ABSTRACT
When one thinks about the nature of working and living in the twenty-first century, what comes to mind? Of course the answers will vary from person to person, region to region, and situation to situation. For many, the answers are likely to be related, however indirectly, to the problems one encounters or expects to encounter. Typical/generic problems include selecting a career, deciding to get married and have children, purchasing a home or car, planning an event, ending a relationship, resolving a dispute, being productive at work, and so on. Many have argued that such problems have become more challenging and complex in the twenty-first century due to new technologies, globalization, and rapidly changing circumstances surrounding many of the problems we are likely to confront. Not surprisingly, one of the central objectives of education and many instructional programs is to improve problem-solving skills and abilities (Borgman, 2008; Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000; Jonassen, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011; NRC, 2011).
