top of page
Search

How to improve in HOTS(Complex problems)?

Writer's picture: Guruprasad AthaniGuruprasad Athani

In the context of preparing for competitive exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, IAT etc, I have observed that some students are not able to solve that require Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). These students are very hardworking, and they understand the concepts well. Despite that, they struggle to solve HOTS questions. Following are some of the reasons why they may not do well in solving HOTS questions.


1. Priority decoding:


When a student reads a question, he needs to understand the relative priority of the words / statements / concepts used in the question. Students tend to prioritize based on what words they like due to their previous experiences. Hence they cannot formulate the problem well in their head.


2. Weak analogy


It is not possible to picturize everything, so students use analogy to connect something else which they can visualize with the given problem. While doing so, they carry certain parameters from their analogy to the given problem situation where these parameters are not applicable. This causes flawed thinking and hence wrong answers.


3. Tightness of the rules:


Students understand the concepts using rules and exceptions. These rules can be very tight like math rules (2+3 can never be anything other than 5) or they can be loosely applied like rules of biology (all mammals take care of their young ones) or social science (all laborers are leftists!). While solving any problem one needs to apply the rules of appropriate tightness. Many students apply rules based on their own nature not based on the nature of the problem given. This can yield wrong results. So one has to learn to think within the boundary of the rules of the given problem.


4. Breaking the boundaries:


Rules used in solving problems define the boundaries of the solution space. A student needs to

internalize the rules (laws of nature and rules of math & logic) in order to visualize the solution.


However, HOTs questions typically lie at the boundaries and some even apparently outside the

boundaries (you need higher level of understanding to know that they actually lay within the boundary)


To be able solve such problems one needs to break the boundary walls. This is not a simple random walk without understanding the rules. It is an intentional break-away from the rules where a student is tightly attached. When this happens there is a possibility of seeing the solution and additional advantage of sharpening and deepening of the rule system.


5. Lack of belief in the concepts


Knowing the concepts and having a belief in the concepts are two different things. If one doesn't

strongly believe the concepts and rules, one cannot apply them easily.


If a student believes in conservation of angular momentum, he will apply them to problem solving. Else this law will not be there in his weaponry.


6. Low confidence in the associated math / tools


Almost every modern problem solving involves math. If one doesn't have confidence in her ability to solve math problems easily, she will try to avoid using them. She will formulate the problems that may not require the particular math skill which she is weak at. However, this may not yield correct results.


7. Discipline of planning and execution.


Many students have difficulty in planning their studies. They either over estimate or under estimate their own capabilities.


Some students plan well but are poor at execution. They frequently violate their own plans and give apparently valid reasons for doing so. We have to keep planning phase and execution phase separate. There must be time allocated for assessing the execution and replanning. One should never change the plan during the execution phase and vice versa.


Another day, I will write practical techniques to overcome above problems.

3 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Komentarze


bottom of page