Supporting diagnostic reasoning by modeling help-seeking

Abstract

Help-seeking is considered an important metacognitive strategy. For learners to benefit from help-seeking, they need to be engaged in effective search behaviors. Maladaptive search behaviors can lead to negative learning outcomes; thus, if learners are cognizant of such behaviors, they can engage in effective help-seeking leading to achieve better learner outcomes. To foster effective help-seeking, we need to better understand the behaviors learners engage in when seeking help. In this study, we examined help-seeking behaviors of learners, in relation to what learners examined in an online library embedded within BioWorld. The library tool is a resource provides information about diseases, diagnostic tests and medical terms. This paper reports the model search behaviors pertaining to the medical topics searched in the library. The findings have implications for developing scaffolding prompts that can encourage effective search behaviors.