“Problem Trees”

Maria Navarro

Cooperative learning

The problem tree

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Causes

Effects

Problem

SolutionsSolutions

The problem tree

• A tool to analyze complex issues

• Helps to “specify and investigate the causes

and effects of a problem” and the

“relationships between them” (1)

• It also helps to formulate, analyze, evaluate

the different solutions to the problem

The problem tree

• Problem trees are a good tool for student

group work because all students can give

different and especial contributions to the

work of the group depending on their

expertise and knowledge

The problem tree

• Asking the students to first work individually

on the trees and then work with the rest of

team members can be very valuable for

individual students because the exercise

can help them identify areas of weakness

(2)

Cooperative learning

• Invaluable to foster interdisciplinarity, higher

order thinking, and holistic knowledge

“Nothing new that is really interesting comes

without collaboration” (Watson, as cited by

Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998)

Critical elements to cooperation

Figure 1. Elements presented by Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1998) as critical to cooperation