چکیده (انگلیسی):

This exploratory study examined problem-solving in an on-line problem-based learning environment. Participants included two moderators and 30 medical students in the end-of-life care Virtual Clinic. Using content analysis of transcripts, we analyzed interaction patterns in two groups of students and moderators and students' problem-solving skills as measured by the critical thinking ratio. Moderator in Group 1 posted more connected comments, feedback, and questions than the moderator in Group 2. Students in Group 1 posted more connected comments compared to students in Group 2. However, the disparate interaction patterns yielded little differences in students' critical thinking skills in both groups. We propose the use of critical thinking ratio as an effective outcome measure in assessing problem-solving skills.