Pedagogical approach

• Students work in collaborative groups solving a problem in class
• Students follow a explictly taught a problem-solving strategy
• Based on research on problem-solving
• Helps students go through the steps of an expert problem-solver.
• Use real-world context-rich problems
• Context of problems designed to help see physics applications to 'real life'
• May involve estimating quantities needed, extranious information, and lack of explicit instructions of what quantity to solve for.
• Many involve multiple parts
• Deliberately challenging to make students rely on each other and use the problem-solving method.
• Give students practice in class with peer and instructor support

Considerations

• Use a problem-solving template to reinforce strategy
• Anticipate difficult steps and agressively circulate to help groups past them
• Have copies of solutions for more difficult problems
• More information