145101782
Learning, Beliefs, and Products: Students' Perspectives with Project-Based Learning.
Project-based learning offers promise as an instructional method that affords authentic learning tasks grounded in the personal interests of learners. While previous research has presented results of learning gains, motivations, and teacher experiences, limited empirical research has presented student perspectives in project-based learning. This research sought to explore how learners created projects. A qualitative case study design was employed with five purposively selected participants from eighth grade geography at a private day school. From interviews, observations, and document collection, five themes emerged from what influenced participants’ projects and what the participants learned: (1) internal influences, (2) external influences, (3) beliefs about projects, (4) tools for technology-rich environments, and (5) learning outcomes and products. The first four themes describe influences to shape the fifth theme, learning products. The term learning products was used to describe both the learning acquired by the participants and the learning artifacts the participants produced as part of the instructional unit. Implications for practice and future research are considered. http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1254 The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning • 38 M. M. Grant
144358349
Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning
Project-based learning is a comprehensive approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in investigation of authentic problems. In this article, we present an argument for why projects have the potential to help people learn; indicate factors in project design that affect motivation and thought; examine difficulties that students and teachers may encounter with projects; and describe how technology can support students and teachers as they work on projects, so that motivation and thought are sustained.
144489867
Project-Based Learning in Post-Secondary Education – Theory, Practice and Rubber Sling Shots
The purpose of the study was to explore what project-based learning is, what are the pedagogical or psychological motives supporting it, how it has been implemented and what impact it has had on learning in post-secondary education. The study is based on a qualitative review of published articles. The work revealed that the majority of articles on project-based learning are course descriptions focusing on the implementation of individual courses, whereas serious research on the topic is virtually non-existent. In addition, the term project-based learning subsumes different activities with varying purposes. Therefore, practitioners and curriculum developers are encouraged to reflect upon the purpose and possibilities of project-based learning along with students and to set realistic, clear goals. Practitioners and researchers are urged to document courses even more carefully. Several issues for further research are identified.
14967255
Enhancing Project-Based Learning Through Online Between-Group Collaboration
This research explored how between-group collaboration enhanced the co-construction of knowledge and performance on project-based learning tasks of collaborative learning groups. The findings of 2 case studies, one that focused on between-group mentoring and one that focused on between-group project review, revealed that both strategies were perceived favorably by the students and had a positive impact on the collaborative learning skills, the knowledge revealed through their online dialogue, and the project performance of all students, especially the less effective groups. The results provide some insights into the computer-supported collaborative learning process among students in a higher education context.
146356492
The Negotiated Project Approach: Project-Based Learning without Leaving the Standards Behind
The purpose this study was to explore how a veteran first-grade teacher collaboratively negotiated the implementation of a project with her students while, at the same time, addressed grade-level standards. Researchers investigated the teacher’s strategies for integrating the district’s standards into project topics, investigative activities, and final presentations. They also examined the teacher’s strategies for promoting students’ participation in project planning and independent problem-solving. Data sources included field notes, teacher interviews, videotaped observations, and transcribed teacher, and student interviews. As an extension to teacher-directed approaches to implementing the project approach, the results of this study revealed a collaborative approach to implementing projects that allowed the teacher and the students to work together for project planning and learning. The teacher felt successful with meeting grade level learning needs, and the students were given the opportunity to fuel their learning by expressing their natural interests and curiosities, and become problem solvers.
16427566
Project-Based Learning In a Middle School
Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore how individual differences—specifically abilities—were used in the construction of computer-mediated learning artifacts while working within a project-based learning environment. A case study design was used with five participants purposively selected from 61 eighth grade geography students at a small, private day school in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through a self-report inventory, interviews, observations, and artifacts. Results indicated that learning artifacts reflected individual differences through blends of abilities while other abilities identified by the participants went untapped or unrecognized. Second, the learning artifacts represented the learners’ knowledge in three ways: system knowledge, domain knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. However, some knowledge, such as process decision making, went undocumented. Finally, the flexibility in the project-based learning environment allowed the participants to make decisions about their abilities, resources, and plans. Recommendations and implications for teacher educators as well as inservice and preservice teachers are also presented.
143007167
K-W-L: A Teaching Model That Develops Active Reading of Expository Text.
