To help young students succeed in problem-based learning (PBL), researchers suggested investigating students' need for cognition (NFC), one's inclination to exert mental effort during learning. How one puts mental effort into a learning task is related to motivation. If motivated, students are more likely to engage in challenging tasks, put in…

We present a conceptual framework for scaffolding ill-structured problem-solving processes using question prompts and peer interactions. We first examine the characteristics and processes of ill-structured problem solving, namely, problem representation, generating solutions, making justifications, and monitoring and evaluation. Then, we analyze…