PHYSICS PROBLEM SOLVING

(^)
problem is broken down into a series of more manageable steps. The ultimate goal is to
move the student from the novice stage to a competence state (cf. pp. 36-37). The steps
in the strategy were summarized in the Table 2-2, pages 33-34.
Students adopt this strategy more readily if they are given peer support through
the use of cooperative groups (Heller and Hollabaugh, 1992). In fact the original
motivation for using cooperative learning in physics courses at the University of
Minnesota was to facilitate problem solving. The language of the problem-solving
strategy is very evident when a group discusses a problem.
Several aspects of this research on problem solving shaped the design of this
study as well as the Physics 1041/1942 course. Students worked in groups of three and
used this specific problem solving strategy. The strategy broke larger steps into smaller,
more manageable steps. This research focuses on the physics description due to the
fundamental importance of the description to the solution of the problem.
Cooperative Learning
It was the intent of the Physics 1041/1042 course designers that the “Minnesota
Model” of cooperative group problem solving would be followed. This model is based
on the work of Roger Johnson (Science Education) and David Johnson (Educational
Psychology) at the University of Minnesota. The language of their model of cooperative
learning permeates this research, so a discussion of the model is necessary. Throughout
this dissertation I will refer to this as the Johnson Model. At the University of Minnesota
Kenneth Heller (Physics) and Patricia Heller (Science Education) have further applied
this model to physics problem solving. Their motivation for utilizing cooperative