Student Selection #2 - Using riddles and interactive computer games to teach problem-solving skills

Source

Doolittle, John H. (1995). Using Riddles and Interactive Computer Games to Teach Problem-Solving Skills. Teaching of Psychology, 22(1), 33-36. Retrieved Friday, February 20, 2009 from the EBSCO Host database.

Abstract

"Cognitive flexibility, which is defined as the ability to generate several categories of possible solutions, is identified as the most critical aspect of creativity training. Word tables, interactive computer games, and riddles are used to develop cognitive flexibility. Preliminary results from analyses with quasi-experimental designs provide promising evidence that these methods are effective in enhancing creative and other forms of critical thought in college students."

Comments

I found a couple of comments which are relevant not only to computer games but also to e-Learning: "Students solving interactive-fiction problems on a computer generate a variety of solutions, but they may become frustrated on finding that not one of their solutions leads to progress toward the goal. (Comment: this has absolutely been my experience with America's Army! Also consistent with "anxiety" as mentioned in Carl's "Flow" paper.) This frustration can quickly build into discouragement and a sense of failure and must be countered by either the sequencing of task difficulty or the judicious application of hints." And, "To determine when and where hints are necessary, the software can record which obstacles are the hardest to overcome and where students seem to get stuck. The student can retrieve this information and improve the flow of the program." Wouldn't it be nice if, as teachers, we could track how long it takes each student to "get it", or if they even do? Well, with logging of computer responses we can do just that!

The author also presented empirical evidence for the effectiveness of using riddles and computer games for training students to be problem solvers. Several instruments were used to measure problem solving abilities. Students in the comparison groups did not show gains in the measures beyond chance expectation, but students in the experimental groups (which received practice with the riddles and computer games) showed statistically significant gains on all of the measures. "Independent analyses conducted by the Dean's Office at the University of California Medical School, Davis, have indicated an improvement for (the experimental group) students in grade point average, undergraduate dropout rates, and medical school admission and retention rates."