Transcript Document 7347375

Problem-Based Learning
Partnered with
Emerging Technology:
Putting Students at the
Center of their Learning
Mark Serva
George Watson
Institute for Transforming
Undergraduate Education
University of Delaware
University of
Delaware
Dela where?
The Way It Was...
1973
2008
scientific calculators,
graphing calculators,
laptops and notebooks,
PDAs
tablet PCs,
gigabytes and gigahertz,
ubiquitous computing
Computation and Calculation
The Way It Was...
1973
2008
e-mail,
voice-mail,
chatrooms,
cell phones,
text messaging,
instant messaging,
blogging,
wireless connectivity
Communication and Collaboration
The Way It Was...
1973
Online Information:
web catalogs,
networked databases,
Britannica Online,
online newspapers,
course websites,
CMS and LMS,
podcasting,
wikis
Collections and Connections
2008
Our changing environment
Teachers (Digital Immigrants) may assume
that students (Digital Natives) are the same as
they were - that the same methods that
worked for them when they were students will
work for their students now.
But that assumption is no longer valid.
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, by Marc Prensky
An important question:
Given the amazing advances in
technology
and the dramatic change in the
environment of our students,
Can we afford to continue teaching
the way we were taught?
First, a quick exercise:
1.
Individually, write down several words
or short phrases that come to mind
when you think of:
Student-Centered Learning
2.
3.
In pairs or small groups, select three
“most important”.
Finally, report out just one.
What I know best I have taught…
…the individuals learning the most in the typical
classrooms are the teachers there. They have reserved for
themselves the very conditions that promote learning:
actively seeking new information,
integrating it with what is known,
organizing it in a meaningful way, and
explaining it to others.
Page 35, Huba and Freed, Learner-Centered Assessment on College
Campuses: Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning, 2000
What Is PBL?
“The principal idea behind PBL is that
the starting point for learning should be
a problem, a query, or a puzzle that the
learner wishes to solve.”
Boud, D. (1985) PBL in perspective. In “PBL in Education
for the Professions,” D. J. Boud (ed); p. 13.
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.
What Is PBL?
PBL prepares students
to think critically and analytically,
to find and use appropriate learning
resources,
to communicate effectively, orally and in
writing,
to work well as members of a team.
What are the Common
Features of PBL?
Learning is initiated by a problem.
Problems are based on complex, real-world
situations.
All information needed to solve problem is not
given initially.
Students identify, find, and use appropriate
resources.
Students work in permanent groups.
Learning is active, integrated, cumulative, and
connected.
A Typical Day in a PBL Course
PBL: The Process
Resolution of Problem;
(How did we do?)
Integrate new
Information;
Refine questions
Reconvene, report
on research;
Research questions;
summarize;
analyze findings
Presentation of Problem
Next stage of
the problem
Organize ideas and
prior knowledge
(What do we know?)
Pose questions (What do
we need to know?)
Assign responsibility
for questions; discuss
resources
Problem-Based Learning
Partnered with
Emerging Technology:
Putting Students at the
Center of their Learning
Technology is a Funny Thing….
My academic background:
Degrees
Teaching
But…
I can’t figure out 90% of the
functions on my cell phone
My 14-year old son figured
out how to hook up my
home theater system.
On the Other Hand…
Our new Nintendo Wii
offers opportunities for
us as a family.
My iPod helped me pass
the time on the flight.
My phone allows me to
stay in touch with my
family.
Frustrations, quality of life.
Technology in the Classroom
Those frustrations also
occur when we teach.
The only time you should
use technology:
- Enhances learning
- Helps achieve learning
objectives.
What technologies have a high benefit yet
low barrier to entry?
What Is a Wiki?
Wiki versus Wikipedia
All Wiki users have an inherent right to change
anything on the page.
Along with this right comes an expectation of mutual
respect and trust - i.e., that participants will create an
effective product that reflect multiple perspectives.
One of the founders of Wikipedia once stated, “The
only way you can write something that survives [in a
Wiki] is that someone who’s your diametrical
opposite can agree with it.” In other words, don't
dictate—collaborate!
How Can Wikis Encourage
Student-Centered Learning?
Evaluation - make a judgment based on criteria
Synthesis - produce something new from
component parts
Analysis - break material into parts to see
interrelationships
Application - apply concept to a new situation
Comprehension - explain, interpret
Knowledge - remember facts, concepts,
definitions
Let’s See What Wikis Can Do….
Wikis and the
Journal Review Process
Journal Reviews require analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation.
Can wikis provide that same level of
intellectual stimulation?
Advantages of Wikis
Simple to use and understand
Can create a web-based resource for future
classes
Require students to think about how to
improve existing content as well as
integrate new content
SharePoint
Facilitates Student-Centered Learning by
allowing students to organize their teams.
Features
- Document Repository
- Team Calendar
- Announcements and Tasks
- Alerts
Let’s See What SharePoint Can Do….
Selection of
Technology for Class
Usefulness—Does it achieve your class’
learning objectives?
Ease of Use—Does it reinforce the concepts,
or create barriers to learning?
Acceptability—Students will accept the
technology and use it on their own.
Cost—Can the university and students afford
the technology?
Characteristics Needed
in College Graduates
High level of communication skills.
Ability to define problems, gather and
evaluate information, develop solutions.
Team skills -- ability to work with others.
Ability to use all of the above to address
problems in a complex real-world setting.
Quality Assurance in Undergraduate Education (1994)
Wingspread Conference, ECS, Boulder, CO.
Other Reasons for Using PBL?
Students learning to communicate in a
common language.
International Islamic University of Malaya
Innovation and thinking ‘outside of the box’.
Republic Polytechnic, Singapore
Student engagement; learning ‘how to learn’.
Inquiry-based approach, bringing research-like
approach to thousands of students.
“The principal idea behind PBL is that the starting
point for learning should be a problem, a query, or a
puzzle that the learner wishes to solve.”
Boud (1985)
UD PBL online
PBL at UD
www.udel.edu/pbl
PBL Clearinghouse
www.udel.edu/pblc
This presentation
www.udel.edu/pbl/yzu