What do you do if you need to assess problem solving skills in an educational setting?

1 Define the problem

The first step is to define the problem that you want your students to solve. It should be relevant, realistic, and challenging, but not too vague, trivial, or impossible. You should also consider the level, background, and interests of your students, and align the problem with the learning objectives and outcomes of your course or program. A well-defined problem will help your students focus on the task, apply their prior knowledge, and generate possible solutions.

2 Choose the method

The next step is to choose the method that you will use to assess problem solving skills. There are different methods, such as written tests, oral presentations, portfolios, projects, simulations, games, or scenarios. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the purpose, context, and criteria of the assessment. You should choose the method that best suits the nature of the problem, the skills that you want to measure, and the feedback that you want to provide.

3 Design the rubric

The third step is to design the rubric that you will use to evaluate problem solving skills. A rubric is a tool that describes the expectations and standards for a specific task or performance. It can help you and your students understand what constitutes a good problem solving process and outcome, and how to improve it. A rubric should include the dimensions or components of problem solving skills, such as defining the problem, analyzing the information, generating and selecting solutions, implementing and evaluating solutions, and communicating and reflecting on the results. It should also include the levels or scales of performance, such as excellent, good, satisfactory, or poor, and the indicators or evidence of each level.

4 Implement the assessment

The fourth step is to implement the assessment in your educational setting. You should prepare your students for the assessment by explaining the problem, the method, and the rubric, and providing some examples or practice opportunities. You should also create a conducive environment for problem solving, such as providing sufficient time, resources, and support, and encouraging collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. You should observe and document your students' problem solving process and outcome, and collect their work or products for evaluation.