title: Assessing dynamic mental models: unfolding case studies.
abstract: Excellence in critical thinking skills requires well-developed situational mental models: integrated knowledge of how concepts and principles relate to a specific client's condition and care. The authors describe the use of unfolding case studies as a strategy for eliciting and evaluating students' changing mental models. Unfolding cases offer a practical method for capturing the dynamic nature of situational mental models and revealing significant errors in students' problem-solving cognitions that would not otherwise be obvious.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA. jo-azzarello@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azzarello
authors.forename: D Elaine
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving; D014481:United States