Secondary and PostSecondary Problem Based Learning

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Secondary and Post-Secondary Problem Based
Learning

• Mary Lundeberg
• Teacher Education
• Michigan State University
• Viola Manokore
• University of Zimbabwe/MSU

NGS/LARC Literacy Institute July 12, 2006
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What is Problem Based Learning?

• What do you know?
• Write a few ideas regarding what you already know
  about PBL
• What do you want to know?
• Write a few ideas regarding what you would like
  to know about PBL

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Overview

• PBL Definitions/features
• Components of PBL instruction
• Research on PBL
• Examples of PBL instruction
• Resources for PBL
• Designing PBL problems

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What is PBL?

• PBL is a learning approach that challenges
  students to learn to learn working
  cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real
  world problems
• PBL prepares students to think critically and
  analytically, to find and use appropriate
  learning resources, and to use literacy to
  synthesize their understandings.

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Features of PBL

• Learning is initiated by a problem
• Problems are based on real world situations
• Self directed learning, cooperative learning
• and literacy
• Teachers as facilitators of the learning process

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PBL Instruction

• Student Role
• As participant
• Actively grapples with the complexity of the
  situation
• Investigates and resolves problem from the inside

Literacy Focus Students synthesize and
construct knowledge to bring resolution to
problems in a way that meets the conditions that
they themselves set forth

• Teacher Role
• As coach
• Presents problematic situation
• Models, coaches, and fades
• Engages in the process as co-investigator
• Assesses learning

• Information
• Little is presented by instructor without
  students identifying a need to know. Most is
  gathered and analyzed by students.

• Metacognitive Focus
• Teacher models and coaches as needed.
• Students develop strategies to enable and direct
  their own learning.

• Problem
• Ill - structured
• Presented as a situation within which a
  compelling problem is yet to be defined

Adapted from Torp, L. and Sage, S. 2002
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DescriptionWhat is happening?

• Survey of case teaching in science
• (23 states Canada)
• 2004-2005 Faculty perceptions (n101)
• Contexts of case use benefits and challenges

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Critical Thinking
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Scientific Literacy Habits of Mind

• A capacity to question, interpret and make
  inferences
• An ability to communicate scientifically
• An awareness that the nature of science is
  ongoing, evolving and refined through
  investigation
• An appreciation of the interdependence and
  interrelatedness of science, literacy and
  technology
• An understanding of the strengths and limitations
  of science, technology and literacy in the world.
• Adapted from Torp and Sage, 2002

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CauseIs there a systematic effect?

• Does PBL lead to greater increases in competency,
  knowledge and/or attitudes about genetics or
• infectious diseases than lectures?
• Does PBL increase students ability to interpret
  data?
• Does PBL allow transfer of concepts across the
  curriculum?

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Increases in data interpretation
Test scores
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Student perceptions of PBL
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PBL Cases

• What do you think is the MOST urgent health
  problem facing this nation today?
• What do you think is the MOST urgent health
  problem facing the world today?

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Case It! Investigator Case video

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Case It! Investigator Case video

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Discussion about Anna Case

• Social issues raised by the case?
• Science issues raised?
• Science literacy learning opportunities

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HIV inquiry simulations

• Run an ELISA and a Western blot
• Anna
• Annas Boyfriend
• Anna, first trimester
• Anna, second trimester
• Annas baby
• Positive and negative controls
• What is the status of each person tested? How
  would you explain these results to Anna? What
  recommendations would you give Anna as she cares
  for herself and her baby?

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ELISA Results
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Western Blot

• Western Blot run to confirm ELISA

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PBL investigations and interpreting data

• Anna begins taking antiretroviral medications. A
  viral load test is performed one, three, and six
  months after she begins this drug treatment.
  After running the PCR analysis on these samples,
  what would you conclude about the effectiveness
  of the treatment?

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PCR for viral loads
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Student Poster synthesis

• ANNA CASE (USA).htm

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LaunchPad Discussion
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Focus Group Questions

• From this experience, have any of your
  perspectives and/or understandings about HIV/AIDS
  epidemic changed? If so, please explain.
• 62 of the participants said their perspectives
  have changed - more confident - more concerned -
  more understanding-more aware of cultural
  differences
• How relevant do you feel the topic of HIV/AIDS is
  to your life? Why do you feel this way?
• 66 of the participants said it was relevant
  either personally or globally

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Literacy interaction

• Launchpad with the conferencing capability
  altered students perspectives.
• Communicating with other classmates and the
  Zimbabweans made an impact.
• Range of perspectives while interacting with
  Zimbabweans - Some students said the software
  makes you want to learn moreable to see other
  opinionsand gave us a chance to talk to
  different places

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Real Problems

• Several student commented -
• I like it because it was real people and real
  situation (I) can see the real person. It made
  the experience better and more interesting. It
  made it (the situation) feel like we were
  personally involved.

