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Traditional university lectures are likely not an effective way to help post-secondary students acquire problem-solving skills.
In a recent study, researchers at UBC’s Okanagan campus developed a testing system to measure the problem-solving abilities of students in various stages of their undergraduate degrees.
“There is strong evidence that different methods of teaching can heavily influence the development of problem-solving skills,” said UBC’s Andis Klegeris, an associate professor of biology.
“It does not appear that the traditional, lecture-style of information delivery is well suited to helping students build those skills.”
As part of the study, Klegeris and fellow UBC researcher Heather Hurren adapted a test used by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The test was written by nearly 1,000 students at various stages of their undergraduate degree, with one problem-solving test given at the beginning of school year’s first semester and the other at semester’s end.
Their data shows that while freshman students see their problem-solving skills increase by nearly 10 per cent in their first semester, students in the majority of disciplines experience little-to-no improvement in all the semesters that follow.
The results, according to UBC’s Andis Klegeris, show that traditional university lectures may not be building the skills students are hoping to acquire and their future employers have come to expect.
According to a 2011 study from Statistics Canada, most people see their problem-solving skills plateau in adulthood, with the exception of those who are engaged in careers that specifically require that skill set.
You can read the full results of the study here.
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