Guest Blog - Problem-Based Learning, Part 2 by Kathy Neely

Hello from Kathy Neely.  I am not the name that you are accustomed to seeing on the “ComBOBulate Blog,” but I am pleased to have the opportunity to be a guest blogger. 

I’m sure by now you have heard the term “Problem-Based Learning.”  If you still have any confusion about it, read on.  Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is designed to make learning look like the real world where there are many authentic problems to solve.  The purpose of PBL is to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that will prepare students for today’s workplace. 

Here are some elements that you can expect:  

• PBL is designed as a unit of study, not an add-on following a unit. 
• PBL teaches research skills in an authentic setting. 
• Problems are structured that have some ambiguity (i.e., ones that have more than one solution, can be solved in multiple ways, or may bring to light other potential “cause and effect” problems.) 
• Collaboration is needed if students are to develop the best possible solutions.  This also mirrors real life.  We all have co-workers and need to learn the art of cooperation. 
• Assessment is likely to include project-based options (PowerPoint presentations, papers, models).  Students communicate their defensible arguments and supporting evidence. 
• Teachers will act as coaches and facilitators.  Some element of pre-teaching may occur, but students will be learners, risk takers, and critical thinkers.  They will develop meta-cognition (understanding of how they learn). 
• Textbooks are a resource and may not be used in the traditional chapter to chapter format. 

Are you concerned that students will not receive the “facts” they need?  I would like to set your mind at ease about that concern.  Traditional teaching models with teachers as “givers of information” and students as “receivers,” has proven to be ineffectual for factual retention.  They learn, test, and promptly forget a larger percentage of informational facts.  When learning occurs in a PBL format, students gather information from researching and from their learning coach.  They are so engaged in the process that retention rates are higher. 

Are you concerned about scores on standardized testing?  Problem-based learning is more in tune with today’s testing formats.  Tests, particularly the Terra Nova that Shannon Forest is using, are more geared to interpreting information and making inferences.  Very few test questions are general knowledge facts. 

The best thing that I can tell you about Problem-Based Learning is this.  During my “Lunch Bunch” time with students, they tell me the best and worst parts of their day.  They are loving classes where problem solving is the base.  They love the interaction, the collaboration, the cognitive challenge, and the assessment – yes, I said assessment.  They love presenting their findings, even if it means writing and speaking. 

I would love to hear your thoughts or answer your questions.  I am located in the Lower School and welcome you to stop in. 

Kathy Neely is the Lower School Administrator at Shannon Forest.  She has served the faculty and students of SFCS since 2005.

Assessment and Problem-Based Learning

The school schedule was redesigned this year in order to accomplish two purposes.  First, we set out to maximize student learning using the best available research on how the school schedule affects students.  The second goal was to set aside periods of time for our teachers to further hone their skills through professional development and collaboration with their peers.  What I would like to do over the course of the year is share the topics and themes we are working through as faculty.  

Our first meeting focused on Problem-Based Learning.  We are committed to making teaching applicable for students and a problem-based approach does this.  Mr. Riddle leveraged his experience as a teacher and administrator to guide the faculty through the topic.

In many ways, the driving force behind problem-based learning is the increasing use of and access to technology in schools.  Shannon Forest is striving to be a part of an education narrative for the 21st century by encouraging the use of technology in the classroom in order to create opportunities for innovation, global connections, collaboration, teamwork, and multi-disciplinary learning.  The following video explains these goals further:

Our second faculty development session focused on student assessment.  Education generally gets this wrong, and we want to get it right at Shannon Forest Christian School.  

What we don't want:

Instead, Mr. Riddle emphasized two types of assessment: summative and formative.  Summative assessment usually takes the form of a test and is completed after instruction and used to determine a student's competency.  Formative assessment is ongoing throughout the school day and takes the form of frequent reviews, observations, activities, and general feedback.  As a school, Shannon Forest is seeking to move away from the concept of assessment as judgment and competition or as a way to obtain grades and to move toward a vision of assessment as a reflection that can improve classroom instruction.  Useful assessments should determine if students can use their learning - not just regurgitate information or facts.  With this information in mind, SFCS teachers, administrators, and staff are working to improve the effectiveness and use of assessments in the classroom.

"What is assessed signals what is important to learn.  How it is assessed signals how it should be learned."

Jay McTighe