Unit 1: What is Problem Based Learning?
Unit Objectives
After completing this unit the learner will be able to:
- Design an experimental procedure to assist answering a problem based learning task.
- Describe the key ingredients for a problem based learning task.
- Summarize the goals/purpose for using problem based learning task within a classroom.
What is Problem Based Learning?
Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a learning approach that combines critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and inquiry as students explore real-world problems (Egbert, 2009). Students work in small groups to investigate meaningful problems that are often presented as part of a project. Often times within the confines of the science classroom PBL is also known as Inquiry-Based Learning. Specifically within the science classroom Inquiry-Based instruction involves creating situations in which students take on the role of scientists. When students are active participants in asking questions, designing procedures, carrying out investigations, and analyzing data, they take responsibility for their own learning, and begin to think like scientists.
Right click on the following link to open the video in a new window. If you simply click on the link you will need to use your browser's back button to return to this page. Inquiry Based Science
Ingredients of Problem-Based Learning
Here is a well-known investigation that is given new life when applied under the heading problem based learning. This investigation emphasizes developing questions and student-directed inquiry.
The Problem - Which Paper Towel is Best?
In today's grocery store there are countless brands of paper towels that claim they are the best. Today you will design and outline a procedure to test your hypothesis about which paper towel is best. To guide your investigation let us define the word best. Merriam-Webster defines best as offering or producing the greatest advantage, utility, or satisfaction.
Discuss the Facts and Formulate a Hypothesis
What is the purpose of a paper towel? Recall why, when, where and how you use a paper towel? Use your prior experiences and observations to develop your hypothesis. As you consider its utility, decide what quality of best you wish to investigate-Strength? Absorbency? Texture? Biodegradability?
Identify Learning Needs to Prove or Disprove the Hypothesis
- Which quality did you select to represent the term best?
- How will you test this quality?
- How many times will you need to repeat your procedure to be certain about your results?
- How will you remember all your observations?
- How will you clearly present your findings to others?
Experimental Design
Reflect on the scientific method and what creates a valid experiment as you begin to create your investigation. Remember to accurately and consistently carry out your investigation.
How to Apply Problem-Based Learning
The scientific method is a concept students continually grapple with throughout their career as a science student. It haunts them from year to year, and often times they fail to understand the exact nature of the method and how it is a continuous process for any real-world scientist. Through the use of PBL students begin to answer guiding questions that allow them to assess what they know, what they need to know, and what they should do to solve the problem. According to Egbert (2009) the student problem-solving process involves four steps: define and frame the problem, plan, inquire, and look back.
1. Teachers must present students the problem statement. In this step you will DEFINE & FRAME THE PROBLEM as you introduce a real world scenario to students. It is extremely important that the students should not have enough prior knowledge to solve the problem. This simply means they will have to gather necessary information or learn new concepts, principles, or skills as they engage in the problem-solving process.
2. Allow students ample time the PLAN. Assist students as they develop a plan on how to address the problem guiding them to list what is known. This may include data from the situation as well as information based on prior knowledge.
3. Presented with a problem, students will need to find information to fill in missing gaps and INQUIRE. As the facilitator you can ask questions that will assist their learning in a
favorable direction and help students reduce cognitive overload as they begin their research. Making sure students do not lose focus early on due to an overwhelming amount of information is critical as a facilitator of PBL. Generating specific objectives for students to meet along the way to a larger goal will greatly assist in the scaffolding of content. Eventually as students inquire they will generate their own questions that will guide their searches that may take place on-line, in the library, or even at home.
4. Teachers must provide an opportunity for students to LOOK BACK and evaluate their conclusions where they will eventually communicate, orally and/or in writing their possible actions, recommendations, and solutions. The final product should include the scenario, guiding questions, data gathered, analysis of data, and support for solutions or recommendations based on the data analysis.
Summary and Goals of Problem-Based Learning
As you can see students undergoing the PBL process will need open-ended questions to foster metacognitive growth. Over time as students participate in PBL they become self-directed learners who are able to ask their own questions, and identify what they need to know to continue their learning. PBL tasks involve learners in gaining and organizing knowledge content. As stated earlier PBL tasks help learners link school activities to life, providing the "why" for doing the activity. They give students control of their learning and provide that spark of fun and interest necessary to maintain student motivation. It is not surprising that effective PBL tasks can lead to additional content learning and should be seen as central to a course curriculum and not as peripheral or time fillers. Typically PBL tasks have a measurable outcome, that may not be necessarily correct
PBL is used to engage and involve students in learning. This is based on several theories in cognitive theory. Two prominent ones are that students work on problems perceived as meaningful or relevant and that people try to fill in the gaps when presented with a situation they do not readily understand. This type of activity appeals to human desire for resolution and sets up the need for learning to follow (Egbert, 2009). Teachers present students with a problem set, then students and their groups analyze the problem, research, discuss, and produce tentative explanations, solutions, or recommendations. It is essential to PBL that students do not possess sufficient prior knowledge to address the problem. In the initial discussion, students develop a set of questions that need to be addressed. These questions then become the objectives for students' learning and guide their research.
PBL allows students to acquire factual knowledge, provides an opportunity for mastery of general principles and concepts that can be transferred to solve similar problems as well as the acquisition of prior examples that can be used in future problem solving situations of a similar nature.
Reflection
In your journal answer the following questions.
- Using the example Which Paper Towel is Best?, how did you feel as you were guided to develop your hypothesis and procedure?
- What are the steps to the PBL process?
- What is the goal/purpose of the PBL process?
- How confident are you at attempting to implement the PBL process within your classroom? Discuss your concerns with the overall steps and intended result of the process?
Resources
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1990). Science for all Americans. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Darling-Hammond, L. et al. (2008). Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Unit 2: Applying Problem Based Learning to the Science Classroom using the Scientific Method
Unit 3: Facilitating Problem Based Learning
My Biography April Taylor
Design Project Start Incorporating Problem Based Learning Using the Scientific Method