Supporting problem solving and knowledge construction using a dual-mapping learning environment

Abstract

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has been widely adopted as an important approach to medical education in order to help students master knowledge by solving authentic problems. However, the effect of PBL on students’ construction of a well-organized knowledge base is found not satisfactory. It is assumed that learning a concept found in a problem will automatically result in that concept being used to solve other problems, which is not always the case. Knowledge gained from practice is found difficult to retain and reuse as a result of contextualization and dynamic aspects of actual problem-solving practice. Reciprocity between practice and knowledge has been insufficiently investigated in existing studies.

The purpose of this study was to address the challenge by aligning knowledge construction with problem solving through the design of a computer-based cognitive tool and implementation of the tool into an online learning environment. The tool consists of the argument mapping technique to represent the problem-solving processes and the concept mapping technique to represent the knowledge constructed from the problem-solving experience, so called dual-mapping tool.

This study adopted a design-based research paradigm with two rounds of design and evaluation to explore how the proposed dual-mapping learning (DML) environment could be designed to externalize and connect the problem-solving and knowledge-construction processes and to evaluate how effectively the DML environment could support PBL.

The design of the DML environment was underpinned by the cognitive apprenticeship model, which is widely used in situated learning contexts such as PBL. The model highlights the importance of offering an authentic learning context, externalizing complex cognitive processes, and providing expert guidance on learning processes. Accordingly, the proposed DML environment consists of an authentic problem context for exploration, a dual-mapping tool for articulation and reflection of problem-solving and knowledge-construction processes, and expert support for modeling, coaching, and scaffolding these complex processes.

The evaluation study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the DML environment in terms of its acceptance by students, students’ problem-solving and knowledge-construction performances, and its impact on learning emotions and motivation to learn. Medical students from two medical schools in Mainland China participated in the study to use the DML environment. Multiple-source data was collected from questionnaire surveys, pre-and post-competency tests, semi-structured interviews, and log file data of online learning records, and was analyzed through descriptive statistical analysis, analysis of means, correlation analysis, analysis of variance, and content analysis. The evaluation results suggested that the students found the DML environment useful, and that the DML environment was effective in improving clinical problem-solving and medical-knowledge construction performance, as well as activating positive emotions and motivation in PBL. The findings of the study have practical implications for educators and learning technology designers as well as theoretical implications for educational researchers.