scholarly journals Elements of a cognitive model of physics problem solving: Epistemic games

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Tuminaro ◽  
Edward F. Redish
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Epistemic Games

Epistemic games in substance characterization

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1029-1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Sevian ◽  
Steven Couture
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Physics Education ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Physical Review ◽  
Educational Levels ◽  
Physics Students ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Epistemic Games ◽  
Attention To Students ◽  
Sensitive Knowledge

Problem solving is lauded as beneficial, but students do not all learn well by solving problems. Using the resources framework, Tuminaro J., and Redish E. F., (2007), Elements of a cognitive model of physics problem solving: Epistemic games,Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research,3(2), 020101 suggested that, for physics students, this puzzle may be partially understood by paying attention to underlying epistemological assumptions that constrain the approaches students take to solving problems while working on them. They developed an approach to characterizing epistemic games, which are context-sensitive knowledge elements concerning the nature of knowledge, knowing and learning. As there is evidence that context-activated knowledge influences problem solving by students in chemistry, we explored identifying epistemic games in students’ problem solving in chemistry. We interviewed 52 students spanning six courses from grade 8 through fourth-year university, each solving 4 problems. Using 16 contexts with substance characterization problems, we identified 5 epistemic games with ontological and structural stability that exist in two larger epistemological frames. All of these epistemic games are present at all educational levels, but some appear to grow in across educational levels as others recede. Some games also take lesser and greater precedence depending on the problem and the chemistry course in which students are enrolled and the context of the problem. We analyze these results through a frame of learning progressions, paying attention to students’ ideas and how these ideas are contextualized. Based on this analysis, we propose teaching acts that instructors may use to leverage the natural progressions of how students appear to grow in their capacity to solve problems.

scholarly journals Insight and Search in Katona’s Five-Square Problem

2014 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Öllinger ◽  
Gary Jones ◽  
Günther Knoblich
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Problem Representation ◽  
Problem Space ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Insight Problem ◽  
Insight Problem Solving ◽  
Representational Change ◽  
Human Thinking

Insights are often productive outcomes of human thinking. We provide a cognitive model that explains insight problem solving by the interplay of problem space search and representational change, whereby the problem space is constrained or relaxed based on the problem representation. By introducing different experimental conditions that either constrained the initial search space or helped solvers to initiate a representational change, we investigated the interplay of problem space search and representational change in Katona’s five-square problem. Testing 168 participants, we demonstrated that independent hints relating to the initial search space and to representational change had little effect on solution rates. However, providing both hints caused a significant increase in solution rates. Our results show the interplay between problem space search and representational change in insight problem solving: The initial problem space can be so large that people fail to encounter impasse, but even when representational change is achieved the resulting problem space can still provide a major obstacle to finding the solution.

scholarly journals Expert system for building cognitive model of a student using 8-puzzle game and for career assessment

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.27) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
V Chandra Prakash ◽  
J K. R. Sastry ◽  
K. Anusha ◽  
P Ashok Kumar ◽  
N. Venkatesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Expert System ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Software Industry ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Career Assessment ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Cumulative Grade Point Average ◽  
Academic Record

Career assessment is useful for a student in order to know the suitable jobs for him/her in future basing on student’s knowledge memory power, Intelligence, psychological aptitude, etc. During the academic program of a student, it is very important to assess the appropriate career(s), so that a student can select some appropriate electives and some specialized subjects, which lead to an appropriate career(s). In the process of academic program of a student, it is highly essential to plan his/her career. Generally, the career counselor in an institution analyzes the student’s academic record/Cumulative Grade Point Average (C.G.P.A.) and predicts suitable career(s) in industry. In case of students belonging to Computer Science and Engineering branch, counselor will suggest some appropriate jobs in software industry viz. software designer, software engineer, tester, marketing person, etc. based on the academic record. Apart from academic record, one should also consider the student’s psychological factors like intelligence, problem solving ability, patience, etc. to predict a better career. We developed an expert system for predicting career by assessing psychological factors of a student like problem solving ability, intelligence and patience levels of a student. In order to assess these psychological factors, we developed 8-puzzle game to assess student’s intelligence and planning ability levels, fastness in playing game, and patience levels. The system requests the student to play 8-puzzle game many times and displays the scores of student. A career table is designed which consists of list of careers in software industry and the minimum levels of requirements in academic record, intelligence, patience, etc. The academic record and psychological factors of the student are compared with the minimum levels required for each career and thus the system predicts the matching career(s) for the student.  

Cognitive Model of Problem-Solving in Chess

Science ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 169 (3941) ◽  
pp. 209-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Scurrah ◽  
D. A. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Model

scholarly journals OBSTACLES MODELLING REALITY: TWO EXPLORATORY STUDIES ON PHYSICS DEFINED AND UNDEFINED PROBLEMS

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 883-895
Author(s):  
María Elena Truyol ◽  
Vicente Sanjosé ◽  
Zulma Gangoso
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Key Words ◽  
External Validity ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Academic Problems ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Experimental Problem ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

One important skill to be developed in future physicists is modelling reality using physics. Problem-solving is the activity most used to teach, learn and assess physics skills at the university level. However, most of the problems habitually used in physics subjects seem not to encourage developing this skill. Two empirical exploratory studies were conducted. Educational materials were analysed to contrast the hypothesis asserting that most of the academic problems would not help students to develop the modelling skills. Secondly, with the proposed ‘Physics Problem Understanding Model’, two kinds of experimental problems were elaborated. A small group of experts solved the experimental problems in an interview. The hypothesis stated that there would be evident differences between skills associated with the solving procedures of each type of experimental problem. Results served to contrast the cognitive model proposed for sufficiency and supported the hypotheses even though further studies are needed to obtain external validity. Key words: cognitive model, modelling skills, problem solving, problem statements, university level.

Tracing Problem Solving in Real Time: fMRI Analysis of the Subject-paced Tower of Hanoi

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1261-1274 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Anderson ◽  
Mark V. Albert ◽  
Jon M. Fincham
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Architecture ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Tower Of Hanoi ◽  
Manual Responses ◽  
Prefrontal Region ◽  
Motor Actions

Previous research has found three brain regions for tracking components of the ACT-R cognitive architecture: a posterior parietal region that tracks changes in problem representation, a prefrontal region that tracks retrieval of task-relevant information, and a motor region that tracks the programming of manual responses. This prior research has used relatively simple tasks to incorporate a slow event-related procedure, allowing the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response to go back to baseline after each trial. The research described here attempts to extend these methods to tracking problem solving in a complex task, the Tower of Hanoi, which involves many complex steps of cognition and motor actions in rapid succession. By tracking the activation patterns in these regions, it is possible to predict with intermediate accuracy when participants are planning a future sequence of moves. The article describes a cognitive model in the ACT-R architecture that is capable of explaining both the latency data in move generation and the BOLD responses in these three regions.

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