Prior knowledge is extremely impor tant in influencing how we interpret what we read and what we learn from reading (Anderson, 1977). To read well, we must access the knowledge we already have about the topic, or make it available appropriately so that comprehension can occur (Anderson and Pichert, 1978; Bransford, 1983). Despite the research highlighting the importance of this prior knowledge and many calls for more interactive teaching, the reading "scripts" used for teaching children to read in schools too often ignore the importance of what the children bring to reading. Teachers are instructed to begin by telling chil dren the gist of what they are going to read about and why they should read this particular information. Even when there are directions for teachers to find out what the children already know about the topic, teachers often over look this instruction. As Durkin's classroom observations demonstrated (1984), the most neglected part of reading lessons is that which instructs teachers to elicit children's background knowledge. To help teachers honor what chil dren bring to each reading situation and model for their students the impor tance of accessing appropriate knowl edge sources before reading, we have developed a simple procedure that can be used with nonfiction selections at any grade level and in any content, whether in reading groups or in con tent learning situations. We have found that the simplicity of instructional demands on them makes
144866262
Enacting Project-Based Science
Recommendations for reform in science education place a premium on students' understanding of scientific concepts and their ability to identify problems, conduct inquiry, and use information flexibly. They call for an appreciation for how ideas evolve and are validated. In this article we discuss changes in ideas about learning that underpin the reforms. We then describe our experiences with project-based science, a pedagogy that addresses the reform recommendations. Project-based science focuses on student-designed inquiry that is organized by investigations to answer driving questions, includes collaboration among learners and others, the use of new technology, and the creation of authentic artifacts that represent student understanding. Finally, we illustrate the challenges this type of innovation poses for teachers' classroom practice, for professional development, and for policy.
61074179
Patterns of Guidance in Inquiry Learning
The purpose of this case study was to examine a teacher’s guidance of an inquiry learning project in an ordinary elementary-school classroom. The participants in the study were 21 Finnish, grade 4 students (10 years old), from which four students were selected for intensive observation. The technical infrastructure of the study was Computer Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE). The project consisted of a series of 21 lessons. Each lesson was videotaped, and the contents of transcribed videotapes were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The analysis revealed that although the teacher was able to straightforwardly guide the three, more advanced students through the progressive-inquiry cycle, she had a great deal of difficulty in the case of the less advanced student. Effective teacher guidance appears to be a mediated process in respect of requiring an externalized record of students’ inquiry, e.g., their postings, or at least a verbalized account of it to help the teacher ground her efforts to guide the deepening inquiry.
795112
From order to disorder: the role of computer-based electronics projects on fostering of higher-order cognitive skills
This research explored learning and thinking processes enhanced by integrating computers in secondary schools electronics projects. Electronics studies provide a sophisticated learning environment, where computers are simultaneously part of the subject matter learned (Technology Education), and a means for enhancing teaching and learning (Educational Technology), as seen in any other area of education. The follow-up on fifty students working on their final projects showed that students working on computer-based electronics projects tend to adopt flexible strategies, such as creating new ideas, risk-taking, improvisation, using trial and error methods for problem solving, and rapid transition from one design to another. In contrast, students working on non-computerized electronics projects are more likely to progress along a linear path: planning, construction, and troubleshooting. Computerized projects also promote the transfer of knowledge between students, and joint development of ideas. Students who exercise freedom in their project do not express the same independence in their documentation, and prepare portfolios that show how they, supposedly, developed their system in an orderly manner. It is important to educate students, and teachers, that creative design and problem solving requires a balance between openness, flexibility, and intuition, on the one hand, and systematic investigation, discipline, and hard work, on the other hand.
62177354
Implementation and evaluation of a student-centered learning unit: A case study
The purpose of this case study was to explore the issues involved in implementing a technology-enhanced student-centered unit in order to provide recommendations to improve and enhance these types of learning activities. Specifically, the study examined problems students encountered in completing the unit activities, problems the teacher encountered in facilitating the delivery of the unit to her students, and strategies to improve and enhance these types of learning activities. One teacher and the 21 students in her intact United States history class participated in the study. The central unit problem required students to determine the strategies that should be pursued in 1968 to continue the struggle for a more just, equal United States society. Students worked in teams to gather data from an electronic database of primary- and secondary-source materials, and use the data to develop solutions to the unit problem. Results of this study suggest that a variety of factors impact the success or failure of student-centered activities, including student orientation to the unit problem, student collaboration, teacher management strategies, and student accountability mechanisms. These results also provide insight into how the design of these types of activities can be improved. Perhaps the most important considerations that need additional attention are the additional aids required by teachers as they struggle to implement these types of activities in their classrooms.
