The effects of collaborative grouping on student problem solving in first year chemistry

The ability to solve problems is a widely accepted goal of General Chemistry courses. A review of current research indicates that articles on how students solve problems and articles on suggested methods for increasing problem-solving skills dominate the literature. While informative, neither of these areas assesses the effectiveness of interventions on the actual strategies students employ. This study sought to show the effect that solving problems in collaborative groups would have on the problem-solving strategies of the individuals in those groups. It utilized the IMMEX software package to assess the strategy students employed in solving a case-based, qualitative chemistry problem. Artificial neural network analysis and Hidden Markov modeling were used to analyze IMMEX data to classify problem-solving strategies into one of five problem-solving states. The states were then compared based on solve-rates and the number of menu items selected. This made it possible to identify the most favorable states and to draw conclusions about the appropriateness of the strategies students use in solving the problems. The IMMEX system was used to deliver multiple cases of a qualitative chemistry problem to students working in groups of 3 to 4 students. Comparisons were then made between students' pre- and post-grouping strategies, group strategies versus individual strategies, and group strategies versus participants post-grouping strategies. The results presented here support the use of the IMMEX system as a problem delivery system and as an analysis tool. In addition, they show that it is possible to improve the problem-solving strategies that students employ through the use of collaborative learning activities. Finally, these results open the door to future research in collaborative grouping as an intervention for improving problem solving and into the effectiveness of other such interventions.