Solution-step difficulty levels for simultaneous-equation problems¶
Element · All elements
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 mixed) · 3 studies (1 causal, 1 quant-synthesis, 1 design),q2–q3· 1 of 3 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study
Description¶
A five-level scheme for grading simultaneous-equation problems by the number of variables and solution steps, following Sweller's production/solution step method, in which "the difficulty of the content, which is often considered a proxy for intrinsic cognitive load, is determined by the production/solution steps involved in problem solving or learning". Levels 1-3 were treated as easy and Levels 4-5 as difficult.
Design Implications¶
Context¶
Requirements¶
- Count the variables and solution steps each problem requires, as in Table 2, and group levels into easy and difficult.
Constraints¶
Target Learners¶
- Non-science major college students at a Research I university in the western United States
Target Learning Goals¶
- Solving simultaneous equation (systems of equations) algebra problems
Affordances¶
Claims¶
- Task difficulty (easy vs difficult simultaneous-equation problems) has significant main effects on intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load, but not on germane load [+M]
- Success rates decrease monotonically from easy to medium to hard difficulty levels across all models [~W]
- Number of operations is the numerical task characteristic associated with elementary schoolers' word problem-solving, with multi-step problems harder than single-step [+W]
Related Elements¶
Examples¶
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Key Sources¶
- Gupta, U., & Zheng, R. Z. (2020). Cognitive Load in Solving Mathematics Problems: Validating the Role of Motivation and the Interaction Among Prior Knowledge, Worked Examples, and Task Difficulty. European Journal of STEM Education, 5(1), 05. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/9252
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
element |
id |
solution-step-task-difficulty-levels-for-simultaneous-equations |
title |
Solution-step difficulty levels for simultaneous-equation problems |
description |
A five-level scheme for grading simultaneous-equation problems by the number of variables and solution steps, following Sweller's production/solution step method, in which "the difficulty of the content, which is ofte... |
status |
review |
canonical |
True |
generated |
by claude/unspecified on 2026-09-24 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — gupta-2020 |
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