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KnowMeQ Problem-Solving Assessment (Post Assessment)

The KnowMeQ Problem-Solving Assessment is to be completed in one sitting. Although it was designed to be finished in 30 minutes, there is no set time limit. It is recommended you have a pencil, paper and eraser for any rough work, and you may use a (dictionary, thesaurus, calculator) as you wish.
   
Answer all questions as best you can. If you leave a question blank, you may go back to finish it. 
 
The Problem-Solving Assessment includes a self-assessment, which must be completed first. Information from the self-assessment will be compared to your overall performance on the Problem-Solving Assessment. 

Questions 1-3 are the Self-Assessment Questions. Questions 4-20 are the Problem-Solving Assessment Questions.
 

The final question of this assessment will ask you to enter your Amazon Mechanical Turk Worker ID.  This will be used to verify completion of the work assignment so please ensure that your Mechanical Turk Worker ID is entered correctly. If you do not enter your Mechanical Turk Worker ID correctly you will not be compensated for completing the assessment. 
“Problems” may be of different types, for example, everyday life problems or problems encountered at work. When responding to questions 1 - 3 you may think of “problems” in any way you wish.
1.When deciding how to deal with a problem, have you done each of the following?(Required.)
Yes
No
Defined the problem?
Brainstormed possible solutions?
Thought about positive and negative outcomes of possible solutions?
Collected relevant information to address the problem?
Chosen what you believed to be the best solution?
Successfully implemented the solution and solved the problem?
Taken some time after solving the problem to think about how well your problem solving approach worked?
Thought the problem solving process was over once you found the solution?
2.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?(Required.)
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
I am good at problem solving?
I would rather other people figure out how to deal with problems instead of me.
I think about positive and negative outcomes of possible solutions.
I always deal with problems the same way, regardless how things worked out before.
When faced with a problem, I usually brainstorm possible solutions first.
Once I have solved a problem, I usually take some time to think about how well my problem-solving approach worked.
I have difficulty figuring out how to solve problems.
Once the problem has been solved, I consider the problem-solving process to be over.
3.How often do you do each of the following?(Required.)
Not at all
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Very Often
When confronted with a problem, I am able to deal with it effectively.
I look at problems in different ways to come up with a variety of possible solutions.
I look carefully at possible solutions before dealing with a problem.
I feel overwhelmed when confronted with a problem.
When considering possible solutions to a problem, I take time to think about how to make the best choice.
Once a solution has been identified, I develop a plan to implement it.
After a solution has been found, I look for ways to improve on it for the next time.
Once the solution has been found, I believe the problem-solving process is over.
An ice cream store owner wants to develop a diagram of his product offering using a decision tree. She has two types of products: a cone and a sundae. The prices follow the structure to the right of the chart:



Use this chart for answering questions 4 -6
4.Why would the owner wish to use such a decision tree?(Required.)
5.How much is a large chocolate regular cone?(Required.)
6.Which combination represents the most expensive cone?(Required.)
The owner starts the same process for the sundae as seen below.
  • There are three favours of sundae: chocolate, strawberry and caramel.
  • There are two sizes of sundae: small and medium. A medium sundae costs $2.00 extra.
  • A client can have nuts on the sundae for $0.50 extra.



Use the above chart to answer question 7 and 8.
7.What could describe the sundae in the box marked with an X?(Required.)
8.If a Level 5 were added to the diagram, what could the sundae be like?(Required.)
The following two images show a robot vacuum.

The button on the left labeled 1 is used to clean a specific area (spot clean).

The button in the middle labeled 2 is used to turn on the vacuum. It flashes blue when the vacuum is in use and flashes red when it is charging. 

The button on the right labeled 3 is used to return the vacuum to its base. It flashes as a warning when there is a malfunction.

The following cautions are provided when operating the vacuum:

·         Do not use on wet floor.

·         Do not use on furniture.

·         Do not attach any object to the vacuum.

·         Do not use when the dust container is full.

Use the above two images and this information to answer questions 9 - 11
9.Which one of these situations will cause the warning light to flash?(Required.)
10.The vacuum robot manufacturer states that the device can work on almost all floor surfaces but a specialized magazine has analyzed that it works better on some surfaces than on others. Here is a table summarizing their findings:

Surface Performance
Carpet ✪✪
Area Rug ✪
Hardwood Floor ✪✪✪
Ceramic Tile ✪✪
Vinyl Tile ✪

Which one of these homes would be cleaned best by this vacuum robot based on this analysis?(Required.)
11.The review from another magazine confirms the findings from the first analysis but it also mentions that vacuum robots cannot work on staircases and on multiple floor levels. Which one of these homes would be  cleaned best by this vacuum robot based on these two analyses?(Required.)
12.The user manual for this vacuum robot recommends that side brushes be cleaned every month and replaced every 3 to 6 months and that the main brush be cleaned every 2 weeks and replaced every 12 months. Which recommendation would most likely remedy each of the situations shown below?(Required.)
Clean side brush
Replace side brush
Clean main brush
Replace main brush
After a few weeks of use, the corners of the rooms are not properly cleaned. 
A piece of string is caught under the robot.
The robot is making noise from underneath.
The robot is scratching the side walls.
13.Which one of these sources is likely to provide the best unbiased review when shopping for a new vacuum robot?(Required.)
14.Before selecting a specific vacuum robot for purchase, Lisa needs to determine if this type of product responds to her needs. Would each of the following actions help her determine if a vacuum robot is best to address her needs?(Required.)
Yes
No
Compare vacuum robots to other types of vacuum cleaners.
Research online to determine which robot vacuum cleaner provides the best value for money.
Analyze her home features to determine whether a vacuum robot cleaner would be suitable.
Determine the budget she has established to purchase a vacuum cleaner.
Compare a central vacuum and an upright vacuum cleaner
Farshid is interested in renting a car for a three-day weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday). He’s comparing the cost and conditions for two car rental companies. He requires one child seat and the Collision Damage Waiver Insurance for the length of the rental.



Use this information to answer questions 15 - 20
15.In order to determine the company that would offer the best rate for Farshid’s rental, which two pieces of information are missing?(Required.)
16.Select the car rental company that Farshid should choose considering each situation.(Required.)
Company XYZ
Company ABC
Renting a compact car and driving 500 km
Renting an intermediate car for the three-day weekend plus 2 days and not knowing the distance to be travelled
Renting an economy car and driving 100 km
Not knowing which car size to select or the distance to be travelled
17.Which one of these factors could have the biggest impact on the cost of Farshid’s rental?(Required.)
18.Before deciding which car rental to select, Farshid looked at a number of customer "reviews" on line. Which one of these "reviews" would have the most influence on Farshid’s decision?(Required.)
19.Farshid looks on a travel website to book the car rental.

 

Why does the website ask for the drop-off time before providing rental options next?(Required.)
20.Farshid decides to rent the car with the ABC company. Once he arrives at their location, he notices that some of their conditions have recently changed. Which one of these changes would most likely result in Farshid no longer wanting to rent with the ABC company?(Required.)
21.Please enter your Amazon Mechanical Turk Worker ID. (Ensure this ID is correct in order to receive payment for completing this work assignment).(Required.)