| Many professions view problem-solving as an important professional skill. In spite of interest and research previously conducted a concise, consistent method of examining the problem-solving process currently does not exist in many professions. The standard of examination evaluates the knowledge base of the individual, not necessarily the understanding and application of information to problem solving.; There remains a need to understand the problem-solving process within various domains. As curricula are developed, corresponding evaluation methods must also be derived. An accurate definition of the desired characteristics is needed before the success of the curricula can be measured. The cognitive processes that are engaged in successful problem solving must also be clearly understood before they can be measured and enhanced.; The purpose of this study was to implement methods to effectively and efficiently evaluate the problem solving process of veterinary students who had minimal clinical problem solving experience. The study was based on prior research in problem solving that looked at expert-novice differences, as well as medical problem solving literature.; This study was conducted with a group of 17 students who completed a clinical scenario while using a think-aloud protocol. The resulting transcripts were evaluated to determine what problem solving processes were invoked by the students.; Evaluation of the transcripts and comparison to prior research revealed that the students exhibited characteristics that were consistent with novice problem solvers when faced with ill-defined problems. |
