The Effect of Case-Based vs. Systematic Problem Solving in a Computer-Mediated Collaborative Environment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of instructional method (case-based approach vs. systematic approach) and collaborative group size on learners' ability to solve ill-defined problems in a web-based environment. Working in teams of two (dyads) or teams of four (quads), the participants learned how to solve problems using case-studies (case-based approach) or they learned a four step problem-solving process (systematic approach). The participants first worked through a web-based instructional program that taught them the problem-solving approach. Then, they applied the problem-solving approach to solve realistic problem scenarios. Results indicated that participants who worked in dyads performed significantly better than participants who worked in quads on one of two problem scenarios.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA412523

Entities

People

  • Daniel Uribe

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Case Studies
  • Computer Communications
  • Computers
  • Data Analysis
  • Department Of Defense
  • Distance Learning
  • Educational Technology
  • Information Science
  • Institutional Review Board
  • Instructors
  • Psychology
  • Students
  • Surveys
  • Teamwork
  • Web Browsers

Readers

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  • STEM Education
  • Systems Analysis and Design