Problem-based learning (PBL) uses real-life problems. These are often engaging for you and for students. To create engaging learning opportunities, you can take advantage of many strategies.

Engaged learning, research shows, increases their attention and focus. One engagement strategy involves leading dynamic discussions. John Hattie, oft-cited for Visible Learning, found classroom discussion quite important because it has an effect size that exceeds the “hinge point.” The hinge point refers to a students’ year of growth in the same amount of time. With a 0.82 effect size, a student has the potential of two years academic growth in half the time. All this from “meaningful classroom discussion,” says Maggie Bruski.

The question is, “How do YOU craft engaging classroom discussions?”

Step 1: Craft a Problem Narrative

Model these after a contemporary or historical case (e.g. use of airdrops to deliver supplies). This engages students as they pursue specified learning outcomes aligned to academic standards or course objectives. Four questions I ask when formulating a problem include:

• What do we want them to learn?
• Why is it important they learn this?
• What problems or issues would they be able to resolve with the information?
• What process do we want them to follow?

Step 2: Identify PBL Stakeholders and Hunches

Once students are engaged in the problem, they begin to write down their hunches about it. They will need to identify with a stakeholder. It may seem like there is only one stakeholder in this scenario, but you can see several more, right?

This is an important action. After introducing the problem, it determines what happens next. You can say to students the following in regards to the stakeholders in the problem:

“To help them, let’s share what our hunches are, that is, our best guesses about three things. The first is this situation. The second is what we know based on a reading of the text. The third is what we need to know to help the person/people in this situation. What guesses can we make about what is happening in the story?”

We want to collect these hunches so that all students can see them, then move to asking questions. The focus of questions is to identify other questions about what we know and what we need to know to help the stakeholders. One approach for accomplishing this is the use of a KWHL chart:

• Know – What do we know based on our reading of the problem? (K)
• What – What do we want to know about this? (W)
• How – How are we going to find this out? (H)
• Learned – And, after the activity has moved on, what have we learned about this problem?

Inquiry and investigation builds a basis for students to design a solution product.

Wouldn't it be neat if students could quickly develop a solution that demonstrates their learning and problem-solving skills? This is where Minecraft comes in!

Minecraft is extremely popular with students but how can educators introduce this effectively into the classroom. Microsoft's Minecraft: Education Edition (MCEE) provides for access to resources.

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!

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.