Online Tutorial SOLVEIT for Enhancing Biology Undergraduates' Problem-Solving Skills

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Explorations at the Intersection of Technology and Learning

Abstract

To support the development of students’ skills to solve biology problems, we designed and created an online tutorial program, SOLVEIT. The program provides students with biology problems and takes them through a scaffolded problem-solving process. This study investigated undergraduates' problem-solving skills before and after using SOLVEIT. We conducted a qualitative study employing modified think-aloud protocols with sixteen undergraduates in an introductory biology course. The findings suggest that SOLVEIT supports the improvement of students’ problem-solving procedures. The implication of this work is that that an online tutorial program can support the development of students' expertise in science problem solving by guiding students to engage in scaffolded problem-solving processes.

Authors

• Hyun Kim, Berkeley College

• Kathryn Dye

• Janette R. Hill, University of Georgia - Athens

• Paula P Lemons, University of Georgia - Athens