Scaffolding ill-structured problem solving in asynchronous online discussions

Abstract

Solving ill-structured problems is an important learning outcome in education. An asynchronous online discussion, with extended time for reflection, is an appropriate learning environment to engage learners in solving ill-structured problems. However, scaffolds may be needed to support learners in the online discussions. This study explores the effect of online scaffolds in supporting a group of graduate students' ill-structured problem solving processes in an asynchronous online discussion. Results of this study showed that the use of the online scaffolds did not lead to a significant difference in the number of message units for ill-structured problem solving. Further analysis revealed that wrong selection of message labels and un-intended use of sentence openers affected the results of this study. Improvements for online scaffolds include having more precise message labels and sentence openers based on Socratic questioning approach.