Education Commons^™

Using Analytics To Transform A Problem-Based Case Library: An Educational Design Research Approach, Matthew Schmidt, Andrew A. Tawfik

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This article describes the iterative design, development, and evaluation of a case-based learning environment focusing on an ill-structured sales management problem. We discuss our processes and situate them within the broader framework of educational design research. The learning environment evolved over the course of three design phases. A semisummative evaluation of student concept maps after the third phase revealed unsatisfactory learning outcomes. This paper focuses on how we investigated design flaws that contributed to poor learning performance. A specific focus of our investigation was the use of Google Analytics data, which uncovered weaknesses in our design. Based on our findings, …

An Expert Instructor’S Use Of Social Congruence, Cognitive Congruence, And Expertise In An Online Case-Based Instructional Design Course, Sunnie Lee Watson, Adrie A. Koehler, Peggy Ertmer, Woori Kim, Rudy Rico

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion—that which contributes to learning—is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL) approach. Discussion posts, as well as interview data, were analyzed and coded to explore how the instructor utilized three strategies noted as being critical to students’ learning during problem-centered discussions: social congruence, cognitive congruence, and content expertise (Schmidt & Moust, 1995; Yew & Yong, 2014). Results showed that facilitation choices were made with …

Problem-Based Learning Pedagogies In Teacher Education: The Case Of Botswana, Thenjiwe Major, Thalia M. Mulvihill Dr.

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The development of primary school teachers is an important aspect of a country’s economic, social, and political well-being. The use of particular pedagogies in teacher education may greatly influence how teachers perform in their classrooms after completing their training programs. This micro-ethnography investigated the extent to which teacher educators in Botswana’s College of Education used problem-based learning (PBL) approaches in the development of preservice primary teachers. While the findings of this micro-ethnography showed that particular teacher educators rarely used problem-based learning approaches, the accompanying insights helped to bring a deeper understanding of what is needed for Botswana’s teacher education program …

Guest Editors' Introduction: Problem-Based Learning—Promoting Competences, Shaping The Future, Claude Müller, Monika Schäfer, Geri Thomann

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Setting The Standard For Project Based Learning: A Proven Approach To Rigorous Classroom Instruction, Michael Dias, Laurie Brantley-Dias

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Creating Cultures Of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Master To Truly Transform Our Schools, Sharon F. Dole

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

How To Enhance Interdisciplinary Competence—Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning Versus Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning, Mirjam Brassler, Jan Dettmers

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Interdisciplinary competence is important in academia for both employability and sustainable development. However, to date, there are no specific interdisciplinary education models and, naturally, no empirical studies to assess them. Since problem-based learning (PBL) and project-based learning (PjBL) are learning approaches that emphasize students’ collaboration, both pedagogies seem suitable to enhance students’ interdisciplinary competence. Based on the principle of constructive alignment and four instructional principles on interdisciplinary learning, this paper proposes that students profit more from interdisciplinary PBL (iPBL) than interdisciplinary PjBL (iPjBL). A pre-post study was conducted with a sample of 95 students participating in iPBL and 183 students …

The Transfer Of Problem-Based Learning Skills To Clinical Practice, Marie T. Stanton, Suzanne Guerin, Terry Barrett

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The purpose of this article is to present and discuss the reported impact of a fully problem-based learning (PBL) master’s program on the way graduates worked with patients and colleagues in Ireland. These graduates had completed a sixteen-month fully PBL master’s in sonography while concurrently working in clinical practice. Semi-structured telephone interviews were used to collect qualitative data from graduates of the PBL program. PBL graduates reported four notable changes in their approach to clinical practice following the PBL MSc ultrasound program: (1) thinking more before, during, and after clinical practice; (2) more effective communication with patients; (3) improved communication …

Design And Evaluation Of A Problem-Based Learning Environment For Teacher Training, Laura Hemker, Claudia Prescher, Susanne Narciss

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning can have a great impact on the acquisition of practical knowledge, which is a central learning aim in the field of teacher education. Therefore, we implemented a problem-based learning approach in four seminars on educational assessment. In this paper, we outline our didactic design and discuss the results of the first evaluations, which explored acceptance of the approach, learning results, and expected applicability of the acquired knowledge.

