UPDATED: July 2007
WEB DESIGNER - FRANCES CAPPS
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Page content: Employability and Problem Solving
Problem solving allows students to develop and apply subject knowledge and key skills through the process of solving particular problems or tasks. There are many definitions of problem based learning (see web links, below), and a great deal of work has been undertaken within this area by specialists in the field, but some key characteristics are:
The chief finding of the questions relating to problem-solving skills in the quantitative survey concerns application of number. Over forty percent of the students surveyed found ‘interpreting numerical data’ highly, or moderately challenging (18.1 percent and 23.9 percent respectively). This finding is supported by comments from staff who have noted many students have particular difficulty interpreting data in tables and graphs. Interestingly, however, when asked to specify any particular challenges that made problem-solving activities difficult, few students were able to elaborate. Of only four responses, one student claimed not to have done any problem solving on their course, while another was not certain what was meant by the term ‘problem-solving’. This question appears to have revealed an underlying ambiguity surrounding problem-solving skills in archaeology education. Few archaeologists would disagree that problem solving is not a vital part of the subject, both academic and professional. More importantly, employers rate problem solving as one of the graduate skills. Undoubtedly, archaeology students develop these skills during their degree, but the ambiguity over the nature and role of problem solving that students in the survey expressed may argue for more explicit representation of problem solving in the archaeology curriculum.
Other sub-skills associated with problem solving that returned increased concerns among the sample were ‘applying an abstract theory to resolve a practical problem’ and ‘being intimidated by the competitive element to problem solving’ (both 11.1 percent). The first is of concern since this sub-skill is emphasized in the Archaeology Benchmarking Document, and student concern over it implies that a core element of the archaeology curriculum may not be getting across. Feelings of ‘intimidation’ are paralleled in the findings from the oral communication questions, where low student confidence was highlighted as an issue that needs to be addressed; not just because of institutional initiatives inherent in University Learning and Teaching Strategies but, more importantly, as a key criterion for successful graduate employment.
[From: Doing all right? Employment skills, disability and ethnicity among archaeology students (2003) by Michael Reynier & Annie Grant as part of the ESAC project]
Similarly, the findings from the qualitative research indicated that students across a range of curriculum areas were very uncertain about the nature of problem solving.
This issue may be due to the fact that problem solving is more closely subject related than the other key employability skills: solving a problem in the context of an English Literature course may involve a very different application of skills to those used by a Computing Student solving a problem in the context of programming. However, the actual problem solving process is likely to have common elements, and the related issue of confidence is universal.
The other thing [students on entering the University] they are weak on is problem solving. They don’t have the confidence to try something when they don’t know how it will turn out at the end. They are not prepared to make the first step. We teach problem solving in the first year programming module. We teach them how to break problems down… [Lecturer]
The above comment may reflect the transition from the learning associated with traditional ‘A’ level exam preparation - highly directed learning with an emphasis on retaining specific information – to becoming autonomous, self directed students in Higher Education, where reflecting upon and learning from one’s mistakes is a key part of the learning process.
Overall however, the ambiguity over the nature and role of problem solving that students in the survey expressed may argue for more explicit representation of problem solving in the curriculum.
Other sub-skills associated with problem solving that returned increased concerns among the quantitative sample were ‘applying an abstract theory to resolve a practical problem’ and ‘being intimidated by the competitive element to problem solving’ (both 11.1 percent). Feelings of ‘intimidation’ are paralleled in the findings from the oral communication questions, where low student confidence was highlighted as an issue that needs to be addressed; not just because of institutional initiatives inherent in University Learning and Teaching Strategies but, more importantly, as a key criterion for successful graduate employment.
The issue of confidence in relation to problem based learning may present specific difficulties for students with disabilities in the light of some of the issues relating to group work and communication which were identified by students who participated in the quantitative and qualitative research (see sections employability and oral communication, and employability and group work). However, there is little evidence that problem solving presents particular academic challenges to students with disabilities. Indeed, some students with specific learning difficulties (e.g. Dyslexia) may find that they their learning style is particularly suited to the process of problem solving, which requires a creative, imaginative approach:
Most of the literature on dyslexia focuses on the difficulties associated with reading, writing and memory tasks. However dyslexic people often demonstrate particular positive aptitudes and dyslexic students may have strengths in some of the following areas:
[Source: The University of Sheffield, Teaching Students with Dyslexia
www.shef.ac.uk/disability/teaching/dyslexia/4_positive.html ![[external link]](images/earbull.gif)
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The following web sites offer guides to the development, design and application of problem based learning:
Problem Based Learning: Guide for Educators
www.bized.ac.uk/current/pbl/educator.htm
Handbook for Economics Lecturers: Problem Based Learning
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/handbook/pbl/
This is a set of guides to inform and improve the practices of university teachers of economics; however, it is interesting and informative for teachers in all curriculum areas.
Problem Based Learning as Samford University
www.samford.edu/pbl/index.html
Writing PBL Problems – Some Suggestions
The University of Leicester: An i-Science Model Problem
www.le.ac.uk/i-science/model_problem.htm
Judith Piggott, Oxford Brookes University
Developing a PBL course in Economics: a sceptic's diary (Introduction):
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/piggott_pbl.htm
Judith Piggott, Oxford Brookes University
Developing a PBL course in Economics: a sceptic's diary (Part 2: Report on Maastrict Visit)
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/piggott_pbl2.htm
Judith Piggott, Oxford Brookes University
Developing a PBL course in Economics: a sceptic's diary (Part 3: Implementation) : www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/piggott_pbl3.htm
Pierre Picard, University of Manchester
Using Problem Based Learning and a Business Game in Teaching Managerial Economics:
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/picard_pbl.htm
Judith Piggott, Oxford Brookes University
Developing a PBL course in Economics: a sceptic's diary (Introduction):
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/piggott_pbl.htm
Frank P. Forsythe, University of Ulster at Jordanstown
Using Problem Based Learning (PBL) to Teach Economics:
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/forsythe_pbl.htm
Fran Alston and John Troy, Napier University
Evolution of a Learning Culture - Using a Case-Study in Introductory Economics as a First Step:
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/alston_case.htm
David McCausland, University of Aberdeen
Promoting Problem-Solving Based Independent Learning in Macroeconomics
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/causland_pbl.htm
Les Simpson, Heriot-Watt University
Using Resource-based Learning in Teaching First Year Economics:
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/simpson_resource.htm
Peter Pierpoint, University of Plymouth
Problem Based Learning
www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/pierpont_pbl.htm
[source: The Higher Education Academy Economics Network]
The Higher Education Academy: What is Problem Based Learning?
www.heacademy.ac.uk/3374.htm
Examples of practice relating to generic problem solving activities for students are included in, Employability and Employer Case Studies.
Links to Staff Guide