I agree with Lewis.
One of the traps people fall into when looking at PBL is trying to find a model they can copy, however inappropriate it may be to
their particular context.
What we need to get back to is look at our students in our context - subject, level, institution, professional area - and
unpacking the term 'problem based learning' (or even problem-based learning - with the hyphen). What does it mean to base learning
in your discipline/profesisonal area around problems, scenarios, triggers (or whatever you want to call them), how will you
evaluate whether students are learning effectively and how will they develop as lifelong learners?
My advice would be not to get too hung up on models but to look at learning and how best to improve it. This often means include a
variety of experiences, including of assessment, rather than some of the rather dry, formulaic approaches to PBL that have
appeared, with which students (and staff) readily get bored.
Keep it exciting and fun! If you want some real advice, look at how young children learn or how your students learn new skills,
knowledge, etc. outside the classroom in their hobbies and personal life. It's all problem-based!
Ranald
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Ranald Macdonald
Head of Academic Development
Learning and Teaching Institute
Sheffield Hallam University
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________________________________
From: Problem Based Learning on behalf of Lewis Elton
Sent: Fri 8/27/2004 18:08
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Advice for someone new to PBL
I am tired of the 'league table' approach to 'life, the universe and
everything'. The answer, as we all know, is '42'. The answer to your
question is that they all and several others are important, that they all -
and several others - are interdependent and their respective weights
different for different people and in different circumstances, and that by
the time that you have added them all together, the answer is probably 42.
Lewis Elton
At 16:34 27/08/04 , you wrote:
>I am writing to ask for your help with the following question:
>
>What's the most important advice you could give someone just starting to use
>PBL?
>
>This could be things to do or things to avoid. You may like to consider any
>of the following areas or others.
>- Curriculum design
>- Problem writing
>- Assessment
>- Facilitation
>- Team management
>- Student preparation
>
>The collected suggestions (fully attributed, of course!) are intended to be
>included in a chapter of a book that we are compiling.
>Many thanks
>Chris
**********************************
Lewis Elton
Hon. Professor of Higher Education
Educational and Professional Level
University College London
1 - 19 Torrington Place
London WC1E 6BT
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