The results show benefits of the problem-based learning approach, but also room for improvement. Specifically, the use of problems from multiple contexts (theoretical foundations and direct practical application) and the flexible …

Engaged Learning: Impact Of Pbl And Pjbl With Elementary And Middle Grade Students, Sharon Dole, Lisa Bloom, Kristy K. Doss

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This study used structured online interviews with teachers to examine the impact that inquiry-based teaching methods had on their students. The research question was the following: What are the effects on student learning and motivation as a result of teachers using problem-based and project-based learning? Interviews were conducted with 36 teachers, followed up by telephone interviews with four teachers. Participants had taken a hybrid course consisting of four weeks online followed by a one-week intensive field experience facilitating problem-based and project-based learning with children in grades 1–9. Student-related themes that resulted from the data analysis are grouped under the main …

Getting Started With Pbl—A Reflection, Tanja Müller, Thomas Henning

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this paper, we provide insight into the PBL project called PoLiMINT (Problem-oriented Learning in MINT). The project is located at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences and aims to introduce and foster PBL in the introductory phase of a physics study program. Concerning our general conditions, we will present our incremental implementation strategy and address the first elementary steps. In order to demonstrate our Scholarship of Teaching and Learning mode of reflecting the implementation process, we examine selected instructional and pedagogical difficulties and our problem-solving more closely.

Undertaking Educational Research Following The Introduction, Implementation, Evolution, And Hybridization Of Constructivist Instructional Models In An Australian Pbl High School, Adam Hendry, Gavin Hays, Kurt Challinor, Daniel Lynch

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the introduction, implementation, evolution, hybridization, and initial research into the constructivist instructional models deployed within a secondary (high) school in Australia. A concomitant aim is to relate some of the consequences of whole school pedagogical change, which have included the implementation of project- and problem-based learning, the flipped classroom, and a derivative hybridized form, referred to here as “flipped PBL.” Moreover, after a decade of using constructivist approaches, we initiated educational research to better understand some of the effects of these changes and to explore the reasons behind the …

Formative Assessment To Support Students’ Competences In Inquiry-Based Science Education, Regula Grob, Monika Holmeier, Peter Labudde

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Inquiry-based education has been part of innovative science teaching for the last few decades. With the competence orientation now underlying many national curricula, one of the emerging questions is how the development of student competences can be fostered in the context of inquiry-based science education. One approach to supporting students in their learning is formative assessment, which is, however, not frequently used in a structured way in daily teaching practice. The aim of this study therefore is to explore what kinds of measures might support science teachers in implementing formative assessment activities in their inquiry-based education. For this, firstly, we …

Developing Teacher Competencies For Problem-Based Learning Pedagogy And For Supporting Learning In Language-Minority Students, Peter Rillero, Mari Koerner, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, Joi Merritt, Wendy J. Farr

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Teachers need to be able to design and implement problem-based learning (PBL) experiences to help students master the content and the processes in new mathematics and science education standards. Due to the changed population of learners within schools, it is also critically important that teachers in the elementary grades have the abilities to work effectively with English language learners (ELL). This article discusses the implementation of a major initiative by our teachers college to achieve both of these goals through Problem-Based Enhanced Language Learning (PBELL), which combines PBL, enhanced opportunities for language, and ELL methods. The implementation began with a …

Problem-Based Learning In K–8 Mathematics And Science Education: A Literature Review, Joi Merritt, Mi Yeon Lee, Peter Rillero, Barbara M. Kinach

