Cooperative Problem Solving in Physics
A User’s Manual
Why? What? How?

STEP 1

Recognize the Problem
What's going on?

STEP 2

Describe the problem in terms of the field
What does this have to do with ...... ?

STEP 3

Plan a solution
How do I get out of this?

STEP 4

Execute the plan
Let's get an answer

STEP 5

Evaluate the solution
Can this be true?

Kenneth Heller
Patricia Heller
University of Minnesota
With support from the National Science Foundation, University of Minnesota, and U.S.
Department of Education

© Kenneth & Patricia Heller, 2010

Acknowledgments
In reaching this stage in this work, we gratefully acknowledge the support of the University of
Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Education FIPSE program, and the National Science
Foundation. This work would not have existed without the close cooperation of the University of Minnesota School of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
We have incorporated the suggestions of many faculty members from both Physics and
Education at the University of Minnesota and other institutions that have communicated with us at workshops, meetings, and by e-mail. This work has depended on the efforts and feedback of many graduate student teaching assistants in the School of Physics and Astronomy over the years. Much of this development is directly based on the research of the graduate students in the University of Minnesota Physics Education Program: Jennifer Blue, Tom Foster, Charles
Henderson, Mark Hollabough, Ron Keith (deceased), and Laura McCullough. We are indebted to our colleagues in the Physics Education community for their ideas, insights, and research.
Finally we would like to thank Arnold Arons for his inspiration and guidance that has lasted a lifetime. Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction

How to Use This Book