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Ausubel, D. P., J. D. Novak, and H. Hanesian. (1978). Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View, 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Reprinted, New York: Warbel & Peck, 1986 Blackboard Homepage. Retrieved January 5, 2007 from http://www.blackboard.com/ Dick and Carey Model. Retrieved January 5, 2007 from http://www.positivepractices.com/LearningbyDesign/InstructionalDesignReci pe.html#Figure1DickandCareyModelo. Driscoll, M. (2000). Psychology of Learning for Instruction, (2nd ed.) Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, A Pearson Education Company. Felder, R.M., & Brent, R. (1996) Navigating the Bumpy Road to Student-centered Instruction. Retrieved January 5, 2007 from http://www.ncsu.edu/felderpublic/Papers/Resist.html
Gustafson, K.L., & Branch, R.M. (2002). Survey of Instructional Development Models (4th Edition). New York: Syracuse University. Hamada, T., & Scott, K. (2000, September). Anthropology and international education via the internet: A collaborative learning model. Journal of Electronic Publishing, 6 (1).

Lave, J. (1991). Situated Learning in Communities of Practice. Perspectives on Socially Shared Cognition. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association. 63-82.
Levin, D.S, & Ben-Jacob M. G. (1998). Using Collaboration in Support of Distance Learning. Presented at WebNet 98 World Conference of the WWW, Internet and Intranet Proceedings, Orlando, Florida.

Norman, G. R., & Schmidt, H. G. (1992). The psychological basis of problem-based learning: A review of the evidence. Academic Medicine, 67, 557-565. Smith, B. L & MacGregor, J.T. (1992). What is Collaborative Learning? In M. Mahler, V. Tinto, B.L. Smith, and J. MacGregor (Eds.), Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching. Readiness Index for Learning Online. Retrieved January 5, 2007 from http://www.webct.com/oriented/ViewContent?contentID=1811174 Wikipedia. Retrieved January 5, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Novak, J. D. (1990). Concept maps and Vee diagrams: Two metacognitive tools for science and mathematics education. Instructional Science, 19, 29-52. Select references also retrieved from http://www.samford.edu/groups/ctls ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work has been generously supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. http://www.samford.edu/groups/ctls

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Problem Based Learning: The Journey

CLARA GERHARDT, MARY SUE BALDWIN Samford University USA

ABSTRACT This poster presentation depicts the journey of a Problem Based Learning course, from planning through to final evaluations. It is presented in the form of a flow chart. It starts at the planning stages and traces it through various steps, such as meeting curricular demands, fitting the syllabus into the context of the entire curriculum, using technology appropriately, resource management and course documentation. The authors have both used PBL methodology for over seven years in a variety of applications, and have had the opportunity to learn form their own shortcomings, and be strengthened by those aspects which contributed to success. The authors are frequently co-presenters in workshops on PBL related topics. INTRODUCTION During the summer of 1998, several experts came to the Samford University campus, in Birmingham, Alabama. Our first introduction to Problem Based Learning (PBL) was through presentations by the experts, where the potential teachers took on the roles of students. In one instance a Physics problem was used to introduce the real life quality of PBL. Instead of computing the forces acting in opposite directions, as we would normally have done, we were given a real life scenario. The problem focused on a traffic officer who had to inspect the site of a traffic accident. He had to determine the speed the car that had been driving by looking at all the evidence available; skid marks, how far the struck car had been flung from its path, and several other clues. These clues were revealed only as the learners requested the information. In short, there was progressive disclosure of components of the problem. The problem was not given to us in one parceled package. More importantly, the information required that we put our heads together as a group and decide what tools were needed. We had to ask the group leader for more information, or had to access relevant information sources. An important paradigm shift occurred in our thinking about learning. We discovered the power of insight acquired through personal involvement with the material, as well as the resource of working in a group. We brought individual skill sets, but as a group, we had greater diversity, strength, and resourcefulness. If we worked together, we could open doors to problems which initially had seemed defeating. And so we were hooked, and about a decade later we are still enthusiastically using this approach in our classrooms.

