Back to basics: investigating the effect of problem-based tutorial sessions on solving quantitative exam problems

Engineering tertiary subjects that reflect professional activity mandate the successful application of theorems and concepts in order to solve technical problems. This graduate skill is typically assessed during problem-solving activities by the students. Furthermore, both collaborative learning and the interactive study method known as self-explanation have been identified, by researchers, as techniques that enhance student learning. In the reported study, students shared their solutions to problem-solving exercises with a version of self-explanation in a collaborative environment. The research investigated the effects of the intervention on student outcomes as reflected in their assessment results. In 2013, the weekly tutorial content, for a first-year electronics subject, was reworked to focus on problem-solving activities. During these sessions the students were engaged by asking them to share electronically, or via a document camera, their prepared solutions to problems that should have been attempted prior to attending. The data collected included the scores these students obtained for each of the assessable components for the subject. This data were statistically analysed and the results compared with those of the 2012 cohort. Week-by-week tutorial attendances showed similar trending in both years. The 2013 mean total mark, average exam mark and the mean laboratory mark showed statistically significant improvement over those of 2012. The communal self-explanation technique, which was practiced in this study, is planned for a wider trial in first-year scaffolded study groups, which will be introduced in 2014.