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This systematic literature review was conducted to explore the effectiveness of problem-based and project-based learning (PBL) implemented with students in early elementary to grade 8 (ages 3–14) in mathematics and science classrooms. Nine studies met the following inclusion criteria: (a) focus on PBL, (b) experimental study, (c) kindergarten to grade 8 level, and (d) focus on mathematics or science content. For these studies, we examined: the definitions of PBL used, the components of PBL explicitly identified as salient to student learning, and the effectiveness of PBL. This review found that although there is no consistent definition of PBL, PBL is …

Problem-Based Assignments As A Trigger For Developing Ethical And Reflective Competencies, Dieter Euler, Patrizia Kühner

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The following research question serves as the starting point of this research and development project: How, in the context of a didactic design, can problem-based assignments trigger learning activities for the development of ethical and reflective competencies in students in economics courses? This paper focuses on the design of problem-based assignments as a trigger for purposeful learning activities, and, based on the literature, summarizes the principles of problem-based assignment design. A case study on the “city economics” topic outlines the implementation of these principles in a specific economics class context. In the context of a design-based research approach, the development …

Editor's Introduction, Michael M. Grant

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Call For Special Issue Proposals, Michael M. Grant

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

IJPBL is seeking proposals for upcoming special issues in 2018 and 2019.

Getting Started With Team-Based Learning, Deborah A. Davis

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Stem High School Teachers’ Views Of Implementing Pbl: An Investigation Using Anecdote Circles, Aimée L. Dechambeau, Susan E. Ramlo

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been gaining in popularity, especially within the context of STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) schools. Program assessments for these schools typically focus on student standardized test scores rather than the needs of the teachers. This study utilized anecdote circles, storytelling via moderated group discussions, to investigate teachers’ needs related to developing and implementing authentic, interdisciplinary PBL activities in an urban, public STEM high school. Teacher experiences and viewpoints were explored within three broad themes: assessment; coaching and training; and authentic learning. The analyses provide insights for transitioning a school for effective PBL implementation as well …

Design And Facilitation Of Problem-Based Learning In Graduate Teacher Education: An Ma Tesol Case, Cynthia Ann Caswell

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This exploratory, evaluative case study introduces a new context for problem-based learning (PBL) involving an iterative, modular approach to curriculum-wide delivery of PBL in an MA TESOL program. The introduction to the curriculum context provides an overview of the design and delivery features particular to the situation. The delivery approach has established multiple roles that contribute to the design and facilitation of the learning environment: lead instructors, collaborating instructors, and students as peer teachers. These roles also identify milestones on a collaborative instructional skills trajectory for professional development. In this mixed methods study, qualitative data were collected from collaborating instructors …

Integrating Web 2.0 Technologies Into Face-To-Face Pbl To Support Producing, Storing, And Sharing Content In A Higher Education Course, Jaana Virtanen, Päivi Rasi

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this article we present and discuss the process of developing and implementing a PBL-based course entitled Moving Images in Teaching and Learning that was held at the University of Lapland, Finland. In the course of the project, this fairly traditional face-to-face course was redesigned into a blended PBL course by integrating Web 2.0 applications into the course. The pedagogical rationale was to support students’ meaningful learning in various phases of the PBL process, and to enable easy storage and sharing of the ideas produced by the students. In addition, the rationale was to create more opportunities for students to …

The Relationship Between Project-Based Learning And Rigor In Stem-Focused High Schools, Julie Edmunds, Nina Arshavsky, Elizabeth Glennie, Karen Charles, Olivia Rice

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PjBL) is an approach often favored in STEM classrooms, yet some studies have shown that teachers struggle to implement it with academic rigor. This paper explores the relationship between PjBL and rigor in the classrooms of ten STEM-oriented high schools. Utilizing three different data sources reflecting three different perceptions—student surveys, teacher logs, and classroom observations—the study examines the extent to which PjBL and rigor co-occur. Across all three measures, the results show that use of PjBL is associated with higher levels of rigor. However, the study also shows that academic rigor can be present in the absence of …