a novel problem for which there is no working model, or for problems that require a combination of approaches. Some illustrative quotes are listed below:
“For any given problem I always approach it from a “zero” knowledge point. I do not really have any idea of how to do it yet. In other words there is not much prestudy time for me. I see what the problem entails, and then I search the text book for a given example that resembles that particular question.”
“I look at examples of similar problems and learn how to work my own from that. I search for example problems in the text. Although the medium may change from paper to websites I think as an engineer I will be constantly adapting an existing solution to solve my problem. I find that I am doing this often with physics problems.”
The last example indicates a dilemma in labeling this a limiting strategy. The student has realized the benefit of adapting prior work and it is possible that many of his/her future challenges will entail both small and large adaptations.
Diagram. Experts often represent problems in more ways than novices do.[8,77] Exploring multiple views of complex problems can lead the problem solver toward building a solution. Some types of rerepresentations are applicable over a wide range of subjects, e.g., drawing a schematic diagram, or noting specific stages and key moments in a problem and using these to anchor a qualitative analysis. Other rerepresentations