USING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING TO ACHIEVE LIFELONG LEARNING

1. USING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING TO ACHIEVE LIFELONG LEARNING OPEN UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA 14 NOVEMBER 2011

2. OUR ERA • GLOBALIZATION ERA- ERA OF INFORMATION, TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATION • SHOWS THE IMPACT IN ALL SECTORS OF SOCIAL LIFE • APPERAS A NEW SOCIETY, KNOWLEDGE BASED • THE NEED OF READINESS FROM ITS MEMBERS TO HAVE BOTH KNOWLEDGE AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

3. CHANGES IN EDUCATION • THE CHANGES IN SOCIAL LIFE INFLUENCES THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION : • ACCORDING TO THE DEMANDS OF THE PROGRES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY • ACCORDING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS AND TECHNOLOGY OF LEARNING • HERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES IN HIGHER EDUCATION • SEPARATION BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE WHICH MAKE STUDENTS TO NOT UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE • THE METHOD OF TEACHING

4. LIFELONG LEARNING • THE THEME OF THIS SEMINAR IS ABOUT LIFELONG LEARNING • LIFELONG LEARNING IS THE EDUCATION RESULTING FROM INTEGRATION OF FORMAL, NONFORMAL, AND INFORMAL EDUCATION WHICH CREATE ABILITY FOR CONTINOUS LIFELONG DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE (NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ACT,1999) • TEACHING LEARNING METHOD IS ONE OF THE TOOLS WHICH SUPPORTS LIFELONG LEARNING

5. LEARNING PROCESS • THE LEARNING PROCESS IS DEFINED: • AS LEARNING WHICH PROGRESSES IN TIME AND BY DEGREES, IS PLANED AND GOAL DIRECTED (DUCH & GROH,2001) • AS A RESULT OF THE LEARNING PROCESS , THE LEARNER GETS AN INSIGHTFUL KNOWLEDGE WHICH INCLUDES BOTH ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO USE THIS KNOWLEDGE

6. TRADITIONAL & CONSTRUCTIVIST METHOD • ACCORDING TO THE TRADITIONAL VIEW: • TEACHING HAS BEEN SEEN AS TRANSFERRING INFORMATION TO A STUDENT • THE TEACHERS DECIDE WHAT INFORMATION AND SKILLS THE STUDENT SHOULD LEARN • ACCORDING TO THE CONSTRUCTIVIST POINT OF VIEW: • THE LEARNER ACTIVELY CONSTRUCTS KNOWLEDGE • THE PHYLOSOPHY OF CONSTRUCTIVISM HAS BECOME THE BASE FOR MANY LEARNING STRATEGIES ORIENTED TO THE LEARNERS’ NEEDS

7. PROBLEM BASED LEARNING • CONSIDERING BLOOM’S MODEL OF COGNITIVE LEVELS , THE PBL STRATEGY IS MORE SUITABLE THAN THE TRADITIONAL METHOD BECAUSE : • WILL STIMULATE THE STUDENTS TO WORK AT THE HIGHER LEVEL OF ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION • THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION ARE IMPROVED • SAFFERY&DUFFEY (1996) SAID THAT PBL IS ONE OF THE BEST TRANSLATION OF CONSTRUCTIVIST THINKING INTO PRACTICE

8. WHAT IS PBL? • PBL IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD – THE STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE A PROBLEM • PBL IS A CURRICULUM – CONSISTS OF WELL DESIGNED PROBLEMS • PBL IS A PROCESS – DEMANDS A LOT OF SKILLS LIKE : CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING PROFICIENCY, SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING STRATEGIES

9. WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PBL • THE ROLES CHANGE- THE TEACHER BECOMES A FACILITATOR, THE STUDENTS ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR LEARNING • THE LEARNING PROCESS IS STUDENT-CENTRED • PROBLEMS ARE STIMULUS FOR LEARNING • ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO WORK TOGETHER • NEW INFORMATION AQUIRED THROUGH SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

10. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF PBL? • TO DEVELOP : KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES • TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THE TUTORS TO COMMIT TO STUDENTS DIRECTED LEARNING • TO MAKE CONSTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF STUDENTS • THE MAIN GOALS OF PBL: • TO SOLVE PROBLEMS • TO INSPIRE STUDENTS TO LEARN • TO FOSTER THE SKILLS FOR SELF-DIRECTED LIFELONG LEARNING

12. ADVANTAGES OF PBL • INCREASES THE STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN DEVELOPING INITIATIVE • THE MORE REAL THE PROBLEM IS, THE HIGHER IS THE POTENCY TO TRANSFER THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE DAYLY LIFE • DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING OR HIGHER ORDER OF THINKING • SHOWS A BETTER INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE • DEVELOP LIFELONG LEARNING SKILLS:

13. MORE….. • HOW TO RESEARCH • HOW TO COMMUNICATE • HOW TO HANDLE PROBLEMS • INCREASES MOTIVATION • INCREASES STUDENTS’ INTERACTION • INCREASES STUDENT-TUTOR INTERACTION

14. THE WEAKNESSES OF PBL • THE FIELD OF SCIENCE IS NOT SO WIDE • NEED MORE TIME • DIFFICULT TO DESIGNE A GOOD ‘REAL PROBLEM’ • TRANSITION FROM TRADITIONAL CLASS TO PBL CLASS IS DIFFICULT FOR STUDENTS • IS DIFFICULT FOR THE LECTURER TO CHANGE THE THINKING THAT HIS ROLE IS AS FACILITATOR

15. WHY WE LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE? • KNOWING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES • HAVE A BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER PEOPLE AND CULTURE • READ AND UNDERSTAND MORE • EMPLOYEMENT ADVANTAGES • AN EMPLOYEE WITH PRACTICAL LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL SKILLS IS NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH • MULTILINGUALISM CONTRIBUTES TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

16. PBL IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES • MEET A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES • USING PBL IN CHINESE, JAPANESE, FRENCH AND RUSSIAN CLASSES IS A DIFFICULT TASK, BUT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE • TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM TAKES MORE TIME (ABOUT 3 MEETINGS) TO GET THE INFORMATION, TO SHARE, TO CORRECT, AND TO USE THE INFORMATION • THE STUDENTS WORK WITH DICTIONARY MORE THAN IN TRADITIONAL CLASSES • THEY HAVE TO COMMUNICATE EACH OTHER IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR FLUENCY

17. MORE… • IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES WITH PBL , PROBLEMS WILL LEAD STUDENTS TO THE CONTENT, BUT IN A WAY THAT FOSTERS LIFELONG LANGUAGE LEARNING • TEACHERS CAN BEGINE WITH SIMPLE PROBLEMS ( LETTERS, ADVERTISMENT, ETC) • PROBLEMS CAN BE SIMPLE OR COMPLEX DEPENDS ON THE STUDENTS’ LEVEL

18. THE CHALLENGES IN FLC WITH PBL • STUDENTS COMMUNICATE IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE • IF THE COMMAND OF LANGUAGE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH , CREATIVITY WILL DROP • IS NOT RECOMMENDED AT THE BASIC LEVELS • NEEDS MORE TIME • IS DIFFICULT TO CONSTRUCT A PROBLEM PURE LINGUSTIC • MUST COMBINE LANGUAGE WITH OTHER SUBJECTS LIKE : HYSTORY, LAW, MEDICINE, GEOGRAPHY, ETC

19. MORE ABOUT … • LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TAKES TIME AND EFFORT • IS A LONGLIFE TASK • ALWAYS ARE NEW VOCABULARY WORDS, EXPRESSIONS, SENTENCES TO LEARN • BECOMING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER SHOULD HAVE : • KNOWLEDGE OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE- THE TEACHER CAN SPEAK AND WRITE WELL IN THAT LANGUAGE • KNOWLEDGE OF HOW LANGUAGE IS USED-

20. ……. • CAN EXPLAIN GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY • KNOWLEDGE OF PEDAGOGY- CAN APPLY THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO THE LESSON, KNOW HOW TO CREATE A GOOD ENVIRONEMENT FOR LEARNING • THE TEACHERS ALSO ARE THE LONGLIFE LEARNERS

21. THANK YOU