144045932
Challenge in a Mathematics Classroom: Students' Motivation and Strategies in Project-Based Learning
We studied 14 fifth- and sixth-grade students' challenge seeking during project-based mathematics instruction in 1 classroom. We drew on 5 areas of research: academic risk taking, achievement goals, self-efficacy, volition, and affect. Data included students' responses to a tolerance for failure survey, an adaptive learning pattern survey, and 3 individual interviews about their actions during a math project. Qualitative and quantitative analyses suggested 2 patterns of student self-perceptions and behaviors: "challenge seekers" and "challenge avoiders." Challenge seekers self-reported a tolerance for failure, a learning goal orientation, and a higher than average self-efficacy in math. Challenge avoiders self-reported a higher negative affect after failure, a more performance-focused goal orientation, a lower self-efficacy in math, and a greater use of surface strategies (i.e., strategies requiring minimal processing of information). We illustrate the consistency of these patterns and reveal the diversity within patterns with 4 descriptive cases. Although the surveys were useful in characterizing general patterns of challenge seeking, more individual and contextualized information is necessary for understanding how to support students engaged in challenging academic work, such as project-based learning.
144714618
Teacher Discourse and Sixth Graders' Reported Affect and Achievement Behaviors in Two High-Mastery/High-Performance Mathematics Classrooms
This study examined the relation between the nature of teacher discourse and 34 sixth-grade students' reports of affect and behavior in 2 mathematics classrooms students perceived as emphasizing both mastery and performance goals. Classrooms were observed and teacher discourse was audiorecorded and transcribed for the first 2 days of the school year to assess classroom motivational context. Later, in the fall and in the spring, each classroom was observed and discourse transcribed for 5 days during a unit on factoring and for 5 days during a unit on geometry. Students filled out surveys. Findings suggested that supportive instructional discourse that focused on student understanding characterized both classrooms and was associated with student reports of self-regulation and positive coping (approach behaviors). However, the 2 classrooms differed in teacher discourse that supported student autonomy and motivation. These differences appeared to be reflected in student reports of self-handicapping (avoidance behavior) and negative affect following failure. Students in the classroom in which there was constant and explicit support for autonomy and intrinsic motivation, positive affect, and collaboration reported less negative affect and self-handicapping. Students in the classroom in which there was less supportive motivational discourse reported more negative affect and self-handicapping. Implications include how features of the classroom context, such as the motivational support provided through instructional practices, might be related to student outcomes in high-mastery/high-performance classrooms.
144715932
Academic language and literacy socialization through project-based instruction: ESL student perspectives and issues
Project-based instruction has been heralded as a most promising activity that can socialize students into academic language and literacy skills (e.g., Beckett, 1999; Stoller, 1997). However, there is scanty research on project-based instruction in general and fewer still on ESL students’ perceptions of it (Thomas, 2000); furthermore, the few available studies show conflicting results (see Beckett, 2002). This article reports the findings of part of a larger research study conducted to understand how secondary school immigrant ESL students were socialized (taught) to acquire academic language and literacy skills in a public school in Vancouver, Canada. The findings of the study confirm the findings of earlier studies that ESL learners actively construct meaning from project-based instruction, and that some clash exists between language policy, teacher perceptions, and ESL students’ perceptions of this activity. I conclude by taking the discussion of clashes between teachers and students beyond the current cultural model and by making recommendations for further research and practice.
60565709
Project-based learning with the world wide web: A qualitative study of resource integration
The purpose of this study was to investigate the process used by learners to seek, locate, and integrate information resources for use in a project-based environment. Four cases (n=9) were analyzed from an introductory educational technology course during a unit on telecommunications. Participants were asked to generate projects for integrating the Internet into the curriculum. Within this project-based context, learners searched for information resources that would accompany their project ideas. Three major findings related to use of hypermedia systems during project-based learning are discussed: (a) progressing from data-driven to goal-driven approaches was critical to developing coherent project ideas; (b) consolidation of information resources with project methods and rationales was challenging for learners, often resulting in topic “drifts” or idea simplification; and (c) metacognitive, domain, and system knowledge appeared critical to achieving coherence in project development. Implications related to the role of instructional scaffolding in encouraging goal-driven and metacognitive processing during open-ended learning are considered.
60630749
Qualitative research and case study applications in education
THE DESIGN OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH. 1. What is Qualitative Research? 2. Case Studies as Qualtitative Research. 3. Designing the Study and Selecting a Sample. COLLECTING QUALITATIVE DATA. 4. Conducting Effective Interviews. 5. Being a Careful Observer. 6. Mining Data from Documents. 7. Collecting Data in Case Studies. ANALYZING AND REPORTING QUALITATIVE DATA. 8. Analytic Techniques and Data Management. 9. Levels of Analysis. 10. Dealing with Validity, Reliability and Ethics. 11. Writing Reports and Case Studies.
