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Explore the origins, outcomes, and design considerations of problem-based learning (PBL) in education. Discover how PBL can enhance student engagement and knowledge-seeking. Find examples and design tips for implementing PBL in your instructional practices.
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dProblem Based Learning: From Origins to Outcomes to Design Considerations andy.walker@usu.edusearch for/install “world of goo” demo
We all have problems • New Puppy • New software/OS version • New job • How to do an email attachment
Instruction and “something else” • “ . . . if instructional designers design instruction, then [the alternative camp is doing] something else. This ‘something else’ may be a desirable educational intervention, but it does not appear to be instruction.” • (Dick, 1991, p. 44)
Instruction and “something else” • “ . . . if instructional designers design instruction, then [the alternative camp is doing] something else. This ‘something else’ may be a desirable educational intervention, but it does not appear to be instruction.” • (Dick, 1991, p. 44) • “The reverend” Wayne Hodgins
Roots of PBL • Medical Education (existing model) • Two years of lecture • Unclear connection between content and practice. • Dwindling Enrollments • Poor student retention • Business model: Lecturing to medical students
Sample Activity • FINISH
Sample Activity • FINISH
Organization • Overview of PBL • Barriers to using PBL • Research on PBL • Examples of PBL • Design considerations for PBL
Overview: What is PBL? • A-theoretical roots • Polynomial (dPBL, PBL, ICT assisted PBL, Authentic PBL . . . ) & multiple definitions • Students presented with an authentic, complex problem first. • Problem used to drive knowledge-seeking (student-driven) • Small group (tutorial) sessions. • Collaborative independent study. • Tutors as facilitators (meta-cognition not content; fading) • Problems are cross-disciplinary
Overview: PBL as a learning process • 1st meeting • Problem statement/framing • Students list known (existing) knowledge • Students list what they need to know • Discuss likely resources • Between meetings • Divide and conquer • 2nd meeting • Report findings • Solution attempt • Close the loop
Barriers: ISD, faculty • Epistemological Beliefs • Faculty buy-in • Research University* (BYU, USU, U of U . . . ) • pubs, grants . . . teaching • Teaching University* (UVU, SUU . . . ) • teaching (time, scale, ratings) • Scholarship of research • Can be done (Special Education)
Barriers: students • Epistemological Beliefs • Existing mental models for instruction • 13 years+
Research: Meta-analysis • Summarize quantitative outcomes across studies. • Cohen (1988)* • 0.2 = “small”, close expert • 0.5 = “medium”, casual expert/close layperson • 0.8 = “large”, casual layperson
Example: What does PBL Look like? Problem Statement: One of the big strengths of Flash is animation for the purposes of instruction. A common problem in science education is showing fundamentally dynamic information in a static way. For this assignment, you’ll be taking something that is often shown as a still image in textbooks . . .
Example: What does PBL Look like? Design Specs • Add some visual element to indicate the source of the sun (right side of the top view). • In the top down view get the moon to orbit the Earth • Have the shadow consistently cover the left side of the moon, no matter where the moon is in it’s orbit. • In the top down view, make the Earth rotate at a rate that matches the phases of the moon changes. • Add a shadow that shows which part of the Earth is in day vs night. • Tweak the alpha on the shadows from 80% down to 65% • . . .
Barriers: Tools • Can a communication technology be developed that will mediate PBL yet avoid distorting the PBL process as it is used in face-to-face small-group work? . . . I’m waiting with baited breath (Barrows, 2002) • Are we there yet?
Overview: Good time for dPBL • Ubiquity/Non-rival resources (Seth’s work) • Google Scholar • http://scholar.google.com/ • Google Print • http://print.google.com/googleprint/library.html • NSDL, Ted Talks, Open Courseware (including MOOCs) • LMS + social software
Design: Process • Creating Problem Statements • Instructor guides (process emphasis, sample prompts, sample interactions, goals before moving forward) • Scholar/practitioner tension • Student guides (process emphasis) • Reflection • Gathering Resources • Rubrics (value the process, deep level)
Design: timing • Fundamentally synchronous activity with an asynchronous population? • Using people with more time (or whose time is more cheap). • “Bootstrapping” PBL (Derry et al) • Investing for Success
More information • Buck Institute for Education • AERA Sig-PBL • Me (andy.walker@usu.edu) • articles • sample activities • ECDS source code • Would love chances to collaborate