CYBER-INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EDUCATION AND
LEARNING: EMPOWER THE FUTURE (CELEF)
John Henry and Ying (Gina) Tang
On the piece of paper provided, write down
the following information…
• Your name
• Your position or what you teach at your
school
• Where you live
• What you have accomplished at your school
with technology
• What you would like to learn more about
with technology
Each person will pick one up, find that
person, introduce themselves and share your
THEN…
CRUMPLE UP THE PAPER AND THROUGH IT INTO THE
CENTER OF THE ROOM.
EACH PERSON WILL PICK ONE UP, FIND THAT PERSON,
INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND SHARE YOUR
INFORMATION .
CI-TEAM WIKI
https://ci-team.wikispaces.com/
Join the wiki
Adding resources
Always think outside the box
FedEx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSQpinagp0
Innovative
Creative
Imaginative
Flexible
Able to adapt to change
TOXIC POPCORN
Scenario
A can of highly toxic popcorn has
contaminated a circle of approximately 4 feet
in diameter. The toxic area extends to the
ceiling. If the toxic popcorn is not
transferred to a safe container for
decontamination, it will contaminate the
region The popcorn is estimated to have a
safe life of exactly 15 minutes before it
explodes. It’s up to you to save the day!
Challenge
Inside the circle you will find two cans. One
(unsafe container) is half full of the toxic
popcorn. The other (safe) container is available for
decontamination. Find a way to safely transfer the toxic
popcorn from the toxic container to the safe container,
using only the materials provided to you.
Criteria
 No
one may cross the plane of the circle with
any part of the body.
 Only the ropes & tire tube may cross the plane of
the circle.
 No spills are allowed, or the popcorn will
explode.
 You may use only the materials provided.
 The popcorn must be transferred with in 20
minutes or there will be a disaster.
During this workshop you will be investigating
Cyberlearning and will learn that it has an emphasis on
Project and Problem Based Learning. However, in order to
modify or expand upon your knowledge and customize your
individual and school needs, it is beneficial to and have an
understanding of PBL and delivery methods. Unfortunately,
John and Gina attended a meeting last night and did not get a
chance to finish the Introduction to PBL presentation to
present to you today.
So... you guessed it, using the combined knowledge of this
group, coordinate your understanding of PBL and present to
John and Gina
You have 30 minutes to coordinate and present
your understanding of PBL. You may use any
available resources. You can divide up the work
any way you want.
1. What is Project Based Learning? Or Project Oriented Learning
(POL)
2. What is Problem Based Learning?
3. What are the differences and Similarities Between Them?
4. Why do PBL?
5. What are the Obstacles for integrating PBL?
6. What are the Differences between PBL and Traditional Instruction?
7. What are roles for Teachers and Students when doing PBL?
8. How is PBL Assessed?
9. What does the research say about PBL?
10. What are the Benefits of PBL?
PROBLEM AND PROJECT BASED
LEARNING PBL
STUDENTS DESERVE IT
THE WORLD DEMANDS IT
PBL FRAMEWORK
PROJECT or SCENARIO
Content
Pedagogy
RESOURCES & CONSTRAINTS
Assessment
WHAT
DOES THE RESEARCH SAY
PBL
STUDENTS?
ABOUT
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
IN REGARDS TO
Increased attendance
Growth and self-reliance
Improved attitude toward learning (Thomas,
2000)
Academic gains equal to or better than other
models (Boaler, Education Week 2004)
Opportunities to develop complex skills (SRI,
2000)
Access to a broader range of learning
opportunities
Engages culturally diverse language (Railsback,
2002)
WHAT
PBL?
DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT
The study by Jo Boaler, at Stanford University,
found that students at a project-based school
did better than those at the more traditional
school both on math problems requiring
analytical or conceptual thought and on those
considered rote, that is, those requiring
memory of a rule or formula.
Three times as many students at the projectbased school received the top grade
achievable on the national examination in
math.
Sit and Get
PBL
Active
Learning
Bloom's Taxonomy
New Version
Old Version
Creatively Speaking, Part Two:
Sir Ken Robinson on the Power of the Imaginative Mind
Project Based Learning?
Is a teaching and learning model that
focuses on the central concepts and
principles of a discipline, involves students
in problem solving and other meaningful
tasks, allows students to work
autonomously and in groups to construct
their own learning, culminates in realistic,
student generated products.
Buck Institute for Education
Problem-Based Learning
Defined
Finkle and Torp (1995) state that "problembased learning is a curriculum
development and instructional
system/process that simultaneously
develops both problem solving strategies
and disciplinary knowledge bases and skills
by placing students in the active role of
problem solvers confronted with an illstructured problem that mirrors realworld problems"
Constructivism
Learning as an active process in which
learners construct new ideas or
concepts based upon their current or
past knowledge. Students continually
build upon what they have already
learned.