116072359
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
Preface Purpose Audience Format Outline of Chapters 1. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS Ch 1. A Framework for Design Three Elements of Inquiry Alternative Knowledge Claims Strategies of Inquiry Research Methods Three Approaches to Research Criteria for Selecting an Approach Personal Experiences Audience Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 2. Review of the Literature Identifying a Topic A Researchable Topic Purpose of the Literature Review Literature Reviews in Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Research Design Techniques Example 2.1 Review of a Quantitative Study Example 2.2 Review of a Study Advancing a Typology Style Manuals A Model for Writing the Literature Review Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 3 Writing Strategies and Ethical Considerations Writing the Proposal Central Arguments to Make Example 3.1 A Qualitative Constructivist/Interpretivist Format Example 3.2 A Qualitative Advocacy/Participatory Format Example 3.3 A Quantitative Format Example 3.4 A Mixed Methods Format Writing Tips Example 3.5 A Sample Passage Illustrating the Hook-and-Eye-Technique Ethical Issues to Anticipate Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Part 2 DESIGNING RESEARCH Ch 4 The Introduction The Importance of Introductions Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Introductions A Model for an Introduction Example 4.1 Deficiencies in the Literature - Needed Explorations Example 4.2 Deficiencies in the Literature - Few Studies Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 5 The Purpose Statement Significance and Meaning of a Purpose Statement A Qualitative Purpose Statement Example 5.1 A Purpose Statement in a Qualitative Phenomenology Study Example 5.2 A Purpose Statement in a Case Study Example 5.3 A Purpose Statement in an Ethnographic Study A Quantitative Purpose Statement Example 5.4 A Purpose Statement in a Grounded Theory Study Example 5.5 A Purpose Statement in a Published Survey Study Example 5.6 A Purpose Statement in a Dissertation Survey Study Example 5.7 A Purpose Statement in a Experimental Study A Mixed Methods Purpose Statement Example 5.8 A Mixed Methods Purpose Statement, Convergent Strategy of Inquiry Example 5.9 A Mixed Methods Purpose Statement, Sequential Strategy of Inquiry Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 6 Research Questions and Hypotheses Qualitative Research Questions Example 6.1 A Qualitative Central Question From an Ethnography Example 6.2 Central Questions From a Case Study Quantitative Research Questions and Hypotheses Example 6.3 A Null Hypothesis Example 6.4 Directional Hypotheses Example 6.5 Nondirectional and Directional Hypotheses Example 6.6 Standard Use of Language in Hypothesis Mixed Method Research Questions and Hypotheses Example 6.7 Descriptive and Inferential Questions Example 6.8 Hypotheses and Research Questions in a Mixed Methods Study Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 7 The Use of Theory Quantitative Theory-Use Example 7.1 A Quantitative Theory Section Qualitative Theory-Use Example 7.2 An Example of Theory-Use Early in a Qualitative Study Example 7.3 A Theory at the End of a Qualitative Study Mixed Methods Theory-Use Example 7.4 A Transformative-Emancipatory Mixed Methods Study Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 8 Definitions, Limitations, and Significance The Definition of Terms Example 8.1 Terms Defined in a Mixed Methods Dissertation Example 8.2 Terms Defined in an Independent Variables Section in a Quantitative Dissertation Delimitations and Limitations Example 8.3 A Delimitation and a Limitation in a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Significance of the Proposed Study Example 8.4 Significance of the Study Stated in an Introduction to a Quantitative Study Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 9 Quantitative Methods Defining Surveys and Experiments Components of a Survey Method Plan Example 9.1 An Example of a Survey Method Section Components of an Experimental Method Plan Example 9.2 Pre-Experimental Designs Example 9.3 Quasi-Experimental Designs Example 9.4 True Experimental Designs Example 9.5 Single-Subject Designs Threats to Validity Example 9.6 An Experimental Method Section Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 10 Qualitative Procedures The Characteristics of Qualitative Research Strategies of Inquiry The Researcher's Role Data Collection Procedures Data Recording Procedures Data Analysis and Interpretation Validating the Accuracy of Findings The Qualitative Narrative Example 10.1 Qualitative Procedures Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings Ch 11 Mixed Methods Procedures Components of Mixed Methods Procedures The Nature of Mixed Methods Research Types of Mixed Methods Strategies Alternative Strategies and Visual Models Data Collection Procedures Data Analysis and Validation Procedures Report Presentation Structure Examples of Mixed Methods Procedures Example 11.1 A Sequential Strategy of Inquiry Example 11.2 A Concurrent Strategy of Inquiry Summary Writing Exercises Additional Readings References Author Index Subject Index About the Author
144217713
Self-Regulation of Academic Learning in Middle-Level Schools
We argue in this article that many educational reforms fail to give sufficient attention to improving student learning. An important component of academic success is students' motivation and ability to take responsibility for their own learning. One way to increase academic performance is to teach students how to become self-regulated learners. We use Zimmerman's model of academic self-regulation to identify 6 dimensions of behavior that influence learning-motivation, methods of learning, use of time, control of one's physical and social environment, and performance. This model is unique in that it uses non-subject-matter outcomes of schooling to influence academic performance. We discuss each self-regulatory dimension in terms of the research supporting its effect on academic performance, as well as the developmental concerns for students in middle-level schools. Finally, we offer suggestions for how teachers can help students acquire self-regulatory skills.