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Quotes from US students

• I think I definitely learned moreit was
  amazing. When they Zimbabwe students would ask
  questions like what if I cant afford medical
  attention or what if I dont have a doctor near
  by that has the medication for mewe dont think
  about it and we always have the money somehow or
  we will get it to get help. But they dont
  necessarily have the ability.
• one of the African students asked me if suicide
  would be the best answer and that kind of really
  hit home compared to our questions that were more
  surface-yI thought they were more personal, it
  was good.

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Quotes Zimbabwean Students

• Case-It gave me an opportunity to simulate HIV
  tests and play the role of medical practitioner
  and counselor by giving advice to people affected
  by HIV. It was also interesting to network with
  international students via conferencing. Indeed,
  the world is a global village
• I had no idea how I could do a practical on HIV
  testing given the limited apparatus and financial
  limitations in my school. There is one very
  important objective in the A Level syllabus which
  emphasizes use of IT in teaching Biology, which
  over the years I have not been able to fulfill.
• From our discussions we found that many people
  are aware of HIV/AIDS but very few would like to
  know their status, i.e. to be tested. This
  attitude is likely to affect the management of
  the disease as many people are still undiagnosed
  and in the event that they are infected they will
  spread the disease unaware.
• I have learned that the computer aided learning
  is quite motivating to learning. It fosters
  hands-on minds-on approach videos make the
  discussions more lively and concrete as well as
  real.

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Teachers perspective on Case It!

• Technology can also be a means for leveling the
  playing field. As an economical alternative to
  costly lab equipment and field trips, technology
  can be used to introduce students to experience
  far outside most district budgets.
• From sophisticated wet lab equipment in the
  biology room to trans-global communication
  regarding various projects, modern technology has
  the potential to open doors in places where doors
  have never even been.

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The Flickering MindWhy bother?

• Like it or not, computer technology is here to
  stay The challenge for schools, is to be smarter
  about how and when they use technology, and how
  to separate its wheat from its chaff.
• (Oppenheimer, 2003, p. 393)

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PBL in social studies
Social Studies Teacher George Bowman
Interviewed by Nikki Roschen
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Goals of the WWII Internet PBL Project

• Foster an awareness
• of prejudice and stereotyping
• Recognize importance of
• individual responsibility
• Strengthen subject matter knowledge of WWII
• Improve technology skills
• Learn process of accessing and analyzing
  sources
• Synthesize material from
• a variety of sources

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Interview questions used for conference with
concentration camp survivors

• How long were you imprisoned?
• What kind of food did they give you?
• What happened to your family?
• How did the armed guards treat you?
• Where did you get a job after your imprisonment?

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Kinnickinnic River Biology Problem
Biology Teacher Lynda Meyers

• Interviewed by Nina Harmes

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COMPONENTS OF THE PBL PROJECT

• Constructing a food web
• Poster presentations
• Sampling and identifying Macroinvertebrates
• Determining the health of the river
• Taking digital pictures of indigenous flora
• Power Point presentation a biological profile
• Guide to the Kinnie

Lynda Meyers
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Research on Designing Problems

• Authentic and relevant
• One that participants might encounter, they have
  a role in solving, requires them to use tools of
  the discipline and find information
• Pedagogically effective
• Content knowledge, standards, PCK, problem
  solving, peer collaboration, and self-directed
  learning
• Controversial (multiple solutions)
• Appropriately complex
• Necessitates cooperation, group work, hypotheses,
  learning issues and independent learning
• Clear about participants' roles
• Engaging

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Designing a problem

• Select appropriate content and determine
  availability of resources
• Write a problem statement that
• Is developmentally appropriate
• Is grounded in student experience
• Is curriculum based
• Allows for a variety of teaching and learning
  strategies and styles
• Is ill structured
• Questions to ask
• What information should students learn?
• What investigative processes and problem solving
  abilities should they develop?
• How can this information/skills be connected to
  real life?
• How will this project expand students
  independence and ability to learn, solve problems
  on their own and engage in literacy practices,?
• Choose a motivation activity--how will you
  present the problem?
• Determine evaluation strategies
• Assessment FOR learning
• Assessment OF learning

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Resources

• https//www2.imsa.edu/programs/cpbl/cpbl.html
• http//www.cotf.edu/
• http//www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/modules.html
• http//ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/
  case.html
• http//www.udel.edu/pbl/problems/
• httpwww.uwrf.edu/caseit/caseit.html
• http//www.accessexcellence.org/AB/IE/
• http//www.samford.edu/pbl/comparison.html
• http//cstl-csm.semo.edu/waterman/
• Example modification

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Science literacy NRC Standards (1996)
Understand big ideas in science, Deal with
scientific issues in daily life Develop
skeptical/critical stances Rely on evidence to
make decisions as a citizen Engage in
inquiry Analyze data for patterns Use scientific
discourse Read and discuss texts Persuade peers

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