Derek Raine & Cheryl Hurkett, University of Leicester

2. LeAP Summer WorkshopPromoting PBL Derek Raine & Cheryl Hurkett, University of Leicester • Natalie Rowley, University of Birmingham

4. Problem 1 • The problem is presented to you in the form of a comic strip (or graphic novel)

6. Instructions: • Read the comic strip • Individually write down a sentence describing your initial understanding of the problem • Locate the problem as a group • Exchange your Existing Knowledge in relation to the problem; attempt the problem • Identify Issues for further research

7. Report back – group presentations • What is the problem? • What are the issues? • What more research do you need to carry out?

8. What did we do? • Why ask for individual reflection? • Why agree the problem? • Why list existing knowledge? • Why list issues? The concept of learning issues is central to PBL. It encourages students to think for themselves about what they know and what they don’t know about an issue.

9. How did we do?

10. What are the issues for PBL? Problem 2: How do we promote PBL?

11. Problem 2: Our Learning Issues • What is PBL? • What are we trying to achieve? • Planning • Problem writing • Facilitation • Group formation • Assessment • Evaluation; student engagement • Promoting PBL

12. What is PBL?

13. Definitions: PBL PBL (problem-based learning) is a student-centred method of teaching in which students learn by investigating real-world problems and, working in groups, seek out the tools necessary to solve them.

14. What is the difference? • Problem-based learning • Enquiry-based learning • Case-based learning • Project-based learning • Research-based learning

15. Variations: EBL • Definition: Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning, University of Manchester • “EBL describes an environment in which learning is driven by a process of enquiry owned by the student. Starting with a “scenario” and with the guidance of a facilitator, students identify their own issues and questions. They then examine the resources they need to research the topic, thereby acquiring the requisite knowledge. Knowledge so gained is more readily retained because it has been acquired by experience and relation to a real problem.” • EBL includes the following activities: • Problem based learning • Small scale investigations • Projects and research

16. Variations: Self-Directed Learning • Definition: McMaster University, Ontario, Canada (1/2) “Inquiry is a form of Self-Directed Learning and follows the four basic stages defining self-directed learning. Students take more responsibility for: • Determining what they need to learn • Identifying resources and how best to learn from them • Using resources and reporting their learning • Assessing their progress in learning”

17. Variations: Self-Directed Learning • Definition: McMaster University, Ontario, Canada (2/2) “Teaching through “inquiry” involves engaging students in the research process with instructor support and coaching at a level appropriate to their starting skills. Students learn discipline specific content but in doing so, engage and refine their inquiry skills. An inquiry course: • Is question driven, rather than topic or thesis driven • Begins with a general theme to act as a starting point or trigger for learning • Emphasizes asking good researchable questions on the theme, and coaches students in doing this • Builds library, interview, and web search skills, along with the critical thinking skills necessary for thoughtful review of the information. Coaches students on how to best report their learning in oral or written form • Provides some mechanism (interviews, drafts, minutes of groups meetings, benchmark activities, etc) to help students monitor their progress within the course. • Draws on the expertise and knowledge of the instructor to model effective inquiry and to promote reflection.”

18. What are we trying to achieve?

19. Co-operative learning The average normalized gains <g> for problem-based honours courses at the University of Delaware in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 were between 0.45 and 0.64.  Those <g>'s may be compared with the average 0.48 +/-0.14 of <g>'s for forty-eight "interactive engagement" courses in a survey of mechanics test data for six thousand students in introductory physics courses [Hake (1998a)] • ‘nobody wants to like it, but it actually does work’ • it ‘almost felt like you were doing research’ • ‘Absolutely love it…’

20. Engagement • Engagement • Students work together • Students choose which areas to explore, and which questions to answer • Students are active in the learning process • Focus • Away from the tutor – facilitator role • Towards the subject • Towards the learning process • Alignment…

21. Alignment

22. Planning

23. Planning Who is it for? • Students (number and level) What are the objectives? • Process • Content What is the course? • Sequencing of course/problems • Time/structure of class

24. Planning Who is the problem writer? • Discipline • Control issues • Level of investment How assessed? • Presentation, report, group/individual…? How evaluated?

26. PBL Problem Writing

27. Good PBL Problems… • Relate to real world, motivate students • Require decision-making or judgments • Are multi-page, multi-stage • Are designed for group-solving • Pose open-ended initial questions that encourage discussion • Incorporate course content objectives, higher order thinking

28. Key features of “driving questions" Feasibility • Students can plan a way to investigate the question • The question is appropriate for the students Worth • The question is relevant to what people (including scholars in the discipline) really do • The question helps students to link major concepts • The question is complex enough to be broken down into smaller questions • The question leads to further questions (Modified from Krajcik, Czerniak, & Berger, Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms)

29. Key features of “driving questions" Contextualization • The question is anchored in real world issues and has real world consequences. Meaning • The question is interesting and important to learners. • The question intersects with learners’ lives, reality, and culture. Sustainability • The question allows students to pursue solutions over time • Students can pursue answers to the question in great detail.

30. Types of Learning Objectives Content-oriented: subject specific • Basic knowledge and understanding of specific concepts, techniques, etc. in the discipline Process-oriented: global skills • Effective communication: oral and written • Acquiring and evaluating information • Working effectively with others • Higher order, critical thinking

31. Sources of Problems 1) Your current exercises 2) External sources • Newspaper articles, news events • Popular press in the discipline • Make up a story – based on content objectives • Adapt a case to a problem • Research papers • Other?

32. Step One: Identify the course You can think of the subject, level of students, size of class, how you would use it. List the learning objectives that would be met by this problem

33. Step Two: Think of a scenario Sketch out the first section

34. Step Three: What comes next? Write a brief synopsis of the problem, emphasizing its possible staging Be prepared to report out.

35. Facilitation

36. What makes a good facilitator?

37. Community Building 1) Interactions within groups 2) Interaction with facilitators and staff 3) Balance between group and individual work 4) Interaction between groups

38. Interactions within groups • Group Roles/Rules • Group Action Plan • Peer Tutoring • Induction • Planning Phase • Investigation Phase • Analysis Phase • Assessment

39. Interactions with facilitators and staff • Induction • Planning Phase • Investigation Phase • Analysis Phase • Assessment • Facilitator • Subject Expert • Audience

40. Group and individual work • G & I Learning Outcomes • Individual • G & I Deliverables • Induction • Planning Phase • Investigation Phase • Analysis Phase • Assessment

41. Interaction between groups • Induction • Planning Phase • Investigation Phase • Analysis Phase • Assessment • Assessment Design

43. Group Formation

44. Group Formation • Assigned or free-formed? • Random or structured? • Rotation rate?

45. Authentic Assessment

46. What is assessment for? Restricted access (selection/winner takes all) Competence or mastery of content Competence or mastery of process Potential (The Apprentice) Group process Group process

47. Assessment types • Expert witness • Pitch • Podcast • Poster • Report to …. • Conference presentation

48. Authentic Assessment Water pipes in the desert There is too much data or too many experiments for each group to carry out the whole project alone. Telescope project Presentations and reports are required to exchange information.

49. Problems of Group Assessment • Pitfalls: • Over-assessment • Staff time • Free-loaders • Identifying contributions • Solution: • Group work as culture (co-operative learning) not method Pedagogies of engagement: Classroom-Based Practices, Smith et al J EngEduc Jan 2005