145441432
Constructivism in Theory and Practice: Toward a Better Understanding
Although constructivism is a concept that has been embraced my many teachers over the past 15 years, the meanings that are attached to this term are varied and often inadequately understood. Teachers need to have a sound understanding of what constructivism means to evaluate its promise and to use it knowledgeably and effectively. This paper explicates some of the theoretical background of constructivism and then presents a detailed example in which a traditional classroom lesson and a constructivist version of the same lesson are described and analyzed. Also discussed are pervasive myths and important instructional issues of this widely advocated and increasingly popular philosophical framework for teaching across the entire K-12 curriculum. Introduction Teachers' personal theories of learning have long been viewed as having considerable influence on virtually all aspects of teachers' decisions about instruction. Not only one's expectations for what learning outcomes are to be valued and sought, but also how one plans (i.e., organizes, structures and sequences) instruction is directly impacted by one's beliefs about learning. In addition, teachers' views of learning guide them as they make decisions about desirable means of implementing and assessing instruction. It is popular today to speak of paradigm shifts, and certainly major conceptual changes do occur in virtually all fields of study. Paradigm shifts bring new perspectives, new conceptualizations and new ways of thinking about a topic, large or small. An important area of study in the philosophy of science is what is referred to as scientific revolutions. Two examples from the natural sciences are the dramatic scientific revolution ushered in by Copernicus' conception of the relationship between the sun and earth, and the revolutionary propositions of Darwin's (though less universally accepted, even today) theory of evolution. When a novel conception is introduced it always elicits great resistance. Even as a transformation in general thinking and attitudes develops more support and adherents, there will continue to be resistance to the challenge to the existing order, the comfortable, existing ways of viewing the world. For example, the ideas of Galileo and Copernicus were met with disdain, anger and rejection. But, of course, with time, the established physical order of the universe did become accepted and the earlier views came to be seen as the quaint notions of an earlier uninformed era. Ultimately most if not all the ideas of the older paradigm will be discarded; and this is as it should be when the scientific evidence unequivocally points to a more adequate explanation of certain phenomena. As a new paradigm gains respect and acceptance, a gradual and sometimes relatively rapid process of intellectual disassociation occurs. People take flight from the earlier, now prosaic and apparently inadequate ways of viewing the world with a lens that is no longer capable of clearly capturing "truth." A new, fresh conceptual rendering of a topic, phenomenon or means of investigation is promoted. A new theory is offered to supplant an older theory (Kuhn, 1970). Conceptual change in the social sciences differs somewhat from that in the natural sciences (Thagard, 1992) in large part because the social sciences do not yet have a coherent unifying theory. Thus major conceptual change within a field may better typify significant shifts in the disciplines of the social sciences and education. Nonetheless, the adoption of different theoretical models and application of different assumptions about the nature of human learning has resulted in raging controversies and paradigm shifts within psychology this century (the ascendancy of and subsequent decline of behaviorism; the rise of cognitivism) and in substantial reconceptualizations of philosophy and pedagogy in education. The field of education has undergone a significant shift in thinking about the nature of human learning and the conditions that best promote the varied dimensions of human learning. …
70607722
Problem-based learning : an approach to medical education
In this book, the authors address some basic problems in the learning of biomedical science, medicine, and the other health sciences. Students in most medical schools, especially in basic science courses, are required to memorize a large number of ""facts,"" facts which may or may not be relevant to medical practice. Problem-based learning has two fundamental postulates--the learning through problem-solving is much more effective for creating a body of knowledge usable in the future, and that physician skills most important for patients are problem-solving skills, rather than memory skills. This book presents the scientific basis of problem-based learning and goes on to describe the approaches to problem-based medical learning that have been developed over the years at McMaster University, largely by Barrows and Tamblyn.
