Collaborative Learning in Problem Solving - A Case Study in Metacognitive Learning

Oct 15, 2026

Problem solving and collaborative communication are key 21st-century skills educators want students to develop. The paper reports a study of collaborative work patterns among 133 university-level participants in a course designed to build transferable problem-solving abilities. Most class time focused on solving puzzles with limited direct instruction, allowing independent or small-group work, with students switching between modalities. A student-driven blended pattern was observed across four course offerings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and course design

Collaborative work patterns

Influencing factors and instructional implications

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 6 | Issue 3 | Article 10 | | --- | --- | 12-11-2015 Collaborative Learning in Problem Solving: A Case Study in Metacognitive Learning Shelly L. Wismath University of Lethbridge, [wismaths@uleth.ca](wismaths@uleth.ca) Doug Orr University of Lethbridge, [doug.orr@uleth.ca](doug.orr@uleth.ca) Follow this and additional works at: [http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea](http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea) Part of the Educational Methods Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Wismath, Shelly L. and Orr, Doug (2015) "Collaborative Learning in Problem Solving: A Case Study in Metacognitive Learning," The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Vol. 6: Iss. 3, Article 10. Available at: [http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea/vol6/iss3/10](http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea/vol6/iss3/10) Collaborative Learning in Problem Solving: A Case Study in Metacognitive Learning Abstract Problem solving and collaborative communication are among the key 21st century skills educators want students to develop. This paper presents results from a study of the collaborative work patterns of 133 participants from a university level course designed to develop transferable problem-solving skills. Most of the class time in this course was spent on actually solving puzzles, with minimal direct instruction; students were allowed to work either independently or in small groups of two or more, as they preferred, and to move back and forth between these two modalities as they wished. A distinctive student-driven pattern blending collaborative and independent endeavour was observed, consistently over four course offerings in four years. We discuss a number offactors which appear to be related to this variable pattern of independent and collaborative enterprise, including the thinking and learning styles ofthe individuals, the preference of the individuals, the types of problems being worked on, and the stage in a given problem at which students were working. We also consider implications of these factors for the teaching of problem solving, arguing that the development of collaborative problem solving abilities is an important metacognitive skill. La résolution des problèmes et la communication collaborative sont parmi les compétences clés que les éducateurs du XXIe siècle veulent que leurs étudiants acquièrent. Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude menée sur les modèles de travail collaboratifde 133 participants d’un cours universitaire conçu pour développer des compétences en matière de résolution des problèmes. La plupart des activités de classe de ce cours ont été consacrées à résoudre réellement des casse-tête avec un minimum de directives; les étudiantsavaient la permission de travailler soit indépendamment soit en petits groupes de deux ou plus, selon leur préférence, et de passer de l’une à l’autre de ces modalités, comme ils voulaient. On a observé un modèle distinct dirigé par les étudiants eux-mêmes qui était un mélange de travail collaboratif et de travail indépendant, et ce dans quatre cours séparés offerts en quatre ans. Nous discutons un certain nombre defacteurs qui semblent être liés à ce modèle variable d’entreprise indépendante et collaborative, y compris les styles de réflexion et d’apprentissage des individus, les préférences des individus, les types de problèmes sur lesquels les étudiants ont travaillé et l’étape, lors de la résolution d’un problème donné, où les étudiants travaillaient. Nous prenons également en considération les implications de ces facteurs pour l’enseignement de la résolution de problèmes et nous discutons le fait que le développement de compétences pour larésolution de problèmes en collaboration est une compétence métacognitive importante. Keywords collaborative learning, problem solving, metacognitive learning This research paper/rapport de recherche is availa

FAQs

What skill focus guides the study in this paper?

The study focuses on problem solving and collaborative communication as essential 21st-century skills for learners.

How was students’ learning organized during the course?

Students spent most class time solving puzzles with minimal direct instruction, working either independently or in small groups of two or more and switching between these modes as they preferred.

What did the researchers observe about students’ collaboration and independence?

Researchers observed a distinctive student-driven pattern that blended collaborative and independent work consistently across four course offerings over four years.

Oct 15, 2026

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