Derek Raine & Cheryl Hurkett, University of LeicesterNatalie Rowley, University of Birmingham

LeAP Summer WorkshopPromoting PBL

Day 1Morning:

• PBL activity (groups); • Evaluation - characteristics of PBL (plenary

feedback)

Afternoon: • Problem writing (lecture 1 hour followed by group activity)

Day 2

Morning: • Delegate presentations;• Assessing PBL (presentation, 30 mins, discussion)

Afternoon:• Problem development (groups) and consultancy

(individual);• PBL facilitation (presentation and discussion); • Evaluating PBL & Delegate presentations

Day 3Morning: • Selected delegate problems tried out and discussed

Afternoon: • Q&A: Promoting PBL• Summary and feedback

Problem 1

• The problem is presented to you in the form of a comic strip (or graphic novel)

• Read the comic strip• Individually write down a sentence describing

your initial understanding of the problem• Locate the problem as a group• Exchange your Existing Knowledge in relation

to the problem; attempt the problem• Identify Issues for further research

Instructions:

• What is the problem?• What are the issues?• What more research do you need to carry

out?

Report back – group presentations

• Why ask for individual reflection?

• Why agree the problem?

• Why list existing knowledge?

• Why list issues? The concept of learning issues is central to PBL. It encourages students to think for themselves about what they know and what they don’t know about an issue.

What did we do?

Planning Phase What is the problem?What do we know?

Investigation Phase What do we need to find out?Who and what?

Analysis Phase Have we solved the problem fully? (Repeat as necessary)

Assessment ReportEvaluation Group roles

How did we do?

Problem 2: How do we promote PBL?

What are the issues for PBL?

• What is PBL?• What are we trying to achieve?• Planning• Problem writing• Facilitation• Group formation• Assessment• Evaluation; student engagement• Promoting PBL

Problem 2: Our Learning Issues

What is PBL?

PBL (problem-based learning) is a student-centred method of teaching in which students learn by investigating real-world problems and, working in groups, seek out the tools necessary to solve them.

Definitions: PBL

• Problem-based learning• Enquiry-based learning• Case-based learning• Project-based learning• Research-based learning

What is the difference?

Definition: Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning, University of Manchester

Variations: EBL

“EBL describes an environment in which learning is driven by a process of enquiry owned by the student. Starting with a “scenario” and with the guidance of a facilitator, students identify their own issues and questions. They then examine the resources they need to research the topic, thereby acquiring the requisite knowledge. Knowledge so gained is more readily retained because it has been acquired by experience and relation to a real problem.”

EBL includes the following activities:

• Problem based learning

• Small scale investigations

• Projects and research

“Inquiry is a form of Self-Directed Learning and follows the four basic stages defining self-directed learning. Students take more responsibility for:

Variations: Self-Directed LearningDefinition: McMaster University, Ontario, Canada (1/2)

• Determining what they need to learn• Identifying resources and how best

to learn from them• Using resources and reporting their

learning• Assessing their progress in learning”

“Teaching through “inquiry” involves engaging students in the research process with instructor support and coaching at a level appropriate to their starting skills. Students learn discipline specific content but in doing so, engage and refine their inquiry skills. An inquiry course:

• Is question driven, rather than topic or thesis driven• Begins with a general theme to act as a starting point or trigger for learning• Emphasizes asking good researchable questions on the theme, and coaches students in

doing this• Builds library, interview, and web search skills, along with the critical thinking skills

necessary for thoughtful review of the information. Coaches students on how to best report their learning in oral or written form

• Provides some mechanism (interviews, drafts, minutes of groups meetings, benchmark activities, etc) to help students monitor their progress within the course.

• Draws on the expertise and knowledge of the instructor to model effective inquiry and to promote reflection.”

Variations: Self-Directed LearningDefinition: McMaster University, Ontario, Canada (2/2)

What are we trying to achieve?

The average normalized gains <g> for problem-based honours courses at the University of Delaware in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 were between 0.45 and 0.64. Those <g>'s may be compared with the average 0.48 +/-0.14 of <g>'s for forty-eight "interactive engagement" courses in a survey of mechanics test data for six thousand students in introductory physics courses [Hake (1998a)]

• ‘nobody wants to like it, but it actually does work’

• it ‘almost felt like you were doing research’• ‘Absolutely love it…’

Co-operative learning

Engagement• Engagement

• Students work together• Students choose which areas to explore, and which

questions to answer• Students are active in the learning process

• Focus• Away from the tutor – facilitator role• Towards the subject• Towards the learning process

• Alignment…

Alignment

Subject knowledge and skills+

Academic physicists Professional physicist

Prior knowledge and goals+

Structured and focussed Student oriented

Assessment+

End-point Relevant

Community Coherent

Planning

Who is it for?• Students (number and level)

What are the objectives?• Process• Content

What is the course?• Sequencing of course/problems• Time/structure of class

Planning

Who is the problem writer?• Discipline• Control issues• Level of investment

How assessed?• Presentation, report, group/individual…?

How evaluated?

Planning

Day 1Morning: • PBL activity (groups);

• Evaluation - characteristics of PBL (plenary feedback)

Afternoon: • Problem writing (lecture 1 hour followed by group activity)

Day 2

Morning: • Delegate presentations;• Assessing PBL (presentation, 30 mins, discussion)

Afternoon:• Problem development (groups) and consultancy

(individual);• PBL facilitation (presentation and discussion); • Evaluating PBL & Delegate presentations

Day 3Morning: • Selected delegate problems tried out and discussed

Afternoon: • Q&A: Promoting PBL• Summary and feedback

PBL Problem Writing

• Relate to real world, motivate students• Require decision-making or judgments• Are multi-page, multi-stage• Are designed for group-solving• Pose open-ended initial questions that

encourage discussion• Incorporate course content objectives,

higher order thinking

Good PBL Problems…

Feasibility• Students can plan a way to investigate the question• The question is appropriate for the students

Worth• The question is relevant to what people (including scholars

in the discipline) really do• The question helps students to link major concepts• The question is complex enough to be broken down into

smaller questions• The question leads to further questions

(Modified from Krajcik, Czerniak, & Berger, Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms)

Key features of “driving questions"

Contextualization• The question is anchored in real world issues and has real

world consequences.

