PHYSICS PROBLEM SOLVING

(^) Appendix D contains the episode flowcharts and corresponding transcripts for
Group 4D. I will use this group as an example of the process of deciding if there is a
typical pattern and then drawing the prototype. To draw the Group 4D prototype episode
(Figure 3-3, page 109), the flowcharts were laid side by side and common features noted
using the following procedure. Six episodes that contained numerous digressions or off-
task chatter were omitted (Episodes 3-5 and 12-14, during which the Teaching Assistant
interrupted the entire class or spoke individually to this group). Two episodes were later
combined leaving a total of seven flowcharted episodes for Group 4D. Five of the
remaining seven episodes began with a Claim, so that was the first symbol drawn on the
prototype. There are an average of about two Claims per episode. When there is a
second Claim it usually follows a Warrant. Thus, the second Claim symbol follows the
Warrant symbol. This group preferred to support their Claims with Warrants, then
Backings, and then Grounds. Warrants outnumber the Backings or Grounds by about two
to one, but many of the Warrants are multiple Warrants by one person in one sentence.
These longer sentences were split into smaller statements when the individual
components all presented unique ideas. In other words group member ST, in particular,
has a tendency to include multiple Grounds, Warrants, and Backings in one utterance.
Hence, the prototype flowchart shows two Warrants followed by Backings and Grounds.
The most common type of support statement was and Acknowledgment statement and
thus that symbol links the Backing and the Grounds symbols.