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Group Problem Solving in Class Improves Undergraduate Learning.

ABSTRACT: Developing methods for improving student learning is a long-standing goal in undergraduate science education. However, the extent to which students working on problems in small groups versus individually results in improved learning among undergraduate science students has not been evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. We have performed such a trial with 80 students in an undergraduate biochemistry class, in which students were randomized to either learning in groups or learning individually. All students participated in the same class, which consisted of a lecture with periodic breaks for students to solve problems using an audience response system. Students in the individual learning condition answered these questions on their own, but students in the group-based learning condition answered these questions in an assigned group of four students. At the end of the class, all students then took the same exam as individuals. The exam had two types of questions-recall questions, in which students had to simply recall information provided to them, and predict questions, in which students had to apply their new knowledge to a new context. Students in the individual and group-based learning conditions performed similarly well on recall questions. However, students who had been in the group-based learning condition performed significantly better as individuals on the predict questions. This suggests that learning in groups may be more effective than individual learning for undergraduate science students, particularly for applying their knowledge to new contexts; this highlights the potential need for pedagogical approaches in undergraduate science courses that incorporate learning in groups.

SUBMITTER: Stockwell BR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5492254 | biostudies-other | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Collaborative problem-solving has been gaining attention as more and more students and employees work together all around the world to find solutions to complex problems. This trend goes hand in hand with a growing interest in the role of affective processes in learning and problem-solving fields. However, the comprehension of real-time dynamics between emotional sharing and collaborative exchanges (what we propose to call "collaborative act") still needs to be deepened. The challenge is especially on understanding the interplay between real-time changes in epistemic and relational dimensions. In this study, we propose to explore this question in dyadic creative problem-solving. Eleven pairs of participants used an argument graph tool to co-create a slogan against violence at school. The tool was used to write down slogans and build a joint map of the group argumentation. During the collaboration, they had access to an emotion awareness tool, allowing them to share emotional labels in real time. An indicator of real-time use was computed to track ongoing changes in collaborative acts during collaboration. Then, using both inferential and descriptive statistics, we first investigated whether emotional sharing induces real-time adaptation of both emitter's and receiver's collaborative acts. Second, we looked at privileged relationships between emitter's collaborative acts, emitter's emotion sharing, and receiver's collaborative acts. The preliminary results obtained (1) confirm that emotional sharing regulates emitter's and receiver's collaborative acts and (2) strongly suggest that specific emotions mark specific patterns of collaboration in different collaborative phases, implying both the epistemic and the relational spaces of collaboration. These results highlight the value of studying emotional sharing for a deeper comprehension of the factors regulating collaborative problem-solving. Perspectives in educational psychology and computer science are considered, with the will to understand and promote better self- and co-regulation of collaborative problem-solving through emotional sharing.

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Group Problem Solving in Class Improves Undergraduate Learning.

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