Meaning• The question is interesting and important to learners.• The question intersects with learners’ lives, reality, and

culture.

Sustainability• The question allows students to pursue solutions over time• Students can pursue answers to the question in great

detail.

Key features of “driving questions"

Content-oriented: subject specific• Basic knowledge and understanding of specific

concepts, techniques, etc. in the discipline

Process-oriented: global skills• Effective communication: oral and written• Acquiring and evaluating information• Working effectively with others• Higher order, critical thinking

Types of Learning Objectives

1) Your current exercises

2) External sources • Newspaper articles, news events• Popular press in the discipline• Make up a story – based on content objectives• Adapt a case to a problem• Research papers• Other?

Sources of Problems

Identify the course You can think of the subject, level of students, size of class, how you would use it.

List the learning objectives that would be met by this problem

Step One:

Think of a scenario

Sketch out the first section

Step Two:

What comes next?

Write a brief synopsis of the problem, emphasizing its possible staging

Be prepared to report out.

Step Three:

Facilitation

What makes a good facilitator?

1) Interactions within groups

2) Interaction with facilitators and staff

3) Balance between group and individual work

4) Interaction between groups

Community Building

• Induction• Planning Phase• Investigation Phase• Analysis Phase• Assessment

• Group Roles/Rules• Group Action Plan

• Peer Tutoring

Interactions within groups

• Induction• Planning Phase• Investigation Phase• Analysis Phase• Assessment

• Facilitator• Subject Expert

• Audience

Interactions with facilitators and staff

• G & I Learning Outcomes• Individual

• G & I Deliverables

• Induction• Planning Phase• Investigation Phase• Analysis Phase• Assessment

Group and individual work

• Induction• Planning Phase• Investigation Phase• Analysis Phase• Assessment

• Assessment Design

Interaction between groups

Day 1Morning: • PBL activity (groups);

• Evaluation - characteristics of PBL (plenary feedback)

Afternoon: • Problem writing (lecture 1 hour followed by group activity)

Day 2

Morning: • Delegate presentations;• Assessing PBL (presentation, 30 mins, discussion)

Afternoon:• Problem development (groups) and consultancy

(individual);• PBL facilitation (presentation and discussion); • Evaluating PBL & Delegate presentations

Day 3Morning: • Selected delegate problems tried out and discussed

Afternoon: • Q&A: Promoting PBL• Summary and feedback

Group Formation

• Assigned or free-formed?

• Random or structured?

• Rotation rate?

Group Formation

Authentic Assessment

Restricted access (selection/winner takes all)

Competence or mastery of content

Competence or mastery of process

Potential (The Apprentice)

Group process

What is assessment for?

Group process

Assessment types

• Expert witness• Pitch• Podcast• Poster • Report to ….• Conference presentation

Telescope project

Water pipes in the desert

There is too much data or too many experiments for each group to carry out the whole project alone.

Presentations and reports are required to exchange information.

Authentic Assessment

Pitfalls: • Over-assessment• Staff time• Free-loaders• Identifying contributions

Solution: • Group work as culture (co-operative learning)

not method

Problems of Group Assessment

Pedagogies of engagement: Classroom-Based Practices, Smith et al J Eng Educ Jan 2005

Day 1Morning: • PBL activity (groups);

• Evaluation - characteristics of PBL (plenary feedback)

Afternoon: • Problem writing (lecture 1 hour followed by group activity)

Day 2

Morning: • Delegate presentations;• Assessing PBL (presentation, 30 mins, discussion)

Afternoon:• Problem development (groups) and consultancy

(individual);• PBL facilitation (presentation and discussion); • Evaluating PBL & Delegate presentations

Day 3Morning: • Selected delegate problems tried out and discussed

Afternoon: • Q&A: Promoting PBL• Summary and feedback

Evaluation

• Course data

• Concept testing

• Questionnaires

• Focus groups

• Observation

Day 1Morning: • PBL activity (groups);

• Evaluation - characteristics of PBL (plenary feedback)

Afternoon: • Problem writing (lecture 1 hour followed by group activity)

Day 2

Morning: • Delegate presentations;• Assessing PBL (presentation, 30 mins, discussion)

Afternoon:• Problem development (groups) and consultancy

(individual);• PBL facilitation (presentation and discussion); • Evaluating PBL & Delegate presentations

Day 3Morning: • Selected delegate problems tried out and discussed

Afternoon: • Q&A: Promoting PBL• Summary and feedback

Day 1Morning: • PBL activity (groups);

• Evaluation - characteristics of PBL (plenary feedback)

Afternoon: • Problem writing (lecture 1 hour followed by group activity)

Day 2

Morning: • Delegate presentations;• Assessing PBL (presentation, 30 mins, discussion)

Afternoon:• Problem development (groups) and consultancy

(individual);• PBL facilitation (presentation and discussion); • Evaluating PBL & Delegate presentations

Day 3Morning: • Selected delegate problems tried out and discussed

Afternoon: • Q&A: Promoting PBL• Summary and feedback

Promoting PBL