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Using creative problem solving to promote students’ performance of concept mapping

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore that using creative problem solving can promote students’ performance of concept mapping (CMPING). Students were encouraged to use creative problem solving (CPS) in constructing nanometer knowledge structure, and then to promote the performance of CMPING. The knowledge structure was visualized through CMPING which helps students to improve their performance. The participants were 42 college juniors who selected the course “Nano-environmental Engineering Technology”. Four instruments were used to classify student learning performance (meaningful learning, rote learning and non-learning). This study included three main issues: (1) Student learning quality was determined by the change in concept map construction. (2) In-depth interviews were applied to understand student’s CPS process. (3) Student interaction quality in a discussion board on a web-platform was evaluated. The results showed that meaningful high-level learners successfully applied CPS in constructing concept maps and they presented better performance of CMPING. Rote learners’ results were in the second place, and non-learners achieved the worse outcomes. It is suggested that a future teaching study can use creative problem solving to promote students’ performance of CMPING in other courses.

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Acknowledgments

The authors greatly appreciate the financial support provided by Taiwan’s National Science Council, the Republic of China under contract No. NSC-95-2516-S-276-008-MY3, and also the kind assistance of Dr. Cheng-Hsien Tsai, Miss Chao-Yi Chu, Miss Hui-Chuan Sun, Dr. Yue Tan, etc., who made this paper possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Business and Management, Meiho University, No. 23, Pingguang Road, Meiho Village, Nei-Pu Township, Pingtung, 91202, Pingtung County, Taiwan, ROC

    Kuo-Hung Tseng

  2. Department of Technology Application and Human Resource Development, National Taiwan Normal University, No. 162, He-Ping East Road, Sec. 1, Taipei, 10610, Taiwan

    Chi-Cheng Chang

  3. Graduate Institute of Vocational and Technical Education, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Xue Fu Road, Lao Bei Village, Nei-Pu Township, Pingtung, Pingtung County, Taiwan, ROC

    Shi-Jer Lou

  4. Department of Human Resource Development, Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, No. 336 Fu-Hsing Rd., Keelung, 20301, Taiwan, ROC

    Pi-Shan Hsu

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  1. Kuo-Hung Tseng
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Correspondence to Kuo-Hung Tseng.

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Tseng, KH., Chang, CC., Lou, SJ. et al. Using creative problem solving to promote students’ performance of concept mapping. Int J Technol Des Educ 23, 1093–1109 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-012-9230-8

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