Facilitating Students’ Learning Through Problem-Solving in a Computer-Based Expert-Supported Learning Environment

  • Bei Yuan
  • Jun PengEmail author
  • Minhong Wang
  • Liang Kuang
Conference paper
Part of the Communications in Computer and Information Science book series (CCIS, volume 1048)


Problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted to help students to develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills as well as improve the construction of knowledge. However, empirical studies indicate that PBL students hardly develop structured knowledge and efficient reasoning strategies because they are not provided with adaptive guidance and support during problem-solving process. To deal with this challenge, a computer-based expert-supported learning environment is designed and developed to facilitate students’ learning in a problem-solving context. Experiment results reveal superior performance on problem-solving and knowledge-construction tasks in students learning under the designed environment. Findings of the study provide important implications to instructional designers and educational practitioners on how to facilitate students’ problem-solving learning through the design of a computer-based expert-supported environment.


Problem-based learning Problem solving Knowledge construction Expert support Adaptive guidance 


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© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Zhongshan Education InstituteZhongshanChina
  2. 2.Faculty of EducationCity University of MacauTaipaMacau
  3. 3.Faculty of EducationThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong

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