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Facilitator(s): Miguel Guhlin (@tceajmg) | https://ly.tcea.org/pbl22
Blend Problem-Solving Teaching (a high-effect size instructional strategy) with the 5E Model to serve up Transfer Learning opportunities. These jazzed-up lessons have the power to captivate students’ hearts and minds.
Blend Problem-Solving Teaching (a high-effect size instructional strategy) with the 5E Model to serve up Transfer Learning opportunities. These jazzed-up lessons have the power to captivate students’ hearts and minds.
Let's get started!
Let's get started!
Welcome! Take a moment to respond to this quick poll. You get a chance to identify which approaches you have used in your classroom to captivate students' hearts and minds.
Welcome! Take a moment to respond to this quick poll. You get a chance to identify which approaches you have used in your classroom to captivate students' hearts and minds.
Today's Topics
Today's Topics
- Heightening Engagement
- Common Terms, Defined
- A Matter of When: PBL vs PST
- Rethinking 5E with PST in Mind
Heightening Engagement
Heightening Engagement
Shifting to active learning involves students in open-ended, scaffolded learning opportunities. Terms like active learning are often synonymous with engaged learning.
Shifting to active learning involves students in open-ended, scaffolded learning opportunities. Terms like active learning are often synonymous with engaged learning.
Some see engaged learning as “providing students with opportunities for practice in unscripted, authentic settings, where stakeholders (including the students themselves) are invested in the outcome” (Source).
Some see engaged learning as “providing students with opportunities for practice in unscripted, authentic settings, where stakeholders (including the students themselves) are invested in the outcome” (Source).
Common Terms, Defined: A Glossary
Common Terms, Defined: A Glossary
- Active Learning
“Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing.”
- Constructivist Teaching (Effect Size is 0.64)
Constructivist teaching involves providing students with learner-centered, active instruction, where students explore ideas, propositions, explanations, solutions and take subsequent actions.
- Inquiry-Based Learning (Effect Size is 0.46):
Inquiry-based teaching is an educational practice in which students are called upon to behave as scientists or philosophers, generating questions and seeking to develop answers through the accumulation of evidence. This could include asking questions and solving problems and often includes procedures such as small-scale investigations and practical projects.
5E Model: The 5E Model organizes lesson planning, focusing teacher-created activities and making them student-centric with attention given to Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate to transform learning.
- Problem-Based Learning (PBL) (Effect Size is 0.35)
In problem-based learning scenarios, students often act in groups and decide what they need to learn to resolve a particular problem or question, while teachers act as facilitators. It usually involves real-world problems to promote student learning of concepts and principles as opposed to direct presentation of facts and concepts. The aim is also to promote critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. Used ineffectively for Surface Learning.
- Problem-Solving Teaching (PST) (Effect Size is 0.67)
Problem-solving involves learning to solve a problem that one does not already know how to solve, and can also involve teaching specific, subject-area focused strategies for attempting to solve such problems. PBL by another name but used effectively for Transfer Learning.
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
The purpose of this course is to expand your comfort zone and broaden your knowledge of high-quality Project-Based Learning. The heart of PBL is about creating authentic learning experiences for students to build knowledge and skills that will help them throughout their educational journey.
This online, self-paced course offers effective practices, strategies, and resources you can use to implement Project-Based Learning with students in a variety of learning situations.
The Right Strategy and Learning Phase
The Right Strategy and Learning Phase
Before comparing instructional strategies, we first have to figure out when is it appropriate to use a particular strategy. Consider this point adapted for readability from Hattie, Fisher, and Frey:
Before comparing instructional strategies, we first have to figure out when is it appropriate to use a particular strategy. Consider this point adapted for readability from Hattie, Fisher, and Frey:
What and when are important when it comes to instruction that has an impact on learning. Approaches that aid surface-level learning do not work as well for deep learning….
Match the right approach with the correct phase of learning.” Adapted from Source: Hattie, Fisher, and Frey (Visible Learning for Mathematics, 2017)
Image Source: Corwin Press as cited by EduTweetOz
Let's dig into TWO popular strategies with the understanding that there's so much more possible.
