LEARNING MATTERS

MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH - COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

As a member of the Melbourne University Networks of School (UMNoS), McKinnon Secondary College is lucky enough to be involved in a current research project being conducted by researchers from the Centre for Positive Psychology and the Science of Learning Research Centre, both in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne.   

The focus of the project is a new content domain known as Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), which is defined as an activity where you work with a partner to reach a goal. Despite being recently named one of the 21st century skills, little is known about influences on student performance on this new subject. In particular, information about emotions and moods that students may experience when working on CPS tasks remains unknown to date.

Throughout the first month of Term 3, 72 Year 7-9 McKinnon students visited the Melbourne University Graduate School of Education and completed computer-based CPS tasks in pairs. The tasks were undertaken in the impressive Learning Lab equipped with cameras controlled by a technical team to monitor the students’ facial expressions whilst completing the tasks. Students were only able to communicate with their partner via the chat function on the computer program and also completed questionnaires about their emotional responses and learning strategies.

Thanks so much to the following students who not only participated in this research project, but represented McKinnon with great respect and integrity when visiting Melbourne University:

Year 7

Deniz Apak, Tara Bajan, Sam Bajracharya, Lucca Beaves, Padua Beaves, Catherine Braniska, Tenzing Bugg, Aanya Chopra, Markus Duggan, Michael Gershenzon, Cristina Glodea, Coco Greenberg, Harry Ha, Karleen Han, Sarah Hatigan, Milo Howe, Sienna Jin, Jonathan Joseph, Pooja Kampli, Melissa Liu, Connor Macdougall, Vrushank Manchana, Cindy Mao, Kampi Nainhabo, Josh Patlazhanu, Alice Pfeiffer, Elaine Phan, Isabelle Rake, Danielle Shamis, Philippa Sharman-Smith, Lachlan Smith, Jekabs Stepanuks, Kathleen Sumarna, Ellie Taig, Chloe Tang, Greg Umansky, Tom Umansky, James Vassiliou, Vatsal Ved, Jackie Verbuk, Tobie Webster, Carley Xia, Joanne Yuan and Jack Zhou;

Year 8

Harry Fletcher, Danny He, Jishnav Kohli, Philip Le, Jordan Li, Nina Liu, Luca Loscher, Ryoku Nishikawa, Ashlee Qiao, Talia Raman, Louise Roberts, Natalie Truong, Yifan Yang, Richard Zhang and Jeremy Zhou;

Year 9

Chad Aizicowitz, Sienna Beaves, Amy Bulman, Anna Chapman, Michelle Giber, Nick Livanos, Jack Mills, Erika Phan, Damien Ross, Samuel Smith, Hannah St John, Alex Zhang and Katie Zhou.

Ms Alli Lehman

Gifted and talented student coordinator