problem-based learning

	- problem-based learning (PBL) -
	please note that most, if not all, of the notes on values and highlight sections taken from text passages are direct quotations/phrases. 　 Quotes from Hmelo-Silver’s (2004)“Problem-Based Learning: What and How do Students Learn?” -PBL and other experimental approaches- Psychological research and theory suggests that by having students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies. PBL is well suited to helping students become active learners because it situates learning in real-world problems and makes students responsible for their learning. It has a dual emphasis on helping learners develop strategies and construct knowledge. PBL Process Model (The Problem-based Learning Cycle): -Problem Scenario (through formulating and analyzing problem to) -Identify Facts -Generate Hypotheses -ID Knowledge Deficiencies (issues for students research during SDL) -Apply New Knowledge -Abstraction PBL is one of a family of approaches that include anchored instructionand project-based science. They differ in terms of the type and role of the problem, the problem-solving process, and the specific tools that are employed. All the three above-mentioned approaches emphasize that: -learners are actively constructing knowledge in collaborative groups. -the roles of the student and teacher (the facilitator of collaborative learning) are transformed. - The Role of the Problem -* To foster flexible thinking, problems need to be complex, ill-structured, and open-ended; to support intrinsic motivation, they must also be realistic and resonate with the students' experiences. The problems should also promote conjecture and argumentation. Multidisciplinary problems should help build extensive and flexible knowledge because information is not learned in isolation. - The Role of the Facilitator - In PBC, the teacher/facilitator is an expert learner, able to model good strategies for learning and thinking, rather than an expert in the content itself. The facilitator scaffolds student learning through modeling and coaching, primarily through the use of questioning strategies. The PBL facilitator -guides the development of higher order thinking skills by encouraging students to justify their thinking, -externalizes self-reflection by directing appropriate questions to individuals. Although the facilitator fades some of his/her scaffolding as the group gains experience with the PBL methods, s/he continues to monitor the group, making moment-to-moment decisions about how best to facilitate the PBL process. The role of the facilitator is extremely important in modeling thinking skills and providing metacognitive scaffolding. - Reflection in PBL - Reflection on the relationship between problem solving and learning is a critical component of PBL and is needed to support the construction of extensive and flexible knowledge. Reflection helps students -relate their new knowledge to their prior understanding, -mindfully abstract knowledge, and -understand how their learning and problem-solving strategies might be reapplied -Goals of PBL- - Goal 1: Constructing Extensive and Flexible Knowledge - PBL appears to support learning in undergraduate and professional educational contexts, but there has been little work with younger students. 　 - Goal 2: Developing Effective Problem-Solving Skills - One indicator of effective problem-solving skills is the ability to transfer reasoning strategies to new problems. Although research on the influence of PBL on strategy transfer is limited, it does provide some evidence that students in PBL learn problem-solving and reasoning strategies that are transferable to new problems. 　 - Goal 3: Developing SDL Skills - Good self-directed learners were proactive in achieving their goals. That is, these successful learners adapted their personal strategies to the situational demands. Students’ approaches to learning from problems differ qualitatively depending on their degree of self-regulation. Students who were low self-regulated learners (SRL) had difficulty adapting to the kind of learning required in problem-based instruction. 　 - Goal 4: Becoming Effective Collaborators - Effective collaboration can lead to knowledge construction as students construct joint explanations. However, there is not yet evidence that supports the hypothesis that PBL helps students become better collaborators (broadly defined). - Goal 5: Becoming Intrinsically Motivated - Enhancing student motivation is purported to be a major advantage of PBL. Unfortunately there is little research that bears directly on this issue. 　 -Discussion- One barrier to using PBL in more diverse settings is the lack of a sufficient number of skilled facilitators in many settings. Some techniques such as procedural facilitation, scripted cooperation, and structured journals may prove useful tools in moving PBL to other settings. Technology may also play an important role in adapting PBL for specific disciplines. 　 Quotes from Hmelo et. al. (2000)“Designing to Learn about Complex Systems” PBL provided the base for integrating doing with reflection and for helping students make connections to the world around them. The facilitator is responsible both for moving the students through the various stages of problem solving and for monitoring the group process- ensuring that all students are involved and encouraging them both to externalize their own thinking and to comment on each other’s thinking. Facilitator plays another important role to help students bring in their knowledge of the world as a contribution to problem solving while at the same time helping them to move forward without being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. 　 back to top






↓ constructivist learning ↓










































	back to top Instructional Design Blueprint for Problem-Based Learning (PBL): Doomsday back to top Dr. Land has suggested that we should allocate more time in the initial upfront planning and hypothesizing period. In our original blueprint design, we plan to spend the first 15 to 20 minutes in the first session to present the problem scenario to students, including demonstration of the animated videos. Students could utilize the rest 70 minutes to identify the fact. However, the discussion of fact identification could carry on in the second class session if students need more time to wrap up their tentative conclusion. The timetable could be flexible according to the facilitator’s observation of gauging the discussion process. In response to peer’s suggestion regarding the role of facilitator, we did specify the tasks of the instructor in the overview section of the main activities/procedures, as well as we identify the instructor as one of the scaffoldings in the available resources in our blueprint. We pictured the instructor as the course facilitator constantly challenging students by prompting strategic questions to model students’ thinking skills and providing metacognitive scaffoldings. For our blueprint, we tried to apply this design in a real-world context. We considered that this Problem-Based Learning scenario could be properly integrated into our target ASTRO 020S First Year Astronomy Seminar Course which is an introductory course to the study of modern astronomy through discussions, activities, and writing. We thought this subunit could be implemented in the later part of the semester so that students should have equipped with certain degree of professional knowledge regarding this subject matter. As the blueprint designers, all our team members felt intrinsically motivated by this topic. Due to the severity of the potential problem endangering human civilization, we felt that we have the obligation to face the inevitable threats as we live in this global village. back to top Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learner? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266. Hmelo, C. E., Holton, D. L., & Kolodner, J. L. (2000). Designing to learn about complex systems. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 9(3), 247-298. back to top Center for Problem-Based Learning (http://www.imsa.edu/team/cpbl/cpbl.html ) is part of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. The site provides a comparison of PBL with other approaches, steps for designing activities, model problems, and links to a few full-text articles. � SDSU Problem-Based Learning (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/clrit/learningtree/Ltree.html ), developed by SDSU Educational Technology professors Bob Hoffman and Donn Ritchie, offers information on the advantages and barriers, assessment of student outcomes, tips for problem selection, and a bibliography. Problem-Based Learning Bibliography (http://www.pbli.org/bibliography ) back to top
	last update: April 22nd, 2007 contact hsiuwei: hoh5021 at psu dot edu