Let's dig into TWO popular strategies with the understanding that there's so much more possible.
Strategy #1: The 5E Model
Strategy #1: The 5E Model
The 5E Model often presents as an inquiry-based model. Inquiry-based teaching, according to the Visible Learning Meta X database, has an effect size of 0.46.
I marvel that the 5E Model, as an inquiry-based teaching and learning strategy, has an effect size of 0.46. I have to ask myself, “How could we use the 5E Model to better effect?”
One approach might involve relying on surface learning strategies (SLSs) that would introduce students to concepts.
The use of Direct Instruction (d=0.59) and flipped learning could serve as two other strategies. Or we could rely on the jigsaw method (d=1.20).
“How do we use what we know of evidence-based strategies and when to use them to enhance the 5E Model?”
“How do we use what we know of evidence-based strategies and when to use them to enhance the 5E Model?”
Strategy #2: Problem-Solving Teaching
Strategy #2: Problem-Solving Teaching
Problem-solving teaching (d=0.68) involves learning to solve a problem that one does not already know how to solve, and can also involve teaching specific, subject-area focused strategies for attempting to solve such problems.
Problem-solving teaching (d=0.68) involves learning to solve a problem that one does not already know how to solve, and can also involve teaching specific, subject-area focused strategies for attempting to solve such problems.
In this situation, your students are applying their hard-earned knowledge to a novel situation. It is one of the strategies that falls into the Transfer Learning bucket:
In this situation, your students are applying their hard-earned knowledge to a novel situation. It is one of the strategies that falls into the Transfer Learning bucket:
Transfer Learning strategies require students to apply what they know to new scenarios and contexts. Students should also be metacognitive, reflective on their learning.
This makes it different from Problem-Based Learning, often used as a Surface Learning strategy to introduce ideas, skills, and/or concepts to students.
This makes it different from Problem-Based Learning, often used as a Surface Learning strategy to introduce ideas, skills, and/or concepts to students.
Rethinking 5E with PST in Mind
Rethinking 5E with PST in Mind
One way to rethink the constructivist/inquiry-based approach, the 5E Model, is to remember that students FIRST need to build Surface Learning, Deep Learning BEFORE they transition to Transfer Learning. Start with PBL too early, you end up with students trying to solve authentic problems without requisite skills/knowledge.
One way to rethink the constructivist/inquiry-based approach, the 5E Model, is to remember that students FIRST need to build Surface Learning, Deep Learning BEFORE they transition to Transfer Learning. Start with PBL too early, you end up with students trying to solve authentic problems without requisite skills/knowledge.
1- ENGAGE / Problem Engagement
1- ENGAGE / Problem Engagement
ENGAGE: The purpose for the ENGAGE stage is to pique student interest and get them personally involved in the lesson, while pre-assessing prior understanding.
Problem-Based Learning: Problem-based learning (PBL) uses real-life problems modeled after a contemporary or historical case to engage students as they pursue specified learning outcomes that are in line with academic standards or course objectives (Stepien & Pyke, 1997).
Students work through the problem as a stakeholder.
The teacher acts as a guide or advisor as students explore the issues involved, formulate questions, conduct research, and consider possible solutions to the problems.
What Works: Videos, Dramatic Entrances, Short books or stories
Examples
Examples
Here's one example of a Project Task Card. It relies on presenting a problem that is engaging. I like to write my own scenarios from problems in the Community News, but these can also be helpful:
Science Educator?
Science Educator?
You might enjoy this evidence-based blog entry on interactive science labs to master the Scientific Method.
You might enjoy this evidence-based blog entry on interactive science labs to master the Scientific Method.
As imperfect as it may be, the Scientific Method remains humanity’s greatest tool. Some may even see it as the lever to move the world. But a tool for doing what? As Greg Epstein points out, it is the “most reliable tool for determining the nature of the world around us.”
2- EXPLORE
2- EXPLORE
EXPLORE: The purpose for the EXPLORE stage is to get students involved in the topic, providing them with a chance to build their own understanding.
Rely on curated links to explore the topic prior to formal instruction. A multimedia text set (MMTS) could work well here. Ask questions about the problem, what their hunches/guesses are about this? What do we need to learn more about?
