Hierarchic: 4 Main Ideas

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Makes Sense
Sense Strategies
Strategies
Makes
Name: Claudia Mesnil-Baez

2008 Edwin Ellis, All Rights Reserved Published by Makes Sense Strategies, LLC, Northport, AL www.MakesSenseStrategies.com

Date:

ProblemBasedLearning

Is about

Havingastrategyforstudentstodevelopproblemsolvingskills,contentknowledge,andselfregulationbyfocusingclassandclassactivities
insolvingproblems.
Main idea

Planning

Youmustidentifyatopic,dothis
usingALCOSandthestandards
forthecourseyouareteaching,if
thereareany.Inmath,the
StandardsofMathematical
Practice.(studentsinterestsand
knowledgecanaffectthistoo)
Besuretoexplainandspecify
theseobjectivesandstandards
guidingyourinstruction.
Identifyrelevantproblemsthat
willfulfillyourobjectives.
Accessmaterials(Haveallthe
materialsonhandforyour
studentstobeabletoimplement
lesson)

Main idea

Implementing

Reviewandpresentproblem:ill
identifiedversuswelldefined
problems,thisaffectsstudents
perceptionsandtherangeof
responses.
Deviseastrategy:usecareful
judgment,youmaywanttohintthe
students
Implementthestrategy:
Ifyouwantthestrategytobe
partofyourinstruction,teach
thestrategytothestudents
andallowthemopportunities
topracticeit.
Discussandevaluateresults:have
studentsexplainandreasontheir
responsestoeachother
Usethetechnologyyouhave
availabletosupportProblemBased
Learning

Main idea

Assessment

Duringthediscussionand
evaluationphase,depending
ontheproblem,youmay
choosetoevaluateand
assessyourstudents
differently.
Withmuchproblemsolving
learning,ifthestudents
mustdiscussandcritique
eachothersanswers,it
alwayshelpstoassessthe
studentseffortsand
participationbythese
responsesandtheirquality.

Main idea

Motivation

Thefactthatthereisa
questionthatneedstobe
answeredandthatthereare
appropriatetools,possibly
technology,available
usuallymotivatesdifferent
kindsoflearners.
TheProblemBased
Learningisversatilesoit
reachesallmotivation
levels.Ifitisusedinareal
worldproblemsetting,it
involvesrealworld
application.Itcanbeusedin
hypotheticalsettingsand
workstationsandgroupsas
well.

So what? What is important to understand about this?

ProblemBasedLearninggivesstudentsreallifeskillstoknowhowtoreacttoproblemsthatmanytimeshaveseveral
waysofbeinganswered,theseteachingmodelscanbeintegratedorcanbeexpandedintomorecomplexlessons.