Designing, Facilitating and Assessing

Problem-Based Learning Lessons

In K-12 Classroom

The PBL Project

for Teachers
pbl.educ.msu.edu

2007 Michigan State University Board of NSF ESI - 0353406

Trustees
Adapted from:
Torp, L., & Sage, S. (2002). Problems as possibilities: Problem-based learning for K-16 education. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. p. 17.
 What does PBL Look Like in a Classroom?
What a Waste!!
Water Treatment for the Town of Avilla

Student Activities Teacher Activities

Compiled facts - scenario and newspaper
clippings
Brainstormed solutions, prioritized items
on list of hypotheses
Identified learning issues - what do we
need to find out about?
Gathered information
Library and electronic
Email correspondence - plant
manager at local facility, and 2
solar aquatic plants - Muncie,
IN, and Broward County, FL.
Groups of 3-4 students developed action
plans/answers to question
Sharing session - present and defend your
groups solution and/or findings!
Present and clarify challenge/problem
CO-LEARNER!!
Guide class in development of a rubric to
assess final product
Assist students in their search for
information - help provide access to
resources and equipment
Monitor and re-direct students - keeping
on task
Coordinate student-initiated field trip to
Paws, Inc.
Assessment - teacher portion of rubric -
evaluating final products

Class discussion to evaluate the

plans/results

Self- and peer-evaluations

Checklist for Developing a Problem
As you write your PBL dilemma, use the following checklist to evaluate the
appropriateness of the scenario for your lesson!

Have I Yes No

Selected content appropriate for my students?

Found adequate resources for my students to use?

Written a problem scenario/story that

is developmentally appropriate?
is grounded in student experience?
is curriculum based?
allows for a variety of teaching and learning styles?
is ill-structured? (is not a task statement)

Created a problem that is relevant to my students?

Planned for assessing both student learning and dilemmas

effectiveness?

Adapted from:
Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development. p. 19.
 Assessment in PBL Activities
Student Self-Evaluation Form

Student: Class: Date:

Activity Excellent Good Fair
I contributed ideas/facts to the discussion in my
group.
I came up with some learning issues for my group.

I used a variety of resources when doing my

research.
I helped think through the problem.

I contributed new information.

I helped my group in doing our work.

I helped my group present/share our findings.

Adapted from:
Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. p. 36.

Learning Logs & Journals

Reflective Lesson Log

Name: ____________________________ Topic: ___________________ Date: _______

Key ideas from this discussion: ______________________________________________

Connections I can make with other ideas: ______________________________________

Questions I still have: _____________________________________________________

Adapted from
Burke, K. (2005). How to assess authentic learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 120-121.
Assessing Learning Logs and Journals
1. One way to describe students logs and journals is the use of indicators of the degree to
which students have expressed their ideas, such as the one below, developed by Jeroski,
Brownlie, and Kaser (1990).

JOURNAL REPONSE
1 2 3 4

Undeveloped Partial Competent Powerful

2. Another assessment approach is to score the level of thoughtfulness and/or the use of
evidence to support statements.

JOURNAL RESPONSE

No Little Some Strong

Evidence of Evidence of Evidence of Evidence of
Thoughtfulness 1 Thoughtfulness 2 Thoughtfulness 3 Thoughtfulness 4

No Response Response only Response Response

Not supported by Supported by Supported by
specific examples specific examples specific examples
Supported by
personal reflections

3. A third approach is to assign points for logs and/or journals.

20 points for completing all logs or journals

10 points for completing all logs or journals on time
15 points for originality of ideas
15 points for evidence of higher-order thinking
15 points for making connections to other subjects or concepts
25 points for personal reflections or insights
_____________________________________
100 total points for log and journal assignments

Adapted from
Burke, K. (2005). How to assess authentic learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 124-125.
Problem Evaluation Checklist

Student feedback about the design of your lesson can be extremely valuable, especially
when trying a new teaching strategy for the first couple of times. The following
instrument is an example of a simple checklist students can complete to help you assess
the design of the PBL dilemma.

Problem Evaluation Checklist

Topic: Date:
RATING
3 2 1
EVALUATION (Excellent) (Good) (Poor)
Did the problem in this lesson

seem interesting or important to know about?

seem to be understandable, related to your life?

challenge you to think?

require you to work with your group to find

information?

help you understand the science ideas it discussed?

How might you suggest changing this problem?

Adapted from
Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. p. 47.
PBL Lesson Planning Resources
(Dilemma ideas, designing lessons, etc)

IMSA Center for Problem Based Learning

www2.imsa.edu/programs/cpbl/cpbl.html
Exploring the Environment
www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/modules.html
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html
Problem-based Learning at the University of Delaware
www.udel.edu/pbl/problems/
CaseIt! Project
www.uwrf.edu/caseit/caseit.html

The following books may be helpful in developing lessons and

assessment plans. They can be found in the workshop resource
room!

Burke, K. (2005). How to assess authentic learning. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin Press.

Lambros, A. (2002). Problem-based learning in K-8 classrooms.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Abell, S. K., & Volkmann, M. J. (2006). Seamless assessment in science: A

guide for elementary and middle school teachers. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.

Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom.

Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Torp, L., & Sage, S. (2002). Problems as possibilities: Problem-based

learning for K-16 education. Alexandria VA: ASCD.