First Meeting of "Adapting Curriculum: Problem Based Learning Community"

Adapting Curriculum: Problem Based Learning Community

Http://www.Cols.colstate.edu/steminstitute to access blog and NING accounts
Login: CCLDGUEST
Password: DM2AU22T

KWL
1. Know
2. Wonder
3. Learned

1. What people KNOW:
Real world application
Use problem as motivator
Implementation in upper level courses
Student hurry to solve problems
Students don’t like to think
-New new skills other than those used in K-12
-How do they handle a new environment of learning?
-How can problems be used instead of the textbook?
-Students want to know how to solve a problem-solution strategy
Group dynamics
- Tests as groups, instead of individual based tests
New GPS standards employ PBL techniques
Students don’t value problem solving
When students can see how to incorporate PBL in the real world, students engage more
-Engagement increases with exploration of skill utility
-Information should be put into context
-Students want to reach goals
Most students prefer symbol manipulation not “why” using problems
PBL is not the solution. It is part of the toolbox for learning. You shouldn’t drop all other techniques to focus on PBL.
-Studio physics may have more effectiveness (drop lecture and lab)
-Ex. A good High School teacher
-Better than a dull lecturer

2. What people WONDER:
How do you implement at intro level
-Class size matters
Application to every concept
What resources exist?
How do you implement PBL?
Will university support this?
Assessments?
-Is it effective and how do you assess their learning?
How do get everyone engaged when they are not all motivated?
How do you balance various levels of knowledge?
How do you present problem solving grading with the syllabus
-A syllabus is required to list achievable goals
-Goals come from the State level and each dept. can’t change them
-This workshop may allow changes in the syllabus
How do you get contacts to change the course?

Institute and Learning Community Ning Sites.

Learning communities may opt to use the customizable social networking site Ning. The already-created Ning network for the institute is

wcgstem.ning.com

while the network for this learning community is

http://wcgstem.ning.com/group/problembasedlearningpbl.

Enjoy!

Posting Privileges

If you are a member of this WCG STEM Institute Learning Community and would like posting privileges on this blog, please email Jon Ernstberger to be granted that access.

Be prepared to use an existing Google, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM or OpenID to log in. If you have none of these, you will need to create a login.

Links

This blog post is to create a central area where use hyperlinks can be posted that are beneficial to this learning community.

Feel free to contribute hyperlinks via comments.

Introduction

The goal of this learning community is generate an scenario (with an atmosphere that is conducive to networking) where STEM faculty can explore how to improve student cognitive engagement through designing courses around strategically sequenced problems.

Facilitator: Gayle Herrington - Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, CSU

Panelists:

• Ron Linton - Professor & Interim Chair, Dept. of Mathematics, CSU
• Taha Mzoughi - Associate Professor of Physics Education, KSU
• Ji Shen - Assistant Professor of Physics Education, UGA