Students can vary the volume of the cylinder through changes to the position of the piston, as well as the temperature and identity of the atoms. As they click on a bar in the graph, balls moving with speeds in the selected range are colored white. Each model is accompanied by 5 to 10 key questions aimed at promoting thought about principles underlying the model. Students construct an understanding of principles by discussing the questions and coming to an agreement on how to answer them. The nature of this support should consider the following observations.
Effective problem solving is based on understanding.
Solving problems enriches our understanding, and this learning process is derailed when hints and solutions are provided. To provide the support students need without diminishing the problem solving experience, we use what we term Multilevel Feedback. With this feedback, teams are informed what they have done correctly so they do not undo good work. They are not provided hints, solutions, or information on the nature of their errors, however. They are expected to determine these solutions and eliminate errors by reconsidering the problem and the concepts associated with it.