EDAE – 620: PROCESSES

AND METHODS
Problem
PRESENTED BY : GROUP 7
REBECCA MYERS
AMY POWELL
Based
MICHELE RACKHAM
Learning
 Our project involved presenting an
exercise for fellow learners to practice
the Problem Based Learning approach.
Problem
Based
The problems were presented in a
Learning discussion format.
Collaboration
Project
Fellow learners would review the
problem and present their solution via
response to the discussion.
Section 2:
Educational Based Problem

Student learning outcomes: acquire new

knowledge, strengthen problem solving

Define the deliverable: Respond

with a decision on what the problem
is and how they might address it.
Problem:

 You just graduated with a degree in Adult Education and Training. You have a new
job teaching a career readiness class. Armed with your teaching philosophy and the
excitement of a challenge, you are ready to begin. As per your hiring agreement,
you start this class with the goal to prepare your students for the GED. The class has 11
participants. They meet in the evening, twice a week, for 90 minutes per session. The
learners cover a wide range of demographics and skill levels. The discrepancy in skill
range and future goals add an additional dynamic to the class. While some students
need a refresher in math or reading, there are others that struggle with basic math
and reading skills. There is a broad variation to students future goals. There are 16
weeks to prepare your learners. After that time, you will be required to reassess your
goals and objectives based on assessments and data. Consider your role as a
facilitator. What are your goals and objectives going to include for this group? How
do you prepare this group of learners based on individual goals and skill level without
ignoring your goal as a facilitator?
Responses:

The most common response Collaborative learning allows The lower level learners would The higher level learners would
implied that they would apply for learners to be placed in learn from the higher level benefit from gaining deeper
the collaboration approach. groups with high and low levels. learners in a small group setting. understanding while assisting
the lower level learners.
Reflection: Individually, evaluate your group’s learning
session by reflecting and critically assessing:

 I believe group 7 worked well in coordinating our meeting times and division of labor for the assignment. Each member of our
team proved to have different strengths and professional backgrounds. Those experiences led us to our roles within the
facilitation. Our assigned method was Problem-Based learning. While our facilitation was not traditional, due to time
constraints, it did allow for learners to gain an understanding of the elements involved in PBL.
 The scenarios that were posed for discussion were done in a manner that allowed learners the freedom to choose a problem
based on their experience or interest. The information concerning the PBL was posted later, as is common for this type of
learning method. The learning is in the process for this type of method. Learners are encouraged to take responsibility for their
own learning. This was also evident in the discussion threads. Typically, a discussion board prompt allows the group of learners
to comment allowing a conversation to occur naturally. Thus, eliminating the facilitator's need to respond or direct the flow of
discussion.
 Utilizing the discussion board proved effective for both facilitation and collaboration. As a group, we were able to chat via
posts for communication purposes after our initial collaboration "meeting". Those chats were effective in keeping us connected
and on the same page throughout the process. The trick to our meetings was establishing a workable meeting format, and the
communication of time zones.
 Assessing the learning outcomes was done through the discussion. The solutions presented by the learners helped gage their
understanding. In a real PBL learning environment, the assessments would take different forms over a lengthy time frame. With
our time constraints, this method proved effective for its purposes.
 Once the discussion board gained momentum, the conversation was productive and encouraging. The learners proved an
understanding based on their responses to the problems, as well as, to one another. In researching the PBL method, I learned
that it doesn't have to be complex. It can be introduced in small situations to introduce the learning method and give learners
the confidence to jump start their own learning. The end goal is to produce learners that take responsibility for their own
learning.
 Taking on the role of facilitation within a learning environment was a good learning experience. It allowed for a safe place to
practice newly acquired skills without the risk of failure. As a learner with an understanding of why a facilitator uses certain
learning strategies is helpful for taking the responsibility of learning to a whole new level.