What are some digital tools that could support student exploration of a topic?
What are some digital tools that could support student exploration of a topic?
“MMTSs are just docs with links meant to build schema through exploration,” says Lisa. Schema construction, essential according to researcher Frank Smith (Understanding Reading), helps humans with spatial organization linked to time. Learning experiences we craft for others must mix in a variety of experiences over time and space. These help us situate new learning (information and ideas) in our personal timeline reflected in our own schema.
Examples
Examples
Some Multimedia Text Sets You Can Explore
Some Multimedia Text Sets You Can Explore
3- EXPLAIN
3- EXPLAIN
EXPLAIN: The purpose for the EXPLAIN stage is to provide students with an opportunity to communicate what they have learned so far and figure out what it means.
Learning To See How Ideas Connect
Learning To See How Ideas Connect
What's the relationship between what I know and what I'm trying to learn?
What's the relationship between what I know and what I'm trying to learn?
Students consolidate their understanding, applying and extending surface learning after building requisite knowledge.
Students consolidate their understanding, applying and extending surface learning after building requisite knowledge.
Communication and Discussion
Communication and Discussion
Jigsaw Method (1.20)
Classroom Discussion (.82)
Reciprocal Teaching (.74)
What Things Mean in Context
What Things Mean in Context
Concept Mapping (.64)
4- ELABORATE
4- ELABORATE
ELABORATE: The purpose for the ELABORATE stage is to allow students to use their new knowledge and continue to explore its implications.
Transfer Learning
Transfer Learning
Transfer of newly learned skills to novel situations or tasks.
Transfer of newly learned skills to novel situations or tasks.
Use New Knowledge in New Situation(s)
Use New Knowledge in New Situation(s)
Problem-Solving Teaching (.68)
Service Learning (.58)
Examples
Examples
5- Evaluate
5- Evaluate
EVALUATE: The purpose for the EVALUATION stage is for both students and teachers to determine how much learning and understanding has taken place (reflection).
Some Ideas
Some Ideas
With those three ideas in mind (5E, PBL, and evidence-based strategies), how might all that come together in the classroom? Here's an outline you can explore to give you some ideas.
With those three ideas in mind (5E, PBL, and evidence-based strategies), how might all that come together in the classroom? Here's an outline you can explore to give you some ideas.
Step 1: Engage with Problems
Step 1: Engage with Problems
Craft an engaging scenario or problem. You need not limit yourself to problems or issues that arise in your community. Use local news, as well as news sources online such as Dogo News, Newsela, or Newseum. Combine tools like Summarize This or Read & Write to to help transition students to make their research process visible. When selecting a video or news story, search for one that is aligned to the TEKS Standards.
Step 2: Explore Student Thinking with Videos
Step 2: Explore Student Thinking with Videos
As we explore student thinking, you can quickly make thinking visible with video. Encourage students to “think, plan, investigate, and organize collected information” with screen casting tools, or Flip. Video offers students opportunities to share their reflections and research takeaways.
Step 3: Explain Learning TakeAways
Step 3: Explain Learning TakeAways
In this step, students can use a tool like Apple's Clip, Toontastic, Google Slides with Screencasting tools, or Powerpoint to create some type of media (e.g. audio, narrated slideshow, video) that shares their learning. The main goal is to externalize their thinking and learning process in such a way that helps others understand it.
Step 4: Elaborate with Paper Slides
Step 4: Elaborate with Paper Slides
In this step, have students apply their new insights and framework to a new idea. One approach involves creating a narrated slideshow with paper slides, where students storyboard their application of a newly developed problem-solving process to an existing problem. Their illustration of the problem helps them see what is happening, bringing order to chaos. Then, video record a paper slide of the process as students explain their thinking.
Step 5: Evaluate with Quizziz or Kahoot!
Step 5: Evaluate with Quizziz or Kahoot!
In this step, students are expected to take evaluation to the next level. Rather than the teacher creating a Kahoot! or Quizziz type assessment, students reflect on the process they have gone through and then create an assessment to offer others who are learning from them. The assessment serves as a reflective measure for the solution developers and for others who seek to learn from the solution or apply it.
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