SUBJECT: Problem-Based Learning
DATE: 2/96
I attended a seminar on "problem based learning" at the AAAS
conference, and would like to hear more about it. Anybody out there use
it regularly [I do one exercise/semester]? If so, can you share:
- How do the students react to it?
- How do you deal with the fact that you can only cover much less
material?
- Can you share some of the questions you use?
The problem I use is:
Astronauts have discovered a primitive cellular life form on Mars.
NASA has hired you to investigate it, but there is very, very little
material to work with, so they want a detailed plan before they'll let you
get started. All they know so far is that the cell has a double-helical
DNA, which has 6 different nucleotide bases.
1. Do you think that this cell related to life on earth [do we share a
common ancestor]? Support your argument. What would you want to
find out in order to answer this more conclusively?
2. If it IS related to life on earth, its biochemistry is likely to be
somewhat different due to the 6 nucleotide bases. Describe in as much
detail as you can what differences you might expect, and why.
-Bob Moss
MOSSRE@WOFFORD.EDU
Bob Moss asked about problem-based learning.
Our students love PBL. We did 12 cases this past semester (about one per
week)
in a lecture theater environment with the students working in groups of
3-4.
The students are initially given only a brief description of the case (e.g.
a
28 year old man has osteoporosis). The groups must then brainstorm hypotheses
and rank these in order of priority. This requires considerable active,
in-depth, self-directed learning. Further information is provided by the
instructor (e.g. clinical lab test results) only after hypotheses have been
developed and ranked, and only in response to questions from the groups.
When
the students eventually solve the case they submit a brief report. I use
real
cases from the literature as I believe that authenticity is important for
motivation. The above case is from the New England J of Medicine 20 Oct.
1994
pages 1056-1061 and editorial 1088-1089.
An excellent book on PBL is by Don Woods: Problem-based Learning - How to
Gain
the most from PBL. (hocker@bookstore.services.mcmaster.ca)
PBL is excellent for motivating students and for developing problem-solving
skills. I suspect that they retain more knowledge (compared to mimetic learning
environments) because knowledge is hooked to an authentic situation for
which
they assume some responsibility for defining their own learning needs.
Learning on a need-to-know basis also emulates the work environment.
Peter Ommundsen
Environmental Sciences
Selkirk College
Castlegar, B.C.
Canada V1N 3J1
E-mail ommundsen@selkirk.bc.ca
Hi, labbers:
Peter Ommundson wrote:
>Our students love PBL. We did 12 cases this past semester (about one
per week)
>in a lecture theater environment with the students working in groups
of 3-4.
Peter, could you give us a bit more information about the actual management
of these exercises? How many students are in the course? When each group
has developed and rank its hypotheses, do you work with each individually?
Or do you have a mechanism for sharing the information for the whole class?
Do students work in lecture only? Or do they use time outside class?
Would this approach work in classes of 100 students? I'd love to hear more!
Thanks.
Kerry Kilburn
ODU Biological Sciences
Hi, labbers:
While surfing the net, I found the following fantastic spot:
http://www.physics.udel.edu/%7Epbl/
This is the home page of the University of Delaware's Problem-Based Learning
folks. Not only are there bunches of neat articles and links to other
sites, but there's also an announcement of an upcoming PBL conference
scheduled for early June of this year.
I'm already checking my calendar!
Hope this is helpful.
Kerry Kilburn
ODU Biological Sciences
Kerry Kilburn asked about the logistics of assisting problem-based learning
groups within large classes.
It is difficult to provide sufficient individual help if the number of groups
exceeds 10-15. In large classes therefore I set a time at which the small
group
activity stops, and a rep from each group enters their top priority hypothesis
on the chalkboard (or if already entered, their second choice, etc.). I
then
give feedback to the entire class (and/or respond to questions from the
audience). This usually eliminates all hypotheses on the first pass. The
groups must then reconvene and explore new areas. I deliberately select
cases
with bizarre solutions so that the cases are unlikely to be solved quickly.
This results in greater learning activity, as the students must explore
many
possible mechanisms and help each other understand these. I do not expect
first
year students to work on cases outside of class time, although I gather
that
they discuss them at the cafeteria, at home, etc., which is good news.
As Kerry points out, there are several PBL web sites and at least three
discussion groups.
Peter Ommundsen
Selkirk College
E-mail ommundsen@selkirk.bc.ca
Kerry Kilburn asked about sharing problem-based learning cases and Louise
Baxter asked about web sites.
I plan to compile my case problems with supporting documentation in a format
easily adaptable by others. It would be great to have a pool of biology
cases
contributed by PBL users. One caution from some members of the PBL discussion
groups is that case solutions should not be posted where students can easily
access them, as this could defeat the educational value of the cases.
The most active PBL discussion group known to me is:
PBL-LIST majordomo@eng.monash.edu.au
A K-16 group is IMSACPBL-L listproc@imsa.edu
Sites include:
http://www.siumed.edu/pblc/pblapp.html
http://ddsdx.uthscsa.edu/pblist
gopher://gopher.medlib.iupui.edu:70/11c%3A/iuinfo/pblist
From: ommundsen@selkirk.bc.ca