Course assignment - Reflection 5

Summary of the reading

 “Too often we give children answers to remember, rather than problems to solve.” Roger Lewin

The quote above embodies the ideology behind the reading this week, Problem-Based Learning. The reading this week provides an overview of the instructional method that has made an impact on pedagogical praxis and approaches to best facilitate student learning.  The reading provides and overall summary of the development of Problem-based learning (PBL) and research on its development over the course of the last 30 years. Problem-based learning originated from the work of medical educators research which was conducted at the Department of Medicine, McMaster University in Canada in the 1970’s. A section is presented in the reading relating to the assumptions and misconceptions of PBL’s as well as the attributes that represent essential characteristics present in Problem-Based Learning.  The reading then goes on to examine the effectiveness of PBL's in terms of student learning outcomes, including basic domain knowledge acquisition and applications, retention of content and problem-solving skills, higher order thinking, self-directed learning/lifelong learning, and self-perception as well as addressing implementation issues (Hung, Jonassen,  & Liu 2008). Finally, recommendations for future research are presented to improve upon this instructional methodology approach. The recommendations also raise questions regarding assumptions that are questionable under the framework of PBL’s.  Currently, problem-based learning is being implemented at all levels of education to include grades K-12 as well implementation at the collegiate level.  The PBL approach to teaching in order to best meet the needs of all students requires students to question, explore, and study various content knowledge allowing students to practice context-free problems, which challenges students more because PBL embeds students’ learning processes in real-life problems (Hung, Jonassen,  & Liu 2008). PBL supports the process of students finding their own answers to real life scenarios, which assist students greatly as they prepare to enter the workforce and as students encounter various dilemmas that will inevitable arise in their career path.   PBL’s help students to become problem solvers and inherently contributes to increasing their critical thinking skills while activating other forms of higher order thinking. 

Ideas for possible proposals

A possible proposal that uses problems based learning could be in the category of Earth science and environmental issues which are significant topics of discussion currently around the world. The students would develop solutions and approaches to problems concerned with natural resources and conservation.  This proposal would be aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge Standards (TEKS) for 5^th grade science.  Specifically, TEKS 5.7(C) identify alternative energy resources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biofuels; 4.7(C) identify and classify Earth’s renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals; and nonrenewable resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas; and the importance of conservation. In this possible proposal, students would be presented with the question:  “How can our school find better ways to sustain energy throughout the school while using less natural resources and reducing waste?”  Students would have to develop a viable plan and approach to find possible solutions to this problem.  Student could further evaluate the probable effects of their plan on a campus, district, city, state, country, and global level if their plan was put into action and how great of an impact their plan could potentially have at each of these levels.   

Concerns and questions for the readings or proposals

Oberlander & Talbert-Johnson (2004), promote the integration of technology in to the classroom with problem-based learning. Sometimes in science education, it can be difficult to incorporate technology at the lower grade levels. What strategies can be implemented to ensure that all students in the K-3 are utilizing higher levels of the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition Model (SAMR) technology integration within their PBL’s? 

References

Hung, W., Jonassen, D. H., & Liu, R. (2008). Problem-based learning. Handbook of 
           research on educational communications and technology, 3, 485-506.

Oberlander, J., & Talbert-Johnson, C. (2004). Using technology to support problem-based                        learning. Action in teacher education, 25(4), 48-57.