Pp xv reun de jong 2011

Onno De Jong Karlstad University, Sweden/ Utrecht University, The Netherlands

TEACHING FOR

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING:

HOW TO GUIDE PRACTICAL WORK

Onno De Jong

Karlstad University, Sweden

Utrecht University, The Netherlands

[email protected]


Overview of the presentation

* What is problem-based learning?

* What is open practical work?

* Students’ difficulties

* Teaching guidelines

Onno De Jong Karlstad University, Sweden

Dominant views before the 1980s

From behaviorism:

* Teaching = transmission of information

* Learning = passive receiving of knowledge

* Lab work = ‘cookbook’ experiments

* Teacher guiding = prescribing lab activities


Coming up views after the 1980s

From social Constructivism:

* Teaching = facilitating conceptual changes

* Learning = constructing of own meanings

* Lab work = ‘investigation’ experiments

* Teacher guiding = coaching lab activities


Problem-based learning(Ram, 1999)

Focus:

* Society demands: critical

thinking, communication skills, tackling open

problems

* Learning: autonomous learning (self-directed)

as well as cooperative learning (team work)

* Learning tool: open practical work


Open practical work

Problem-solving experiments

Problem Open experiment Solution

Main aim = learning new investigation skills

Problem-posing experiments

Experiment Open problem Solution

(Problem to Solution: extra info from textbook)

Main aim = learning new knowledge


Formats of problem-solving experiments

Research steps Performed by teacher (T) or students (S)

Research question T T T T T S

Design of plan T T T T S S

Execution of plan T T T S S S

Data collection/analysis T T S S S S

Results en conclusions T S S S S S

Report S S S S S S


1st Example of a problem-solving experiment

Teacher only gives the research question

Teacher: when heating NaHCO3 in the school

lab, which equation represents the

decomposition:

a) 2 NaHCO3 -> Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

b) 2 NaHCO3 -> Na2O + 2 CO2 + H2O

Student tasks: Design their own plan, collect and

analyze own data, write own report


2nd Example of a problem-solving experiment

Teacher only presents a topic for investigation

Teacher:

Topic of investigation is ‘Water quality’

Student tasks:

*Design their own research question and plan

*Collect and analyze own data

*Write own research report


Students’ diffulties with

a problem-solving experiment


Students’ difficulties

with problem-solving experiments ??

What are specific students’ difficulties when they:

a) Design their research question and plan

b) Execute their plan

c) Collect & analyze their data

d) Report about their research

Discuss your answers with your neighbour



with problem-solving experiments !!

* Research question: unclear or too general

* Research plan: not systematic or not realistic

* Execution of plan: weak time management

* Data collection: low validity and reliability

* Data analyses: not very precise or inconsistent

* Research report: too short or too long


Research Question

and Plan? Sorry, don’t know !

TEACHER STUDENT


Guidelines for teaching how to develop

a research question and plan(Van Der Valk & De Jong, 2009)

Create 4 phases of guiding:

1. Initial phase of ‘uncertainty’ for students

when developing a research question and plan

2. Phase of supervised classroom discussion

3. Phase of ‘hints’ through an orientation task

4. Final phase of supervised classroom discussion


More guidelines for teaching

with problem-solving experiments

* Indicate the max. available amount of time

* Check regularly the phase of student activities

* Decide regularly about go/no-go for students

* Show an example of a weak and a good report


From an experiment to a problem . . .


Formats of problem-posing experiments

Research steps Performed by teacher (T) or students (S)

Introducing experiment T T T T

Doing the experiment T T T S

Results pose (explanation) problem T T S S

Solving the problem T S S S

Writing the report S S S S


1st Example of a problem-posing experiment(Baral, Fernandez & Otero, 1992)

Posing a simple explanation problem

Exp. 1 Exp. 2 Exp. 3

Cu wire

Zn Cu Zn Cu

H2SO4 H2SO4

( 1 M ) ( 1 M )

Problem = Explanation of phenomena at exp. 3


Students try to explain Experiment 3

[ Zn(s) -> Zn2+ + 2e- ; 2H+ + 2e- -> H2(g) ]

(Teacher = T; Student = S)

*T: What do you see at experiment 3?

*S: Bubbles, bubbles, also at the copper

*T: How is that possible?

*S: Zinc gives electrons away, they go to the copper

*T: How?

*S: Electrons go through the acid solution

*T: No, that is wrong, no

*S: Uh, . . . they will go through the wire

*T: Yes, indeed


2nd Example of a problem-posing experiment(Stolk, De Jong, Bulte & Pilot, 2010)

Posing a complex explanation problem

*Add water to a nappy (pañal) for babies

till it does not absorb water anymore

* Fill in: Max. amount of water is . . . . ml

Problem = Explanation of this absorption



with problem-posing experiments

* Introductory experiment: does not motivate

* Doing the experiment: too hard to carry out

* Posing a problem: exp. results are too unclear

* Solving the problem: relevant info cannot be

found or cannot be understand

* Research report: too short or too long


Guidelines for teaching

with problem-posing experiments

* Introduce experiments that are interesting

* Select sources of info (textbook, internet)

that are relevant and understandable

* Organize supervised classroom

discussions about student groups’ results

* Guiding means coaching


COACHING OPEN PRACTICAL WORK

Give

students

more

space

Givestudentsmore direction


REFERENCES

* Barral, F., Fernandez, E., & Otero, J. (1992). Secondary

students’ interpretations of the process occuring in an

electrochemical cell. J. of Chem. Ed., 69, 655-657.

* Ram, P. (1999). Problem based learning in undergraduate

education. J. of Chem. Ed., 76, 22-26.

* Stolk, M., De Jong, O., Bulte, A., & Pilot, A. (2010).

Exploring a framework for professional development in

curriculum innovations. Res. in Sc. Ed.

DOI: 10.1007/s11165-010-9170-9

* Van Der Valk, A. & De Jong, O. (2009). Scaffolding science

teachers in open-inquiry teaching. Int. J. of Sc. Ed., 31,

829-850.

Education

Pp xv reun de jong 2011