Physics Education Research: The effects of context-rich problem solving in groups in introductory electricity and magnetism courses

This project investigated whether or not interactive-engagement through context-rich problem solving in groups can augment the comprehension of concepts in introductory electricity and magnetism courses. The average gain was 4.26±14.5, meaning students exposed to context-rich problem solving in groups improved, on average, by five more points on their final exams. This study suggests context-rich problem solving is helpful but, due to a large standard deviation, is not statistically conclusive. In addition to this general result, several subgroups were analyzed (declared major, year of graduation, and gender). It was found that while context-rich problem solving is useful overall, some groups may benefit more than others, and some groups may be hindered by exposure to these methods