I am interested in developing students’ problem-solving abilities for real-world problems, including the ability to consider multiple perspectives, to think creatively, to identify stakeholders and power dynamics, and to work collaboratively. My background as a non-profit worker and community organizer, as well as a professional development program coordinator has provided me with unique experiences solving real-world problems, as well as experiencing the consequences of poorly designed solutions.

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          When I took EDIT 6190, the design studio, I was struck with how similar design-thinking was to the type of thinking I engaged in when working on community-based issues. Using planning, prototyping, and empathy to solve a problem is a way to take action while simultaneously continuing to learn more to better define the problem to then develop the most appropriate solutions. When I realized looking at this problem-solving process is what was meant by “research on real-world problem-solving,” I was excited to explore this complicated topic further.

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          My main interest is in exploring the concept of historical inquiry, or historical thinking, to determine what the process looks like for experts, as well as the difficulties for novices. Historical inquiry may be useful as a problem-solving model outside of the social sciences. Historical thinking involves weighing consequences and learning lessons from previous attempts at problem-solving, and therefore involves an ethical dimension that other problem-solving models do not. My main questions regarding historical thinking are: Can historical thinking provide us a better way to understand the contexts in which we make decisions?  Can we use historical thinking to understand the social implications, cause and effect, of our decisions?

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          The skills required to solve the ill-defined problems of today’s world do not come naturally, in fact, providing students experience with real-world problem-solving is a substantial instructional challenge. Choi, Hong, Park, & Lee (2013) offer insight into how this challenge may be met in formal learning environments: including having students work through problems at critical decision points, providing expert opinion, and giving students a chance to reflect on their thinking, within the context of a real-world scenario. I plan to develop a problem-solving model based on historical thinking to use to design educational environments for socially responsible problem-solving skills in various contexts. I am currently learning more about inquiry in STEM domains to identify how historical inquiry may enhance the process.

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          In addition to historical thinking as a problem-solving model, I am continuing to collaborate with two other students on a perspective-taking assessment we began in EDIT 9990. We are looking at implementing the perspective-taking assessment in undergraduate classrooms. I believe perspective-taking is an important part of historical thinking, and in real-world problem solving. The research project aims to develop an assessment that is easy for instructors to implement, and will help us better understand the perspective-taking process. 

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          I would also like to begin learning to create the collaborative online game I designed in EDIT 6190. If technically feasible, I want to incorporate my research on historical thinking and problem solving to create content for the game. The purpose of the game is to develop collaboration skills, to prepare students to engage in problem-based learning with novel content. Currently, the design is based on middle school students, but I would like to develop a version for use in higher education.

 

The following are key resources in my research.

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• Bransford, J., & Stein, B. S. (1984). The ideal problem solver: a guide for improving thinking, learning, and creativity. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 1984.

• Buehl, M. M., & Alexander, P. A. (2006). Examining the dual nature of epistemological beliefs. International Journal of Educational Research, 45(1–2), 28-42.

• Choi, I., & Lee, K. (2009). Designing and implementing case-based learning environments for enhancing ill-structured problem solving skills: Classroom management problems for prospective teachers. Educational Technology Research & Development, 57(1), 99-129.

• Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., & Gijbels, D. (2003). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis. LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION, 13, 533-568. doi:10.1016/S0959-4752(02)00025-7

• Jonassen, D. H., & Hung, W. (2008). All problems are not equal: Implications for problem-based learning. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 2(2), 6-28.

• Jonassen, D. H. (2011). Learning to solve problems : A handbook for designing problem-solving learning environments: New York : Routledge, 2011.

• Kuhn, D. (1999). A developmental model of critical thinking. Educational Researcher, 28(2), 16-26.

• Seixas, P. (2017). A Model of Historical Thinking. Educational Philosophy & Theory, 49(6), 593-605.

• Spoehr, K. T., & Spoehr, L. W. (1994). Learning to think historically. Educational Psychologist, 29(2), 71-77.

• Sternberg, R. J., & Frensch, P. A. (1991). Complex problem solving : principles and mechanisms. Hillsdale, N.J. : L. Erlbaum Associates, 1991.

• Vygotsky, L. S., & Cole, M. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes: Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978.

• Wineburg, S. (1991). Historical problem solving: A study of the cognitive processes used in the evaluation of documentary and pictorial evidence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(1), 73-87.

• Wineburg, S. (2001). Historical thinking and other unnatural acts: Charting the future of teaching the past. Critical perspectives on the past. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.