Developing and Cultivating Meta-Cognitive Strategies to Invoke Conceptual Knowledge Relevant to Engineering Problem Solving

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed research focuses on developing metacognitive strategies in the foundational engineering subject of Statics. The literature on problem-solving indicates that even if students understand the concepts necessary to solving particular problems, that knowledge, in isolation, is not sufficient to guarantee success. Strategies for organizing the problem-solving task, and for retrieving the appropriate conceptual knowledge, are also necessary. The PI's previous investigations of conceptual understanding in Statics, based on observations of students' problem solving efforts, led to the development of a preliminary method for assessing that understanding. The PIs propose to develop and test the effectiveness of candidate metacognitive strategies in helping students learn to integrate conceptual elements while constructing solutions. The PIs will also monitor whether students possess the relevant underlying conceptual knowledge. In addition, the proposed research seeks to develop methods for cultivating student ability to use such strategies, both in the classroom and in informal groups of students outside of class. The proposal includes the development of a new computer-based methodology for recording problem solving of students. The proposed project will also make use of technology to enhance learning through their extension of the Classroom Communication Systems to the in-class assessment of metacognitive strategies.