University of Delaware Workshops on Problem-Based Learning International Islamic University Malaysia Problem-Based Learning: Experience It Yourself Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education George Watson with contributions from Deborah Allen, Barbara Duch Susan Groh, Valerie Hans, and Hal White

Delaware… Dela where?

…the individuals learning the most in the teacher-centered classrooms are the teachers there. They have reserved for themselves the very conditions that promote learning: What I know best I have taught… Page 35, Huba and Freed, Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses: Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning, 2000 actively seeking new information, integrating it with what is known, organizing it in a meaningful way, and explaining it to others.

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.

Recommendations from the Carnegie Foundation Make research-based learning the standard. Build inquiry-based learning throughout the four years. Link communication skills and course work. Use information technology effectively. Cultivate a sense of community. Boyer Commission Report

John Dewey… “True learning is based on discovery guided by mentoring rather than the transmission of knowledge.”

PBL: Experience It Yourself

Stage 1: Where? Pat:I was. What’s that have to do with anything? Kim:I can’t believe you’re leaving again next week! Weren’t you just on a trip two weeks back? Pat:We talked about this months ago. I committed to this trip almost a year ago. Kim:Weren’t you there just last December? Kim:Haven’t you been following the news? Things are different now. Lots of things! Pat:Like what? Kim:You’re impossible! You need to get your head out of your precious journals and read the paper occasionally. Pat:OK. OK. Just tell me what’s bothering you? I travel all the time. What’s gotten into you about this trip?

Questions for Stage 1: 1.What is the problem? 2.What things might be troubling Kim? 3.What should Pat do next?

Stage 2: WHO? 4.What things might be troubling Kim? Refine the list of things identified in Stage 1. 5.What does Pat need to know to assure Kim about his travel plans? 6.What should we ask Kim about Pat to determine if her concerns are legitimate? Pat Nostaw is heading to Singapore for an international education conference. Following several days at the conference, he is traveling to Kuala Lumpur to visit a university there. After that he is heading home to New York City.

Stage 3: When? 7.How does the list of ‘troubling things’ change for this different destination? 8.What are the top three worries you would have about this trip? Pat’s collaborator Tan is planning a trip to New York City from Singapore in December to complete the final project report.

What is Problem-Based Learning? PBL prepares students to think critically and analytically, and to find and use appropriate learning resources. PBL is an learning approach that challenges students to “learn to learn,” working cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real world problems.

“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)

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 initially given. Students identify, find, and use appropriate resources. Students work in permanent groups.

PBL: The Process Students are presented with a problem. They organize ideas and previous knowledge. Students pose questions, defining what they know and do not know. Assign responsibility for questions, discuss resources. Reconvene, explore newly learned information, refine questions.

Overview Problem, Project, or Assignment Group Discussion Research Group Discussion Preparation of Group “Product” Whole Class Discussion Mini-lecture (as needed) Assessment (when desired) The Problem-Based Learning Cycle

The principal idea behind PBL is? A.PBL challenges students to learn to learn. B.Learning is initiated by a problem. C.Student-centered work in permanent groups.

“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)

The principal idea behind PBL is? A. PBL challenges students to learn to learn. B. Learning is initiated by a problem. C. Student-centered work in permanent groups. Think/ pair/ share