Problem solving and choice-based pedagogies

An important premise of creative thinking is that a problem solver is in position to choose. The literature on open-ended problem situations focuses on the mechanisms underlying learner choices of problem-solving moves. This article argues that there is room for empowering students to make choices of additional types: choosing an extent of collaboration, choosing a mode of interaction, and choosing an agent to learn from while solving a challenging problem. Theoretical argument is supported by an empirical example drawn from an on-going study on the interaction between cognition and affect in high-school students’ long-term geometry problem solving.