Assessing Transfer of Learning in Problem Solving from the Perspective of Preparation for Future Learning

Abstract

Abstract:The preparation of future learning (PFL) perspective posits that transfer can be measured by how effectively students can learn to solve new problems. This contrasts with the sequestered problem solving (SPS) perspective which focuses on whether students can solve new problems unaided. We developed a tutorial to facilitate students" understanding and application of mathematical differentiation in physics problems. One group of students utilized our tutorial, while a control group received a traditional lesson on the same topic. After instruction, each group completed a SPS transfer task. Following that they received computer-based hints to aid them on same transfer task. The extent to which students successfully used these hints assessed their PFL transfer. We found that students who completed the tutorial did not outperform the control group on the SPS task, but they did outperform them on the PFL transfer task.

Students’ Views of Math and Physics Problems: Structure vs. Content

“…Work by Chi, Feltovich and Glaser was perhaps the first major study in this area. 6 By asking both experts and novices to identify similarities between problems, they found that novices tended to focus on the surface features of a problem while experts focused on the physics principles being used. These studies were later supported by a number of works, though one notable study indicated that even experts may at times be misled by the problem structure.…”