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Problem Based
Learning based
on the work of Delisle, How to Use PBL in the Classroom, Wilkerson and
Gijselaers, Binging PBL to Higher Education Theory and Practice.
Step
One
Selecting
Content and Skills—teachers need to look at the course objectives and determine
what information, skills, competencies etc. that students must meet to be
successful in the course.
Example of a course
objective
Students
must be able to demonstrate in writing an awareness of the social, economic
and political changes in US history brought on by industrialization
Step
Two
What should the
students be able to do by the time the problem is solved? How can the problem
help students to acquire the skills they need in the course?
Example of Skills
-
If students
need to build interpersonal skills the problem could require them to
interview others.
-
If students
need writing skills the problem could require them to write manufactures.
-
If students
need to show they understand ratio then the problem will require them to use
ratio in creating a solution.
Step
Three
Determining
Availability of Resources
Teacher need to
develop a list of resources (books, articles, web sites, and people) and other
types like, fax machines, copy access, computer access that can help students to
work their way through the problem. The level of assistance needed will depend
on the students group.
Step
Four
Writing a Problem
Statement
It should be:
-
Developmentally appropriate--Fits the intellectual and social and emotional
level of the students
-
Grounded in
students’ experiences--The closer the problem is to the students’ daily lives
and something they care about the hard they will work.
-
Course
objectives based--The problem should lead to an understanding of the important
content and skills outlined in the objectives.
-
Variety of
Teaching and Learning Strategies and Styles--Problem should not be rigid or
have one answer. Should promote a range of learning activities that lets each
students contribute in their best way.
-
The problem
need to be ill-structured--This means the problem must be designed so that
students must perform research to gather information needed to solve the
problem. They must think through what they already know and find additional
information and it should lead them to discover that there may be a number of
answers.
Step
Five
Developing a Focus
Question
Once the problem
has been written and given to the students the teacher should develop questions
that can help the students focus on the problem. These would be brainstorm type
questions
Step
Six
Develop an
Evaluation Strategy
Setting Up a Structure to Use PBL
1.
There are four areas that make up the structure of the PBL process. They
are:
-
IDEAS
-
FACTS
-
LEARNING ISSUES
-
ACTION PLAN
This structure
is the key to effective use of PBL
IDEAS—The first
step is to have students generate all of the ideas they have about possible
solutions to the problem—these are recorded either with in the groups or on the
board or overhead for all to see. This process helps students to see what
research they will need to do to validate their solutions.
FACTS—This
column will list all of the facts that the class (or groups) knows about the
problem. This ensures that all students start the process with the same
information. If a fact is in question it will be placed in the third column
where it can be researched and the information given to the class.
LEARNING
ISSUES—This column holds the questions the class needs answers to solve the
problem. It might be definitions or elaborations on facts or it may be new
information found by research. The teacher can add to these questions to ensure
the course objective is met. These become the guides for the research and
investigation of the problem. Students will choose from this column the areas
they want to research.
ACTION
PLAN--This is how the groups (individuals) will do their research. It’s whom
they will talk with, books they will consult, web sites, libraries, magazines
etc.
CHOOSING A SOLUTION
Each group
(individual) next chooses a solution that they think is the best possible way to
solve the problem. This will become their line of research. They then look at
the LEARNING ISSUES and pick the questions they think will best help them solve
their problem or are things they are interested in finding out about. There can
be many groups (individuals) choosing the same questions. (All information from
all groups will be shared before the groups develop their product or
presentation of the solution. All questions from the LEARNING ISSUES will need
to be investigated.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
The teacher then
assigns the number of periods that the groups will have to develop their
solution. During the in class time the teacher visits with the groups to assist
and advise but does NOT GIVE ANY ANSWERS. This work can also be done outside of
class. The groups will need to assign tasks to different members and timeline
and due dates.
REVISITING THE PROBLEM
Once the
research has been completed (ANSWERS TO THE LEARNING ISSUES) each group reports
on their work. The teacher assesses the groups on the resources they used, their
effective use of their time and the overall effectiveness of their action plan.
NEW
QUESTIONS
Now that the
research is completed look at your original solution idea—Do you still want to
be committed to it? Do you think you proved it? Do you think you disproved it?
What information do you have that supports this position? Each group answers
these questions.
NEW
INFORMATION
The teacher goes
back to the original list of solutions and has each group share the information
that they have that proves or disproves the solution. The information is
recorded next to the solution.
SECOND ROUND OF RESEARCH
Based on the
information shared by the class the groups may come up with new solutions. If so
the teacher can have a second round of research to prove or disprove the new
solutions. OR The teacher can have the students vote on which solution they
think is the one they most want to pursue as a class project.
MAKING A PRODUCT OR PERFORMANCE
Each problem
ends with the students making a product or a presentation of the solution to an
appropriate audience (real world if possible). This can be done by dividing up
the task among the groups having each do a part or having each group develop
their own method of product or presentation.
EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE AND THE PROBLEM
The teacher
encourages the students to evaluate their own performance, that of their group
and the quality of the problem itself.
The assessment
is on going at each stage of the problem development. Students understand that
their grade comes from both the process and product. For example their level of
participation, the quality of their research, the quality of their written work
and the quality of their presentation of the solution. In addition, students can
be evaluated on the depth of thinking that goes into the solution, the
imagination or creativity of the solution, the quality of the supporting
documentation for the solution and their ability to work with others. |
