Linking factual and procedural knowledge in solving science problems: A case study in a thermodynamics course

Abstract

Well-specified problems of the type presented boxed in the introduction to this article are extremely common in science courses. Unfortunately, this does not mean that students find them easy to solve, even when a teacher provides model answers to problems which differ only marginally (in the teacher's eyes) from those put before the students. The central difficulty with such courses is that they do not embody instructional principles that reflect students' need for "direction" in problem solving. In this article, we describe how the necessary heuristics and strategic knowledge were built into the remake of a conventional thermodynamics course. In contrast to mainstream American work on learning problem solving we chose to direct our curriculum reconstruction using the Gal'perin theory of stage-by-stage formation of mental actions and Landa's description of the "through" systematization of knowledge. As indicated by both, we first developed an integrated system of instructional objectives: a programme of actions and methods (PAM) to solve problems in thermodynamics. Then the plan of instruction was designed. This plan indicates which instructional procedures and materials should be used to realize the instructional functions, derived from the learning theory. The evaluation design contained two control and three experimental courses. In discussing our main findings, we consider the generalizability of the procedures we followed in constructing the PAM and the instructional plan.

Outlining the teaching–learning process: Piotr Gal'perin's contribution

“…It appears that under these circumstances the content of the charts is learnt unexpectedly easily (as is often the case when learners are making cheat sheets) and incidentally in the process of executing learning tasks. Empirically, this advantage of the use of orienting charts has been verified by Carpay (1974) who designed a chart for choosing the correct form of Russian verbs; Mettes, Pilot, & Roossink (1981) who designed a chart that students can use to orient themselves to problem solving in a thermodynamics course; and Van Engen (1994b) who used it as the basis for teaching the motor skill of handwriting in elementary school (as discussed below).…”

Which events can cause iteration in instructional design? An empirical study of the design process

“…Design tasks cannot be solved with general knowledge only, but require a substantial amount of professional, domain-specific knowledge (de Jong, 1986;Mettes et al, 1981): knowledge about problem situations as they normally occur in a specific domain, declarative knowledge such as principles and laws that are valid in the domain and procedural knowledge about the actions that are likely to lead to a solution. This is certainly true for the design of specifications for complex instructional products: designers need extensive knowledge of the task domain and the technical systems to be used as well as knowledge about learning and instructional design.…”

The effects of the use of a conversational model and opportunities for reflection in computer-based role-playing

“…In a conversational model, a heuristic sequence and content of actions is described that characterizes an optimal approach to solve interpersonal problems. Based on a specification of the actions and methods that ensure a systematic approach to problem solving (SAP-analysis, one possible approach to analyze ill-defined skills; Mettes, Pilot, & Roossink, 1981), a heuristic procedure is formulated to model performance of the skill. For instance, the conversational model of the interpersonal skill "telling bad news" used in the current study is as follows.…”