Abstract:

Problem solving is seen as one of the most important cognitive skills in life. Identifying and assessing problem solving abilities early is crucial to provide a foundation for a successful life and career. There is a shortage of engaging problem solving tasks that can be applied to children in an easy, self-assessed manner. To address this gap, the current study developed and tested a new problem solving task that operates on an iPad and includes child friendly animations and instructions. A sample of 177 students aged 6-9 from two primary schools was tested on the eFun Castle Adventure and the Tower of Hanoi problem solving task. Results show good convergent validity between the eFun Castle Adventure task and the traditional Tower of Hanoi task. The eFun Castle Adventure task was rated more favourably than the Tower of Hanoi in terms of how enjoyable, fun, boring, and exciting it is. The new eFun problem solving task offers new opportunities for researchers and teachers to measure problem solving in an engaging way in children.

Keywords:

Problem-solving, Assessment, Children, Tower of Hanoi, Cognitive Functions.