A study of the 'cognition-action-reflection' mental process via Web-based problem solving learning

Liu Ming-chou, Chu Ying-ching and Chang Xin-seng
National Hualien University of Education
Hualien, Taiwan

With the rapid growth of Web-based learning, it has become more and more important to design a high quality e-learning paradigm. In this study, the authors present a problem-solving instructional e-learning system which is based on a 'cognition-action-reflection' cognitive process. Students were provided with four stages in learning problem solving, viz. (1) recognizing the problem, (2) designing the method, (3) solving the problem, and (4) reflecting on evaluation. Each stage involved three tasks.

The system allowed students to solve semi-structured problems -- that is, to finish an instructional design for integrating ICT into teaching. Students followed the system guides to finish all the learning tasks and completed activities involving higher-order thinking. The findings indicated that:

• the passing rate from one stage to the next gradually declined due to the accumulated difficulties at a higher stage, which decreased students' motivation to pass the stages. The optimal number of stages for such a Web-based problem-solving learning system needs to be considered carefully.
• the system can help students to carry out problem solving more effectively through the 'cognition-action-reflection' process, though the achievement of students with various types of behaviour, reflections or inclinations towards cognition varied on the learning tasks.
• the Web-based learning system made a contribution to the learning of instructional design and also collected data on students' learning profiles, which can be used to analyse the system itself and students' learning behaviour.