Enhancing the learning effectiveness of ill-structured problem solving with online co-creation

ABSTRACT

Ill-structured problem solving is widely believed to promote learning in higher education but its multiplicity (i.e. multiple solutions and evaluation criteria) is often seen as a challenge to manage. This study shows that the multiplicity can be managed as well as leveraged to enhance learning effectiveness through online co-creation. Three co-creation activities are identified and their effects on different aspects of learning effectiveness are assessed in a study involving 225 tertiary-level students. Results indicate that solution co-creation and solution sharing enhance cognitive learning (e.g. perceived knowledge about a subject topic), while decision co-creation enhances epistemic learning (e.g. perceived understanding of criteria of knowing). The findings demonstrate the value of online co-creation and they pave the way for more research on online co-creation in other collaborative pedagogical practices such as co-skilling.

KEYWORDS:

• Co-creation
• learning effectiveness
• Internet technology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Tertiary Education Research Fund by Ministry of Education, Singapore [MOE2016-2-TR14].