Online learning and problem-solving skills during the COVID-19 pandemic (framework for designing instruction and assessment)

This article explores: (1) the barriers facing students and teachers regarding this type of assessment, and (2) a proposed framework for overcoming these barriers. In this study, the barriers and corresponding assessment techniques were determined by interviewing a sample of 17 students and five teachers. The main barrier reported by the students was the difficulty of group work, whereas the teachers found it difficult to assess manual teaching aids. Thus, a framework was proposed to address these barriers by enhancing students’ collaboration and developing their problem-solving skills through authentic activities. The effectiveness of this framework was ascertained in this study by examining the development of the students’ problem-solving skills and their perceptions of the learning design. After the experiment, there was development in some constructs of the problem-solving skills. From an analysis of the students’ responses, it was revealed that they had very positive perceptions of the framework.