The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of computer assisted instruction for teaching problem solving skills. It was conducted in three phases. During the first phase, two pieces of problem solving software, The King's Rule and Safari Search, were identified and analyzed in light of the research and theoretical literature in the fields of problem solving and computer assisted instruction. During the second phase, two groups of six fourth grade students were each observed using one piece of software for seven 30-minute sessions. Think-aloud protocols were collected at the beginning and end of the observational period. Pretests and posttests were administered to assess problem solving ability and transfer. In the third phase, these data were first analyzed separately by software, then the results were compared. While the students used limited versions of the strategies the software claimed to teach, students were also found to have developed several strategies that allowed them to succeed in the program without using the desired strategies. No transfer of the problem solving strategies was observed. This study provides specific examples of how problem solving software affects the acquisition of problem solving strategies, student learning behaviors, and transfer. Fifteen factors that should affect the acquisition of problem solving ability with computers are also provided. This study has provided a detailed picture of how students interact with problem solving software and how the nature of that interaction may vary from what was intended. This type of research will provide valuable clues for the design of effective problem solving software. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-12, Section: A, page: 3925. / Major Professor: Robert Allan Reiser. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78110 |
| Contributors | Duffield, Judith Adrienne., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 165 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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