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PLANNING THE JOURNEY Any prospective PBL teacher should be forewarned. What you think you save in daily lecture preparation time, you will be making up triply in preparation of the entire course. Planning a PBL course is labor intensive. The success of the course will be determined by how well it was planned and in how much detail the different steps in the problem are delineated. Furthermore back up resource materials have to be pre-researched and available. An estimation is that for every one hour taught in PBL format, four hours in planning activities are invested. In short, there is no free lunch. The PBL format is labor intensive with the investment of time being upfront in the form of advance planning. Teaching portfolios by faculty members, who have taught the course before, become invaluable. A central bank of teaching portfolios and PBL problems is a useful resource to consult. The Samford PBL website directs visitors to such resources. ( http://www.samford.edu/ctls/portfolios.html ) Ideally it is very stimulating if one can plan a PBL course in team format with one or more colleagues. This introduces the same group dynamics that one finds in PBL teaching. In this way resourcefulness and freshness of ideas are be heightened. Know the teaching/learning outcomes. This is where a good curriculum comes in, or the professional guidelines from a licensing body which provide detailed outlines of what a graduate is expected to have mastered after completing the coursework (outcome based learning). Once we know our goals (or teaching outcomes), we group these into themes. When we have found the themes, we formulate vehicles for those themes. A vehicle is a format or a problem that will address the required curricular material either directly or indirectly or both. The PBL journey requires planning. The metaphor of a pilot, who wishes to fly to a certain destination, comes to mind. In order to complete this journey successfully, the group facilitator (or in this metaphor the pilot) would have to go through the following motions: 1. Pick a destination : learning outcomes Flight plan, calculate distance and time. Pick alternative airports. Calculate fuel requirements. Record this information. In PBL terms this translates as: Know the curricular requirements, and learning objectives. Know the supervisory and accreditation standards so that they can be met, how long will it take to cover the material? Make a lesson plan, with alternatives. Identify resources: text, articles, and websites. Document your planned PBL course. You have completed the broad outlines, but you still have to fill in the detail.

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2. Planning Get maps. Set your GPS. Get a meteorology report. Check weather at destination. File a flight plan. In PBL terms this translates as: Look at the terrain: Consider varying approaches; long and short problems. Group curricular materials around problems; be guided by your learning objectives. Find problems to suit the curricular material, and be aware of the obstacles you may encounter. Layer problems, and consider progressive disclosure. Commit to your planning by documenting. 3. Preflight and take off Calculate weight and balance - dont overload. Prepare all charts preflight preparation. Obtain clearance for take off get airborne. In PBL terms this translates as: Outline and record the timeline of your teaching/learning experience. Keep all the support materials you will use together (boxes, files). Determine assessment dates and tasks. Assign the groups. Get the process going: start and continue the teaching /learning experience. 4. During flight Be professional, adaptive, calm and well oriented. Make corrections and adjustments as needed. In PBL terms this translates as: Be enthusiastic and adaptive. Reward creativity and facilitate. Provide structure with creative license. Use your chosen assessment techniques (tests, projects, products which are graded) Respond to input and adjust as required. 5. Post flight Update aircraft and pilot logbooks. Reflect and dialogue with other pilots.

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In PBL terms this translates as: Document what worked and what did not; a teaching portfolio may be a good idea. Reflect and talk to colleagues, learn from the experience. Incorporate your new ideas into a future course. REAL LIFE QUALITY OF PROBLEMS In order to make our themes workable, catchy titles and contextualization into a daily real life situation is helpful. We try to link real life resources to the problem to enhance the credibility. For instance, in one of our problems we requested students to produce an article for a local family paper. We asked the editor of this paper to visit our class, show the students copies of the paper and request contributions (which were in fact published). Contacts in the community become helpful resources in lending the real life quality to coursework. In a second problem from our PBL course on Family Law and Public Policy, the curriculum required knowledge and understanding of legal and court procedures. This task was combined with actual court visits and observations in the Family Court. The problem was structured around a future job description that the student group were caseworkers and had to present their findings in the family court. Besides being stimulating teaching tools, these real life qualities become an excellent way of preparing the student for the job market. In eliciting real life quality in problems consider the following: A good problem elicits interest. Consider how this problem is solved in your own community. Try to link to the community resource. Visit the relevant resource (if it is a place or person), if at all possible. Consider bringing in an expert as a resource. Make the students aware of the real world link. Let students practice future professional roles through appropriate problems.

PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE In good movies we dont know the ending, and we hopefully cannot guess the ending. Likewise a good problem should not be too transparent. One way of adding interest to a problem is by means of progressive disclosure. This means that the problem is revealed in stages or in layers. As an example: In our Parenting course we use the task of designing or planning a play activity for children as the vehicle to teach and learn about developmental stages and capabilities in children. With progressive disclosure we would later on add another component, namely that the activity has to be suitable for special needs children. In this way the entire problem is not revealed initially, but gathers complexity as students proceed.

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SUMMARY OF THE PBL PROCESS The PBL process generally follows along this format: A PBL activity would involve students meeting as small groups to discuss a particular problem situation that has no easy or straight forward answer. The problem situations they face will be incomplete, authentic and are likely to occur in real life. The group would use their own knowledge and experience when discussing the problem and treat it as if they were personally asked to solve it. From here the group would come up with a number of hypotheses that are likely to explain and solve the problem situation. Once these hypotheses have been established the group negotiates an area of exploration for each member and retires independently to carry out the research. After sufficient time has elapsed to allow the research to be completed the group will meet again to discuss the problem in light of the information discovered by the group members. Now the group will draw conclusions as to the nature of the problem and the best fit solution, given the information known. Finally, the group makes a professional presentation as to the solution and its consequences.

In brief and to recap, these are the aspects to consider in planning a course: Know the curricular requirements. Use these requirements as the destination in planning. Format themes to cover syllabus. Know what material is covered by each theme. Give the theme a title to make it more workable and to elicit interest. Enhance themes by adding a real life quality. Be enthusiastic, organized and goal directed.

As more students have the opportunity and experience of problem-based learning (PBL), the reputation of PBL, as well as that of students who have experienced this type of learning, will grow. It is likely that employers could show a preference for graduates with the types of knowledge, skills and attitudes developed and encouraged by problem-based learning. For further information, visit the Samford University PBL website: http://www.samford.edu/ctls/problem_based_learning.html

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REFERENCES Alexander, J. G., Baldwin, M. S., & McDaniel, G. S. 2002. Implementing problembased learning in nursing. Birmingham: Samford University. Baldwin, M. S. & McCombs, V. L. 2004. Reflective practice and PBL course portfolios. In T. O. Seng (Ed.), Enhancing thinking through problem-based learning approaches: International perspectives. Singapore: Thomson Learning. Baldwin, M. S., & Strickland, N. 2003. Problem-based learning. A website at. http://www.samford.edu/ctls/problem_based_learning.html Birmingham: Samford University Gerhardt, Clara. 2002. Applied Learning Projects: Training tomorrow's parents using a problem based learning approach. In: Bigner, J.J. Instructor's Manual to accompany Parent-Child Relations: an Introduction to Parenting. 6th Ed. Part IV: Pp. 96 104. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall. Gerhardt, Clara. 2002. Problem-Based Learning in Human Sciences and Design. In: Dean, C., Dunaway, D., Gerhardt, C. & Ruble, S. PBL Monograph: Implementing Problem-Based Learning in Education (One volume in a series of six, part of the PBL Initiative) . Birmingham, AL.: Samford UP.: pp.31-39. Gerhardt, Clara. 2002. Portfolios: From blueprint to publication. In: PBL Insight: A Newsletter for undergraduate problem-based learning. Birmingham: Samford University. Vol. 5 (1):5, Spring. Gerhardt, Clara. 2002. Parenting: a course portfolio. Electronic publication. Samford University. One in a series of five. 10 pages. http://www.samford.edu/pbl/onlineportfolios/gerhardt Sandifer-Stech, Dan & Gerhardt, Clara . 2001. Real world roles: Problem based learning in undergraduate family studies courses. Journal of Teaching in Marriage and the Family. (Formerly Family Science Review). Haworth Press. Vol 1 (2). 1- 17.

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