. The purpose of this study was to find out what information problem solving skills (IPS) students apply when working collaboratively online, and secondly, to analyse what differentiates students who do well on their knowledge tests after collaboration, in relation to these IPS skills. We conducted a research with more than 40 students in 10 virtual groups to analyse the correlation between learning and IPS skills applied by students during an online task that lasted more than 4 weeks. Students completed a weekly self-report with actions related to IPS skills and time devoted to the collaborative task. Findings show that students applied more frequently the skill to check the communication (30%), secondly, read de information (22%), in the third place exchange information (20%), followed by write the information (15%), analyze the information (8%), and finally, search for information (5%). However, only three skills correlate with learning: information exchange, analysis of information and checking communication. Two of them (exchange and check) are collaborative skills and one of them (analysis) is an information problem-solving skill. The conclusions of this study may provide guidelines for instructors and students on ways to improve learning in online collaborative group work

    Problem Solving in Teaching Foreign Languages to Students of Pedagogical Departments

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    The goal of the suggested article is to review some existing research dealing with application of problem solving to education and to offer some practical recommendations for methods of teacher training in foreign languages based on problem solving. The essence of problem solving in education is first of all acquisition of methods of gaining new knowledge independently, based on application of existing knowledge and skills. Thus, it is quite logical that this approach is particularly productive in teaching foreign languages to future teachers of any subjects. Several aspects of application of problem solving in teaching a foreign language are being discussed. The article suggests a description of a class dealing with the application of problem solving towards teaching a foreign language.problem solving, communicative approach, traditional pedagogy, memorization, knowledge and skills
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