Problem-Solving & Critical-Thinking/Expertise Flashcards
What is the GENERAL PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL?
1 - IDENTIFY Problem 2 - REPRESENT the problem 3 - select a STRATEGY 4 - IMPLEMENT strategy 5 - EVALUATE results
What are 2 types of STRATEGIES?
ALGORITHM - exhaustive, solution guaranteed
HEURISITC- efficient, solution is not guaranteed
Adaptable Strategies:
- trial and error
- means end analysis
- working backwards
What is Creativity?
Sternberg & Lubart - “ability to produce work that is both NOVEL and APPROPRIATE”
How can you FOSTER creativity in your students?
- Show students it is VALUED
- Focus on INTERNAL REWARDS
- Promote MASTERY of a subject area
- Ask thought-provoking QUESTIONS
- Encourage METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES that support creative thinking
- Allow students to have FREEDOM & security to take risks
What are the 5 ways of thinking?
CONVERGENT -
focus on 1 solution (lawyers, researchers)
DIVERGENT-
consider novel solutions - can overcome MENTAL SET
(artists, inventors)
ASSOCIATIVE THINKING-
recombine existing knowledge with divergent approaches
— this joins novel and PRODUCTIVE thinking =
applicable, useful, meets task constraints
CRITICAL THINKING
what you select out (of strategies) and focus on
What is functional fixedness?
- a condition of losing ability to view familiar objects in novel ways
What are the characteristics of a an EFFECTIVE LEARNER?
- FLEXIBLE problem-solvers
- Toggle between strategies
- Can REPRESENT problems efficiently
- Think DIVERGENTLY
- Can see outside of MENTAL SET
How can you IMPROVE learner PROBLEM-SOLVING?
1 - improve BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
2 - build SELF-EFFICACY through PRACTICE
3 - utilize SOCIAL INTERACTION (student modeling)
4 - provide SCAFFOLDING
5 - teach GENERAL STRATEGIES that can be ADAPTABLE
- draw/represent problem
- patience - reflect
- draw/represent problem
- Transfer of learning - using different strategies in
various settings/contexts
- utilize background knowledge to hep think divergently
6 - Instill a “ DISPOSITION FOR TRANSFER” by…
- STRUCTURED PRACTICE = promotes AUTOMATICITY
- MEANINGFUL learning
- relate problem-solving skills to another domain
CONTEXT-FREE
Teacher’s GOAL - Help students have LESS demands on
WORKING MEMORY because NOVICE learners are too OVERWHELMED (Cognitive Load Theory)
K. Ericsson
&
Gottesman
——— K. Ericsson ——–
– 1 – Believes in THE ROLE OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE & ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
– 2 – A strong proponent of ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS as mechanisms for the DEVELOPMENT of expertise
– 3 – Wrote ACQUISITION OF EXPERT PERFORMANCE, 1996 – offers factors for developing expertise are:
1 - PRACTICE
2 - REPETICION
3 - AUTOMATICITY
4 - RESOURCES ( Motivation, GRIT, Self-efficacy,
Error correction)
--------- Gottesman --------
His work relates to Ericsson’s – Gottesman analyzed how cognitive abilities are affected by the richness of the environment
– ¿Without encouragement or resources - would an individual still become an expert?
REACTION RANGE – depends on the individual’s reaction to the environment’s richness
example - their faith in themselves, their drive and passion,
their grit & perseverance
What is the difference between GENERAL intelligence and DOMAIN SPECIFIC knowledge?
—- General Intelligence —- general ability typically measured by standardized tests. Moderate to high predictor of ABILITY to NOVEL tasks
— Domain Specific Knowledge — knowledge about particular field of study. High predictor of EXPERTISE in given area
What are the 7 characteristics of an EXPERT?
EXPERTS…
- excel in one domain
- process information in LARGE UNITS
- faster than novices
- hold more information in LONG and SHORT-term memory
- REPRESENT problems at deeper level
- more time ANALYZING THE PROBLEM
- better MONITORS of their PERFORMANCE
What is TRANSFER OF LEARNING?
applying something learned at one time and location in another setting - effective learners and experts use this strategy
What does effective learning require?
- well-defined task
- appropriate difficulty level
- informative feedback
- opportunities for repetition
- corrections of erros
