Why PBL? Jacque Melin

Why PBL?Why PBL?Jacque Melinwww.formativedifferentiated.com

Gates and Mirkin (2012)

0If the United States is to maintain its historic pre-eminence in the STEM fields, then we must produce approximately one million more workers in those fields over the next decade than we are on track now to turn out.

President’s Council ofAdvisors on Science and

Technology (2012)REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT

0Success in advanced manufacturing and entrepreneurship will require a workforce with fundamental(STEM) skills and broad problem solving ‐skills, decision making skills, and people skills that do not emerge from a conventional K–12 education. We encourage adoption of Project Based Learning ‐(PBL) methods in K–12 and in community college programs…

A Driving Question

0“How do we develop Project Based Learning units/lessons to help students become more interested in and better learn the content of STEM subjects?”

1. N – Need to know2. D – Driving question3. S – Significant content4. V – Student voice & choice5. T – Twenty first century skills6. I – Inquiry and Innovation7. F – Feedback and revision8. P – Publicly Presented Content

PBLements

Why do students need to know content related to the project?

Unmotivated by future use of knowledgeSchool work needs to be relevantCompelling project provides relevance to content

Need to Know

Question: How can we activate the students’ need to know content?

Answer: Entry Event

Key to a good Event: Start with a BANG!

Need to Know

Slide or Fried

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6540434n

Video or scene from a film (fictional, documentary)

Discussion Guest speaker Field Trip Demonstration or Activity Provocative Reading Present puzzling problem or startling statistics Display photos/works of art or play a song

Need to Know

Real or Mock Correspondence to set up scenario sounds authentic looks authentic clear situation clear task sounds important and urgent keep it short (leave room for student

questions)

Need to Know

Open-ended question that captures the task. Gives focus to all tasks. Promotes inquiry and interest. Answers the question, “Why are we doing this?” The answer is at the heart of the culminating

products.

Our driving question: How can using PBL help students become more interested in and better learn the content of STEM subjects?

What is a Driving Question?

Characteristics: Open-ended and/ or complex.

No single “right answer.” Requires in-depth inquiry and higher level

thinking. Provocative or challenging to students.

Relevant, important, urgent, or interesting. Linked to core of what students should

learn. Need targeted knowledge to answer the

driving question.

Driving Question

Abstract/ conceptual Is playground equipment safe for

children in the summer?

Concrete How can we explain the temperature of

playground equipment using the properties of waves?

Slide or Fried

Problem-solving How can the properties of waves be

utilized to make the temperature of a playground slide safer?

Design challenge How can we design a playground to

prevent injuries due to increased heat of equipment on a hot summer day?

Slide or Fried

First step in designing a project: choosing standards First project: smaller scope (1-3) content standards for assessment

Power Standards - most important for school, state tests (2) 21st century skills:

Collaboration Presentation

Teacher's personal goals for students - seeing into/beyond community, passion for topic

Doesn’t need to be every unit or every standard

Significant Content

Significant Content

Detroit Public Schools study7th & 8th grade science - two project-based cohortsIncreased process skills & understandingHigher pass rates on MEAP in 8th grade compared to rest of district

7th & 8th grade: 66 point higher scores on averageHigher success for up to 1.5 years (from at least 1 PBL unit)Reduced achievement gap for urban African-American boys

Geier, R. et al. (2008). Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in inquiry-based science curricula in the context of urban reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45 (8): 922-939.

Significant Content

Project Example - Science standards to assess:P1.1h: Design and conduct a systematic scientific investigation that tests a hypothesis. Draw conclusions from data presented in charts or tablesP4.1B: Explain instances of energy transfer by waves and objects in everyday activitiesP4.9B: Explain how various materials reflect, absorb, or transmit light in different ways

21st century skills:CollaborationPresentation

Studies and Conclusions: Imtiaz and Imtiaz (2012)

PBL was an effective instructional model, BUT it also made them autonomous learners.

Voice & Choice

Studies and Conclusions: Barret and Moore (2010)

The dialog between facilitators and learners results in a deeper knowledge of the material.

Voice & Choice

The Studies: Jarret and Stenhouse (2011)

Results confirmed that PBL was a “powerful way to meet curriculum standards while empowering teachers and children.”

Voice & Choice

The Take-Aways: Learners become self-starters. Learners are given the opportunity to

explore beyond the imagination of those that made the curriculum.

Most importantly, learners still meet standards while taking ownership of their education.

Voice & Choice

Seven C’s of 21st Century Learning Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Creativity and Innovation Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership Cross-cultural Understanding Communication and Media Fluency Computing and ICT Fluency Career and Learning Self-reliance

21st Century Skills

Alignment to US Department of Labor’s SCANS Competencies

Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources

Interpersonal: Works with others Information: Acquires and uses information Systems: Understands complex inter-relationships Technology: Works with a variety of technologieshttp://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/whatwork/whatwork.pdfhttp://www.bie.org/research/21st_century_skills

21st Century Skills

21st Century Skills

While researching driving question, students discover new, detailed questions Seeking answers more questions

Brainstorm ideas Discover resources Can feel hectic, but this is where learning

occurs!

Inquiry and Innovation

Inquiry and Innovation

Questioning

Our driving question: How could using PBL help students become more interested in and better learn the content of STEM subjects?Our questions:What is the best way to present this?How difficult is PBL?How do teachers cover the standards?Is student learning as significant and measurable as in traditional instruction?Are students as engaged and responsible for their learning in PBL?What does the research say?

Inquiry and Innovation

As students investigate the driving question:“How can the properties of waves be utilized to make the temperature of a playground slide safer?”

They formulate deeper questions such as: What are the properties of the slide materials? What alternative materials are available to

manufacture playground equipment? What causes burning in living tissues?

Slide or Fried

Responsibility “Moving forward” input

During project work Periodic check-ins and feedback

Daily or weekly Whole group or individual Verbal or written

Use rubric or checklist

Feedback & Revision

Presentation Audience Instructor Peers Self

Feedback

Presentation Audience

Survey or feedback forms Questions?

Instructor Peers Self

Feedback

Presentation Audience Instructor

Post-presentation questions Graded rubric

Peers Self

Feedback

Presentation Audience Instructor Peers

Post presentation questions Created by you or students

Small group discussions “Fish-bowl” discussions “What did we learn?” “What is the answer to the driving question?? How did we use 21st Century Skills?

Self

Feedback

Presentation Audience Instructor Peers Self

Journal entry or survey

Feedback

Communication skills Incentive Probe understanding

Publicly Presented

Next: A Review

1. N – Need to know2. D – Driving question3. S – Significant content4. V – Student voice & choice5. T – Twenty first century skills6. I – Inquiry and Innovation7. F – Feedback and revision8. P – Publicly Presented Content

PBLements

Questions?