home - login - register

Journal Article Detail Page

Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research
Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems
written by Lin Ding, Neville W. Reay, Albert Lee, and Lei Bao
It is well documented that when solving problems experts first search for underlying concepts while students tend to look for equations and previously worked examples. The overwhelming majority of end-of-chapter (EOC) problems in most introductory physics textbooks contain only material and examples discussed in a single chapter, rarely requiring a solver to conduct a general search for underlying concepts. Hypothesizing that complete reliance on EOC problems trains students to rely on a nonexpert approach, we designed and implemented "synthesis" problems, each combining two major concepts that are broadly separated in the teaching timeline. To provide students with guided conceptual scaffolding, we encapsulated each synthesis problem into a sequence with two preceding conceptually based multiple-choice questions. Each question contained one of the major concepts covered in the subsequent synthesis problem. Results from a small-scale interview study and two large-scale written tests showed that the scaffolding encouraged students to search for and apply appropriate fundamental principles in solving synthesis problems, and that repeated training using scaffolded synthesis problems also helped students to make cross-topic transfers.
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education - Applied Research
- Instructional Material Design
Education - Basic Research
- Cognition
= Cognition Development
- Learning Theory
= Transfer
- Problem Solving
= Expert-Novice Comparisons
- Student Characteristics
= Skills
- Lower Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
PER-Central Type Intended Users Ratings
- PER Literature
- Researchers
  • Currently 0.0/5

Want to rate this material?
Login here!


Formats:
application/pdf
text/html
Mirror:
https://doi.org/doi:10.1103/PhysR…
Access Rights:
Free access
License:
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
Rights Holder:
American Physical Society
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.7.020109
NSF Number:
0618128
PACSs:
01.40.Fk
01.40.Ha
Keywords:
Problem Solving, Scaffolding
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created April 30, 2012 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
May 21, 2012 by Vince Kuo
Last Update
when Cataloged:
October 14, 2011
ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link
AIP Format
L. Ding, N. Reay, A. Lee, and L. Bao, , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 7 (2), 020109 (2011), WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802).
AJP/PRST-PER
L. Ding, N. Reay, A. Lee, and L. Bao, Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 7 (2), 020109 (2011), <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802>.
APA Format
Ding, L., Reay, N., Lee, A., & Bao, L. (2011, October 14). Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res., 7(2), 020109. Retrieved December 10, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802
Chicago Format
Ding, L, N. Reay, A. Lee, and L. Bao. "Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems." Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 7, no. 2, (October 14, 2011): 020109, https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802 (accessed 10 December 2024).
MLA Format
Ding, Lin, Neville Reay, Albert Lee, and Lei Bao. "Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems." Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 7.2 (2011): 020109. 10 Dec. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{ Author = "Lin Ding and Neville Reay and Albert Lee and Lei Bao", Title = {Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems}, Journal = {Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res.}, Volume = {7}, Number = {2}, Pages = {020109}, Month = {October}, Year = {2011} }
Refer Export Format

%A Lin Ding %A Neville Reay %A Albert Lee %A Lei Bao %T Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems %J Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. %V 7 %N 2 %D October 14, 2011 %P 020109 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A Ding, Lin %A Reay, Neville %A Lee, Albert %A Bao, Lei %D October 14, 2011 %T Exploring the role of conceptual scaffolding in solving synthesis problems %J Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. %V 7 %N 2 %P 020109 %8 October 14, 2011 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11934&DocID=2802


Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.

Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The AJP/PRST-PER presented is based on the AIP Style with the addition of journal article titles and conference proceeding article titles.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.

Save to my folders

Contribute

Similar Materials