Problem Typology

Abstract

SynonymsLearning outcomes; Learning taxonomy; Problem solvingDefinitionTraditional models of problem solving, known as phase models (e.g., Bransford and Stein 1984), suggest that all problems can be solved if we (1) identify the problem, (2) generate alternative solutions, (3) evaluate those solutions, (4) implement the chosen solution, and (5) evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. However, problems and problem solving vary in several ways, including the skills and abilities of the problem solver, the nature of the problem itself, the context in which the problem occurs, and the way the problem is represented to the problem solver (Jonassen 2007). In this chapter, I describe how problems themselves vary.Foremost among these differences is the continuum (see Fig. 1) between well-structured and ill-structured problems (Jonassen 1997, 2000; Voss and Post 1988). Most problems encountered in formal education are well-structured problems. Well-structured problems typi ...