Solving the problem of how medical students solve problems.

Although gathering and processing information are essential to medical problem solving, little is known about what strategies students use to gather information or how they use their cognitive skills to solve problems. We have developed computer-based problem-solving exercises in immunology to determine how students gather and process information. Graphic representations of students' search paths through different problems were developed to visualize how organized and focused their knowledge was, how well their organization related to critical concepts in immunology, where serious misconceptions (confusion or erroneous models) occurred, and whether proper knowledge links between conceptual domains existed. With rapid generation and interpretation of information on patterns and difficulties in problem solving, it should become possible to develop a specific and personal approach to each student's educational needs.