37334395
Schema induction and analogical transfer
An analysis of the process of analogical thinking predicts that analogies will be noticed on the basis of semantic retrieval cues and that the induction of a general schema from concrete analogs will facilitate analogical transfer. These predictions were tested in experiments in which subjects first read one or more stories illustrating problems and their solutions and then attempted to solve a disparate but analogous transfer problem. The studies in Part I attempted to foster the abstraction of a problem schema from a single story analog by means of summarization instructions, a verbal statement of the underlying principle, or a diagrammatic representation of it. None of these devices achieved a notable degree of sucess. In contrast, the experiments in Part II demonstrated that if two prior analogs were given, subjects often derived a problem schema as an incidental product of describing the similarities of the analogs. The quality of the induced schema was highly predictive of subsequent transfer performance. Furthermore, the verbal statements and diagrams that had failed to facilitate transfer from one analog proved highly beneficial when paired with two. The function of examples in learning was discussed in light of the present study.
60518720
Virtual Solar System Project: Learning Through a Technology-Rich, Inquiry-Based, Participatory Learning Environment
In this manuscript we describe an introductory astronomy course for undergraduate students in which we moved from the large-lecture format to one in which students were immersed in a technologically-rich, inquiry-based, participatory learning environment. Specifically, undergraduate students used 3-D modeling tools to construct virtual reality models of the solar system, and in the process, build rich understandings of various astronomical phenomena. For this study, primarily naturalistic inquiry was used to gain a holistic view of this semester-long course. These data are presented as two case studies focusing on: (1) the role of the teacher in this participatory learning environment; (2) the particular dynamics that formed in each group; (3) the modeling process; (4) the resources used, specifically student-developed inscriptions; and (5) the role of technology and whether learning the technology interfered with learning astronomy. Results indicated that VR can be used effectively in regular undergraduate university courses as a tool through which students can develop rich understandings of various astronomical phenomena.
9556593
Jumping the PBL Implementation Hurdle: Supporting the Efforts of K-12 Teachers.
While problem-based learning (PBL) has a relatively long history of successful use in medical and pre-professional schools, it has yet to be widely adopted by K–12 teachers. This may be due, in part, to the numerous challenges teachers experience when implementing PBL. In this paper, we describe specific hurdles that teachers are likely to encounter during the implementation process and provide specific suggestions for supporting teachers’ classroom efforts. Implementation challenges relate to 1) creating a culture of collaboration and interdependence, 2) adjusting to changing roles, and 3) scaffolding student learning and performance. By supporting teachers’ initial and ongoing efforts, we anticipate that more teachers will recognize the potential of PBL as an effective instructional approach for developing learners who are flexible thinkers and successful problem solvers.
145662664
Principles of assessment for project and research based learning
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide assessment guidelines which help to implement research‐based education in science and technology areas, which would benefit from the quality of this type of education within this subject area.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a reflection on, and analysis of, different aspects of assessment. From one side, it looks at assessment in general, in society at large.Findings – Assessment could be improved within this field in order to contribute to the learning process, rather than merely measure and categorise a student's performance after the fact. To do this the paper not only looks at different forms of assessment and different ways of conducting the assessment, but also argues that certain ways of teaching and of structuring a class and an assignment are more conducive to creating an atmosphere in which students will be wanting to receive feedback to improve their learning and performance rather than a mark as a prize or reward.Originality/value –...
13864439
Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments
CSILE, which stands for Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments, is an educational knowledge media system. CSILE allows information in several media (text, drawings, graphs, timelines, etc.) to be entered into a common database where it is available to be retrieved, linked, commented on, rated, and so forth. The environments and operations of CSILE are designed to support students in more purposeful and mature, or intentional, processing of information. In this article eleven principles, based on recent cognitive research, are suggested for designing computer environments that support intentional learning. These principles include making knowledge-construction activities overt, maintaining attention to learning goals as opposed to other goals of an activity, providing process-relevant feedback, and giving students responsibility for contributing to each other's learning. Applications of these principles in CSILE are described, as well as observations from the first year of school try-out.