Learning Geometry Problem Solving by Studying Worked Examples

Abstract

I would like to acknowledge everyone who contributed to the completion of this thesis. My supervisor, Professor John Sweller for his immeasurable support, inspiration, and continued encouragement; my gratitude for him is beyond words. My coadvisor Professor Slava Kalyuga for his valuable insight and guidance. John and Slava were very cooperative and responded promptly to emails and queries. I am grateful for their patience and persistence especially during the writing of this thesis. My mum, her soul did not leave me a minute during this journey. I followed her advice and the path that she taught me in life to complete this task. I only wish she was here now to see my achievements! My dad, who always wanted me to be "Dr. Sahar" and continuously reminded me of his trust in my abilities. He worked very hard all his life to provide me with the highest educational standard in order to reach this goal. I am very happy that I was able to fulfil his dream. My sisters Boriada & Sawsan, my sisters in law, Nabiha, Samira, Samia, Sanaa, & Missou, My special nephew Rami, and my brother in law Walid. The support that they all provided my family and me during this period was beyond expectations. My overseas friends: Fatima, Nadia, Samar, Suzy, and Majed. The genuine and enormous help that they provided my family during my absence is unforgettable. I am very thankful for your sincere friendship. A special acknowledgment to Rana, Chee, & Linda for following my progress step by step. My previous manager Chris, who always believed in my capabilities and encouraged me to reach my ultimate potential, the regular professional conversation enhanced my commitment to the task. My friend Kusai and his family for providing a loving family support that pulled me up in hard days. My friend Joe for creating the essential network that facilitated the substantial amount of participants to conduct the experiments of this thesis.

The effects of computer simulation and animation (CSA) on students' cognitive processes: A comparative case study in an undergraduate engineering course

“…This study is a case study in which a worked example problem was developed to teach students the Principle of Work and Energy, one of the most important concepts in engineering dynamics. A significant amount of research has illustrated the effectiveness of using worked examples to help students learn a variety of subject matters (Atkinson, Derry, Renkl, & Wortham, 2000;Bokosmaty, Sweller, & Kalyuga, 2015). The worked example problem developed from this study is described in the following paragraphs.…”

“…A significant amount of research has illustrated the effectiveness of using worked examples to help students learn a variety of subject matters (Atkinson, Derry, Renkl, & Wortham, 2000;Bokosmaty, Sweller, & Kalyuga, 2015). The worked example problem developed from this study is described in the following paragraphs.…”

The Effects of Differentiation of Content in Problem-solving in Learning Geometry in Secondary School

“…(Flores et al, 2012, Bokosmaty et al, 2015. It is especially important to develop learning environments that assess levels of learner' prior knowledge and accordingly alter instructional support levels (Bokosmaty et al, 2015) and that differentiated geometry teaching affects the spatial ability level of students (Kok & Davasligil, 2014). By building these "problem-solving competencies, students will strengthen their conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, productive disposition, and adaptive reasoning abilities" (Abdullah et al, 2014:166).…”

“…Research findings that are in accordance with findings of other research, show better adjustment of teaching students by differentiation which gains better results with students of lower knowledge level and have a smaller influence on students with higher level of knowledge. (Flores et al, 2012, Bokosmaty et al, 2015. It is especially important to develop learning environments that assess levels of learner' prior knowledge and accordingly alter instructional support levels (Bokosmaty et al, 2015) and that differentiated geometry teaching affects the spatial ability level of students (Kok & Davasligil, 2014).…”

Student Readiness and Challenge in Completing Higher Order Thinking Skill Test Type for Mathematics

“…If students cannot understand the image presented, they will also find it difficult to answer. This lack of understanding makes it difficult for the students to associate their imagination to what is referred in the question and the image (Bokosmaty et al, 2015).…”