1. Problem Based Learning in an Online Course on Technology Assessment
M. Annette Rose
Jim Flowers
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
15 March, 2002
A research study was conducted that examined student communication during a PBL activity in an online course. This Web-based course was

2. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Results of a case study
Web-based course
Examined student communication
Asynchronous Conference
Two group structures
Cooperative
Collaborative
Problem based instructional strategy
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

3. Problem Based Learning
A curriculum organizer and an instructional strategy
Authentic, ill-structured problem
Match for adult learners
Strategy usually includes:
First , encountering the problem
Self-directed learning
Reflection
Dialectic discourse with others|
Savery, J.R., & Duffy, T.M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructvist framework. Educational Technology, September-October,
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

4. Identifies learning needs Selects info Selects process
PBL
Problem-solving
Student
Identifies learning needs
Selects info
Selects process
Generates solutions
technological
social
economic
environmental
Attempts prescribed goals
Applies info
Applies process
Create technological models or drawings
Facilitator
Helps identify & assess learning goals
Helps identify & assess info
Facilitates multiple processes
Poses probing questions
Challenges learner’s ideas
Prescribes learning goals
Selects information
Prescribes process
Create design brief
Learning
Goals
More inference, synthesis, evaluation
Authentic, ill-structured problem
More application of design techniques
Well formulated problem statement
Student Roles and Responsibilities
Facilitator Roles and Responsibilities
Learning Goals

5. Small Group Strategies
Cooperative
Teacher-structured
Roles assigned
Process specified
Close monitoring
Cognitive Conflict
Collaborative
Student-structured
Roles negotiated
Process negotiated
Sporadic monitoring
Mutual Understandings
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

6. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Need & Opportunity
Need
Scrutinize peer-directed group learning strategies in order to
identify the conditions which best promote higher order learning
identify the competing forces for learning & producing
Scrutinize PBL in order to
Identify the cognitive skills elicited during PBL
Identify where instructional interventions would be most beneficial in promoting cognitive skill use
Opportunity of a Web-based Environment
Permanent record
Digital form is easily analyzed
Potential equal participation
Validate their use in asynchronous environments
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

7. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Research Questions
What are the patterns of productive interactions during PBL in an a distributed asynchronous learning environment?
What are the differences between cooperative and collaborative group structures during PBL?
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

8. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Research Design
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

9. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Research Context
Online course from Ball State
“Technology: Use and Assessment”
Pilot course in a newly approved online Master of Arts in Technology Education.
Instructor’s first online course
Blackboard CourseInfo management software
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

10. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Standard 13:
“Students will develop the abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.”
ITEA, 2000, p.133
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

11. Research Participants
20 of 26 online graduate students
Off-campus & on-campus (all online)
Wellness, education, and technology ed.
Only 1 of 20 had previously taken an online class.
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

12. Six Heterogeneous Groups
Three cooperative groups
Roles assigned by the instructor:
Schools Specialist
Health & Wellness Specialist
Economics Specialist
Web Specialist
(Lead Editor)
Monitored every 2 to 3 days
Three collaborative groups
Group process is negotiated, no roles assigned
Monitored every 4 to 6 days
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

13. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Problem
Conduct a technology assessment of the health and wellness implications of computer use by children (as if for the U.S. Department of Education.)
Deliver a formal online report that makes recommendations for school districts to promote lifelong wellness.
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

14. Blackboard’s Discussion Board Forum
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

15. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Methodology
Student information survey
Treatment
Perceptions surveys
Analysis of transcripts
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

16. Dependent Variables & Analyses
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

17. Patterns of Productive Interactions

18. Patterns of Productive Interactions

19. Patterns of Productive Interactions

23. Patterns of Productive Interactions

24. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Conclusions: PBL
Regardless of group structure, the PBL activity:
was student-driven
students contributing 90% of messages
an average of 5.2 messages per participant per week
Functions and cognitive skills changed over time
Cognitive dialogue was dominate during mid activity
Organization dialogue was prominent during final week
Cognitive skills were equally represented with the exception of in-depth clarification (9%)
Surface level processing (64%) was more prevalent
Messages were interconnected (86%)
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

25. Conclusions: Comparisons by Groups
Overall differences in function and cognitive skill could NOT be attributed to group structure.
Cooperative structure offered learning advantages during the initial weeks as evidenced by:
Higher levels of deep processing
Higher levels of interconnectedness of messages
Higher perceptions of intersubjectivity
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

26. ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Objectives
Introduction
Differentiate problem-based learning from problem solving
Differentiate small group strategies
Identify research question
Describe the context
Described the research study
Identify findings
Implications for PBL facilitators
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio

27. PBL vs. Problem-solving
Student generated learning goals
Student selects information
Problem-solving
March 16, 2002
ITEA 64th Annual Conference
Columbus, Ohio