North Dakota Teaching With Technology

What is Problem-based learning?
Problem-based learning is another teaching and learning strategy that challenges students to seek solutions to real-world problems. The problems are designed to arouse student curiosity, attempt to engage students in authentic and interesting types of activities, and prepare them to think critically and analytically.

An interesting historical note about problem-based learning is that it was first used in medical schools in the 1970s. Medical students were finding that their educational experiences had little connection to the real-life activities of practicing doctors; consequently, they began using problem-based learning environments to examine, diagnose and solve real-world patient problems. This use laid the groundwork for applying problem-based teaching and learning strategy in other educational arenas.

Problem-based learning is generally composed of two parts: a question or a problem, which is either student or teacher generated, and the students’ arrival at a solution. Students need to feel competent and have the skills to solve the problem, but it is essential that students do not possess sufficient prior knowledge to address the entire problem. As students work in cooperative learning groups they examine the problem, research, discuss, analyze, and produce tentative recommendations, explanations, or solutions.

A key element to problem-based learning is that it focuses on students solving problems perceived as meaningful or relevant to their lives. At the center of problem-based learning are “fuzzy” (ill structured) questions that lack an easy solution, but mirror real-life problems. The questions must not be limited in scope and must be conducive to many interpretations and solutions. An example of a “fuzzy” question would be “What would be the result of a really bad North Dakota winter on the local environment?” In comparison, the following question is not “fuzzy”, as it looks for a more specific “right” answer: “This winter we received 42 inches of snow, and in the spring we received 10 inches of rain. How does this compare to the average yearly precipitation?”

How does problem-based learning encourage student learning?
In problem-based learning, the traditional teacher and student roles change. When the students assume responsibility for their learning, they become motivated and feel a sense of accomplishment. Problem-based learning engages students in activities that are similar to those they will use in future situations. In assessing problem-based learning, students demonstrate their understanding and not mere fact acquisition.

Problem-based learning can give students the feeling of empowerment because they have an impact on the outcome of the investigation. 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?” The responsibility of the teacher is to provide the educational materials and technology resources in the learning environment and guide the students in their problem solving efforts.

What does problem-based learning look like in the classroom?
Problem-based learning has as its organizing center a “fuzzy” (ill-structured) problem, which is messy and complex in nature, and requires inquiry, information gathering, and reflection. The problem has no simple, fixed, “right” solution.

EXAMPLE:
The second grade teacher tells her students: “This morning when I got to school, the custodian was very excited. It seems that when she unlocked the doors this morning, there was a very large paw print on the wall outside our classroom that appears to belong to a large creature. Because we didn’t want to leave the print on the wall, we quickly traced it off on some paper and then Mrs. Curtis cleaned the print from the wall. This large print made us wonder just how big this creature was. Can you help me figure out the approximate size of the creature that would have a print this big? Can you also help me figure out what kind of creature it was? We have made copies of the print on paper for you to use.”

EXAMPLE:
Letter from the president of the United States: Dear Citizen: It is my great honor to appoint you to membership on the new Buffalo Commons Commission which was recently established by the CONGRESS of the United States. It is the Commission’s expressed purpose to examine the viability of a proposed Buffalo Commons. I know that your expertise and interest will be of great value to the Commission and I look forward to your recommendations.

EXAMPLE:
You are a thirty-six year old widow with a five-year-old daughter. When your spouse died, you received $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 has maximized?

The specific tasks to carry out problem-based learning activities in the classroom may vary slightly. The following structure is based on the teacher delivering the problem. The summarized steps are more fully developed in Assignment 4 for those who choose to implement problem-based learning for their TWT Phase II activities.

1.	Present the problem statement. Introduce a “fuzzy” (ill-structured) problem or scenario to the students. They should not have enough prior knowledge to solve the problem.
2.	List what is known. Students list what they know about the problem. This information is kept under the heading: “What do we know?”
3.	List what is needed. Students pose questions about what they do not understand. They need to find information to fill in missing gaps, and a second list is prepared under the heading: “What do we need to know?”
4.	List possible actions, recommendations or solutions. Under the heading: “What should we do?” students list actions to be taken (e.g., questioning an expert), and formulate and test tentative solutions.
5.	Present and support the solution. Students communicate their findings and recommendations. This should include the problem statement, questions, data gathered, analysis of data, and support for solutions or recommendations based on the data analysis.