Online application for problem-solving by individual and groups

Group and individual problem-solving play important roles in industrial innovation, product development, strategy formulation, and many other applications. Prof. Duimering’s lab at the University of Waterloo has conducted experiments investigating the behaviour of individuals and groups solving problems under various conditions. Studies have investigated the effects of problem complexity, individual vs. group incentives, and the open-endedness of solutions (i.e., whether there is a single correct solution or many possible solutions) on problem-solving behaviour and performance.
This project aims to develop a software application that can be used to conduct online social experiments to investigate the problem-solving behaviour and performance of individuals and groups. The application will be used to gather and analyze experimental data from online participants, to support hypotheses testing using statistical and thematic analysis methods. Specifically, we plan to use the software application to conduct an experiment investigating individual and group behaviour solving open-ended problems online, and the outcomes will be compared to previous laboratory results.
The study will contribute to understanding factors influencing the effectiveness of individual and group problem-solving behaviour in online and face-to-face settings. These insights can guide future methods and problem-solving strategies to improve organizational effectiveness in innovation, product development, and other applications.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rob Duimering

Student:

Partner:

National Technical University of Ukraine

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Entertainment and Media; Information and Communications Technology; Artificial Intelligence

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: