project and problem based learning

Project and Problem Based Learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSQpinagp0

Always think outside the boxFedEx

Toxic Popcorn

Scenario

A can of highly toxic popcorn has contaminated an area of approximately 4 feet in diameter. The toxic area extends to the ceiling. If the toxic popcorn is

not transferred to a safe container for decontamination, then it will contaminate and

destroy the local area. The popcorn is estimated to have a safe life of exactly 20 minutes before it

explodes. It’s up to you to save the day!

PBL Framework

PedagogyContent

Assessment

Resources , Constraints and

Technology

Project

What does the research say about PBL?

Envision Schools founder Bob Lenz writes in this blog post. But a new report finds

that 12th-grade students who were taught a project-based economics curriculum

outscored a control group on standardized tests, and their teachers

were reportedly more satisfied with the material, Lenz notes.

Edutopia.org/Bob Lenz's blog (9/30)


The study by Jo Boaler, at Stanford University, found that students at a project-based school did better than those at the more traditional school both on math problems requiring analytical or conceptual thought and on those considered

rote, that is, those requiring memory of a rule or formula.

Three times as many students at the project-based school received the top grade achievable on the

national examination in math.

Lecture…Sit and Get

Passive

PBL

Active

Average Retention Rates

Why PBL?

Think critically and be able to analyze and solve complex, real-world problems

Find, evaluate, and use appropriate learning resources

Work individually and cooperatively in teams and small groups

Demonstrate versatile and effective communication skills, both verbal and written

Use content knowledge and develop skills to become life-long learners in order to succeed in a global economy

Why PBL

The 21st century student will need to be able to adapt to the ever changing world and

concentrate on process in order to be successful in the workplace. They will need to communicate well, work in teams, think

critically, be innovative and creative and be able to solve problems.

• retain student interest…keep it relevant

• focus on a problem solving, critical thinking and a systems thinking approach.

• student centered and teacher facilitated.

• integrate technology and 21st Century skills.

Why PBL

Partnership for 21st Century Learninghttp://www.21stcenturyskills.org

The standard includes six strands, which reflect the Framework for 21st Century Learning: 21st Century Skills

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Creativity and Innovation

• Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership • Cross-Cultural Understanding and Interpersonal Communication

• Communication and Media Fluency • Accountability, Productivity, and Ethics

Understanding by Design UbD template (lesson plan development)

http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/final.htm

21st Century Themes

Global AwarenessFinancial, Economic,

Business, and Entrepreneurial

Literacy,Civic Literacy

Health Literacy

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/final.htm

Creatively Speaking, Part Two: Sir Ken Robinson on the Power of the Imaginative Mind

http://www.edutopia.org/sir-ken-robinson-creativity-part-two-video



Engage the student and the achievement will follow

85% of Middle and High School Students report being bored in their classrooms

PBL for Teachers

http://pbl4teachers.wikispaces.com/

Project and Problem Based Leaning is high on the list for addressing skill development and engaging

students. But before we can move forward, you need to take a look at your understanding of PBL.

So... using the combined knowledge and resources of this group create a group presentation on

PBL.

You have one hour to complete.

Your presentation can be in any style or format.

Consider the following for your presentation:

Why do PBL? What are the Pros and Cons of PBL? What are the Characteristics of PBL?

What are the Differences and Similarities of Project and Problem Based Learning? How is PBL Assessed?

What are the Student and Teacher roles when doing PBL How is Technology being used to support PBL?


Is a teaching and learning model that focuses on the central concepts and principles of a discipline, involves students in problem solving and other

meaningful tasks, allows students to work autonomously and in groups to construct their own learning, culminates in realistic, student generated

products.

Buck Institute for Education

Project Based Learning?

Problem-based learning enables students to embrace complexity, find relevance in their learning, and

enhance their capacity for creative and responsible real-world problem-solving.

What is Problem Based Learning?

Problem-Based Learning Defined:

Finkle and Torp (1995) state that "problem-based learning is a curriculum development and instructional system that simultaneously develops both problem solving strategies

and disciplinary knowledge bases and skills by placing students in the active role of problem solvers confronted

with an ill-structured problem that mirrors real-world problems"

Specific tasks in a problem-based learning environment include:

• determining whether a problem exists;

• creating an exact statement of the problem;

• identifying information needed to understand the problem;

• identifying resources to be used to gather information;

• generating possible solutions;

• analyzing the solutions; and presenting the solution, orally and/or in writing.

Constructivism

Learning as an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts

based upon their current or past knowledge. Students continually build upon what they

have already learned.

PBL consists of two complementary interrelated processes consistent with constructivism

Curriculum Design, Teachers will… design an ill-structured problem based on desired curriculum

outcomes, learner characteristics, and compelling, problematic real-world situations.

identify gaps in the curriculum that will identify skills needed, content area and strategies that are not working

target objectives… begin with the end in mind focus on standards

PBL consists of two complementary interrelated processes

Cognitive Coaching Students actively define problems and construct potential

solutions Teachers model, coach, and fade in student support Teachers give students time to think Teachers guide them to, not give them the resources needed to

solve problems

Characteristics of PBL

Learning is student centered. Real-world context. Making connections between what students

are learning and their own lives. Development of critical thinking skills Time to analyze and solve problems Student autonomy and choice. Decisions are student initiated and self-directed. Group collaboration and teamwork, developing social and

communication skills.

• Collaboration with external sources for advice.

• Not limited to the four walls of the classroom or the teacher as the primary source for information.

• Encourages mastery of technological tools.

• Prepares students for the work force by building problem solving skills. (Teaches them to think for themselves)

• Role changes for the teacher and student--Teacher as facilitator, not the expert on the topic


Ongoing evaluation, not a single evaluation element

Teacher adapts and adjusts to change

Teacher as scenario writer

Inquiry questioning by the teacher and student

Supportive and non-competitive climate for students



Interdisciplinary oriented. demonstrates connections between classes The focus is on the process more so than the solution Multiple outcomes instead of a single answer, or right or wrong

Problem-based learning has as its organizing center an ill-structured problem which...

is messy and complex in nature requires inquiry, information-gathering, and reflection is changing and tentative has no simple, fixed, formulaic, "right" solution appeals to human desire for resolution/ equilibrium/harmony

Ms, McIntyre introduced a “project” to her students. She plopped a packet of papers on each student’s desk and explained that each student

would create a poster about water-borne bacterium and how it can be harmful to humans.

The packet included assignment sheets with due dates and grading

policy, a guide for designing the poster, and a list of websites and books to use.

Product or Process?

Giving students a project, that is hands-on, with step by step instructions, designed and guided by the

teacher that results in a student produced product. This process is missing student voice and choice,

and may not be authentic or relevant

PBL is not…

Ms, McIntyre introduced a “project” to her students. She plopped a packet of papers on each

student’s desk and explained that each student would create a poster about water-borne

bacterium and how it can be harmful to humans. The packet included assignment sheets with due dates and grading policy, a guide for designing

the poster, and a list of websites and books to use.

Redesign this Project

How does PBL work?

Students confront a messy or ill-structured problem. In groups, students organize prior knowledge and attempt

to identify the nature of the problem. Students pose questions about what they do not

understand. Students design a plan to solve the problem and identify

the resources they need. Students begin to gather information as they work to solve

the problem.

You are a scientist at the state department of nuclear safety. Some people in a small community feel their health is at risk because a company keeps thorium

piled above ground at one of their plants. What action, if any, should be taken?

Examples of PBL Scenarios

You are a consultant to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. A first draft of a plan for the reintroduction of

wolves to Yellowstone has received strong, negative testimony at hearings. What is your advice regarding the

plan?

You are a science advisor at NASA. A planet much like the earth has experienced massive destruction of elements of its biosphere. What is

causing the destruction of plant life? Can new plants from earth be successfully introduced to help save the planet's environment?

As a representative of Acme Travel in NJ, you have just received an email from National

Travel Magazine. One of their reporters is coming into the state next month and wants to visit three of the “best” state parks in NJ. They will only be in the state for three days. Develop a plan for the

reporter to use once he arrives at AC airport.

You are the curator for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The National Treasure has

just been found! Your job is to design a room in the museum that will display all of the

artifacts. The area of the room is 450 square feet. What shape, length, and width should the room be? You need to present the floor plan model to the owners (teacher and class) of the museum by Friday. Your presentation can be

in any format you would like to use.

The producers of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” are creating a new series entitles “Extreme Makeover:

School Edition.” Students from all over the country are being asked to submit ideas and designs for the

improvement of their school foyers/entryway. Your team’s assignment is to design a new foyer for the

school using pattern block tiles that will create a visually pleasing entrance. The designers of the show will

choose that best design and use it create the school’s foyer.

It is April 1, 2008 and you wake up feeling groggy from the night before. You did not sleep very well. You stagger

downstairs into the kitchen and get a bowl out of the cabinet. As you reach for the Fruit Loops you realize there is an empty box. So you go upstairs to ask your mother where

there is another box and find an empty bed. Your parents are nowhere in sight. However, on their bed there is a note that said, “Lauren and Matthew, Mom and Dad had to go on a TOP SECRET mission. No one can know we are gone. We

have left you $3,000.00 cash in the freezer to pay the monthly bills and take care of yourselves for the month. We

will be back on May 1, 2008. Remember, you cannot tell anyone and if you have any questions, you can only call us once and ask two questions. We love you very much and

can’t wait to see you. Love, Mom and Dad” What are you going to do?

3 to 5th grade

You are a single working mother with a five year old daughter. Upon your husband's death, you receive $20,000 in worker's compensation and $10,000 in

stock option shares. How can you invest this money so that by your daughter's 18th birthday, its

growth is maximized?

An educational company has asked for your help to create an activity with the following materials. 20 pieces of paper, 4 paper clips, 10 inches of tape and a tennis ball. The activity must teach

collaboration/team building skills as well as math and science. Work in groups of

3 to 5. You have 20 minutes to complete and present

your group results.

Example of Project Based Learning

You have been given 20 pieces of paper, 4 paper clips and 10 inches of tape. Your group is to build the highest paper tower possible that will support a tennis ball for 10 seconds when placed on top. The structure is to be free standing and cannot

touch any other object that would aid in support. The tape is also not to be used to attach the

tower to any other object. One final objective for your group is to make a science or math

connection that’s related to this activity. You have 20 minutes to complete.

You are a stockholder of a major oil refinery in Louisiana which has mined oil from wetlands

in the southern part of the state. You have received pressure from publicity about the wetlands to make it property of the federal

government so that it can be protected.

What will you do?

Develop, design, and demonstrate the feasibility of a self-contained, self-sustaining human

community in a place that is not yet considered habitable.

Paper or Plastic

PBL addresses student needs by taking learning theory into account with PBL and answers the student question:

Who cares? Why do we need to know this?

Students take on an active role in their educational experiences.

Students are actively involved in the learning process, and they learn in the context in which knowledge is to be used.

Students are empowered with the responsibility of managing a largely self-directed learning process so that they are better equipped to take on the responsibilities of mature professional life.

Students are encouraged to develop the skill of transferring knowledge into new domains, a skill that students can carry with them throughout their lifetimes.

Teacher as coach…

Models/coaches/fades in support: Asking about thinking Monitoring learning Probing/ challenging students' thinking Keeping students involved Monitoring/ adjusting levels of challenge Managing group dynamics Keeping process moving

Student as active problem-solver

Active participant Engaged Constructing meaning

An Example of a PBL Model

Present the Problem, Scenario, or Situation

Define problem statement

List what is known

List what is unknown, or needed to know

List what is needed to be done: Action Plan, who will do what

Gather and analyze information (Dynamic Governance)

Continuous reflection and assessment

Present Findings and solutions

Reevaluate if necessary

Expand on the PBL if time permits

What are the benefits of PBL?

Motivation: PBL encourages students to become more engaged in learning because they are hard wired to respond to challenge and because they feel they are empowered to have an impact on the outcome of the investigation.

Relevance And Context: PBL offers students an obvious answer to the questions, "Why do we need to learn this information?" and "What does what I am doing in school have to do with anything in the real world?"


Motivation Relevance And Context Higher-Order Thinking: the ill-structured problem

scenario calls forth critical and creative thinking by suspending the guessing game of, "What's the right answer the teacher wants me to find?"


Motivation Relevance And Context Higher-Order Thinking Learning How To Learn: PBL promotes metacognition

and self-regulated learning by asking students to generate their own strategies for problem definition, information gathering, data-analysis, and hypothesis-building and testing, comparing these strategies against and sharing them with other students' and mentors' strategies.


Motivation Relevance And Context Higher-Order Thinking Learning How To Learn Authenticity: PBL engages students in learning

information in ways that are similar to the ways in which it will be recalled and employed in future situations and assesses learning in ways which demonstrate understanding and not mere acquisition. (Gick and Holyoak, 1983).

Obstacles Described by Teachers

It takes a lot of preparation time We don't have the resources We lack administrative support and support from other teachers You often feel uneasy because you're not knowledgeable about

the content The open-ended, no right or wrong answer aspect of project

work can be threatening


Administrators can fault you for not covering the curriculum There are risks associated with giving up teacher control Students may not participate and are not always self-motivated


students may have difficulty with higher order thinking or open-ended problems

There is a risk that students might not learn much, or receive much of value from Problem Based Learning unless designed right

Benefits Described by Students

We got to choose what to work on. We learned that we can make a difference There was a clear goal that was a challenge to work on There was an audience for the product and we knew we

had to meet the deadline and present it to the audience.


We weren't afraid to try things we didn't know because the teacher said we would have the opportunity to reevaluate and try again.

Everyone felt needed and had a part. Nobody got left out We didn't need to use our texts, and we were actively doing

things and learning something.


We were using skills we knew we would need in our jobs, like using time wisely, exercis ing responsibility, and not letting the group down.

We learned that when the real world is the source of evaluation, you had better have your act together.

Yes, enjoyed it, felt like I had more responsibility.


I liked it, got a lot of ideas out, but did need some guidance some times.

Like the idea of going off on our own to research everything possible instead of being limited by teacher specification.


Communicating with outside sources, and making contacts for information.

How to communicate and work with the corporate world, make contacts. How to write, how to work with other people in groups

How to be a leader.

Similarities to PBL and What Employers Want

Willingness to share information and ideas

Ability to work with others (Team Mentality)

Responsiveness to change

Willingness to take calculated risks, without fear of consequences

Time Management Skills

Organization and Leadership Skills


Reading, Writing, and be able to Communication well

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

Systems Thinking

Working Independently (Study & Research)

Listening Skills

Be Creative

Have a basic knowledge of Mathematics

Understand Money, and Economics

Computer and Technology Skills

Information Literacy (finding sources, evaluating, and using and information effectively)

Life Skills

Health and Safety knowledge

Citizenship and Government


Using your classroom, the school or the local community as a context for

learning, write your own PBL ScenarioInclude…

1. Background Information2. Student Relevance

3. Scenario

PBL vs. PBL

Similarities

- Both deal with a motivating prompt,

a question or problem, that has to be addressed

by creating a solution or product.

- Each is a valid instructional strategy that

promotes active learning and

engages students.

John HenryEIRC

[email protected]

http://www.eirc.org/

mailto:[email protected]

project and problem based learning

Documents

century student

century learninghttp

projectbased school

toxic area

grade students

effective communication

high school students

traditional school