PRODUCT
OR
PROCESS?
Ms, McIntyre introduced a “project” to her
students. She plopped a packet of papers on each
student’s desk and explained that each student
would create a poster about water-borne
bacterium and how it can be harmful to humans.
The packet included
assignment sheets with due dates and grading
policy, a guide for designing the poster, and a list
of websites and books to use.
PBL is not…
Giving students a project, that is hands-on, with
step by step instructions, designed and guided
by the teacher that results in a student
produced product. This process is missing
student voice and choice, and may not be
authentic or relevant
PBL and 21st Century Skills
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Creativity and Innovation
• Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership
• Cross-Cultural Understanding and Interpersonal
Communication
• Communication and Media Fluency
21st Century Themes
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic,
Business, and
Entrepreneurial
Literacy
Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
• Accountability, Productivity, and Ethics
http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/final.htm
PBL VS. PBL
Project Based Learning
- Project Based Learning is an instructional
strategy in which students work in cooperative
learning groups to create a product,
presentation, or performance.
-Project Based Learning typically engages
students with a question . That question is
then used to create a final product that
somehow answers the question.
- Focuses more on the final product, than
the process of creating it.
Similarities
Problem Based Learning
- Both deal with a
motivating prompt, -Problem Based Learning is an instructional
a question or strategy in which students work in cooperative
problem, that has learning groups to investigate and resolve a
to be addressed
problem.
by creating a
solution or
product.
- Problem Based Learning problems are typically
based on real-world issues or situations. Students
- Each is a valid are able to apply prior knowledge and experiences to
the problem at hand.
instructional
strategy that
promotes active - Focuses more on the process of problem
learning and
solving, rather than the outcome.
engages students.
PBL RESOURCES
HTTP://PBL4TEACHERS.WIKISPACES.COM/
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/
www.bie.org
Students engage in real world issues where students
define and solve problems that are meaningful to them.
PBL usually begins with a Scenario
They begin to Brainstorm and ask
questions
Examples of Scenarios
http://pbl4teachers.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+PBL+Designs
WHY DO PBL?
The National Problem:
As a result of a relative decline in
student achievement … and interest
of students to pursue Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
(STEM)-related careers …
the United States IS AT RISK.
WHY DO PBL?
•
•
In the US only 15% of the undergraduates
receive their degrees in natural sciences or
engineering.
Past 3 years alone, China & India have doubled
production of 3- and 4-year degrees in
engineering, computers science and IT, while
the US production of engineers is stagnant and
CS and IT have doubled.
WHY DO PBL?
•
•
In 2003, US 15 years olds ranked 24th out of 40
countries that participated in an exam that
assessed students abilities to apply
mathematical concepts to real world problems
56% of engineering PhDs in the US are awarded
to foreign-born students.
WHY DO PBL?
•
•
Although US fourth graders score well against
international competition, they fall near the
bottom or dead last by 12th grade in
Mathematics and Science, respectively.
In 2004 chemical companies closed 70 facilities
in the United States and have tagged 40 more
for shutdown. Of 120 new chemical plants
around the world 1 will be in the United States.
50 will be in China.
OBSTACLES DESCRIBED
•
•
•
•
•
BY
TEACHERS
It takes a lot of preparation time
We don't have the resources
We lack administrative support and support
from other teachers
You often feel uneasy because you're not
knowledgeable about the content
The open-ended, no right or wrong answer
aspect of project work can be threatening
OBSTACLES DESCRIBED
•
•
•
BY
TEACHERS
Administrators can fault you for not covering the
curriculum
There are risks associated with giving up teacher control
Students may not participate and are not always selfmotivated
OBSTACLES DESCRIBED
•
•
BY
TEACHERS
students may have difficulty with higher order
thinking or open-ended problems
There is a risk that students might not learn much,
or receive much of value from Problem Based
Learning unless designed right
BENEFITS DESCRIBED
•
•
•
•
BY
STUDENTS
We got to choose what to work on.
We learned that we can make a difference
There was a clear goal that was a challenge to
work on
There was an audience for the product and we
knew we had to meet the deadline and present
it to the audience.
BENEFITS DESCRIBED
•
•
•
BY
STUDENTS
We weren't afraid to try things we didn't know
because the teacher said we would have the
opportunity to reevaluate and try again.
Everyone felt needed and had a part. Nobody
got left out
We didn't need to use our texts, and we were
actively doing things and learning something.
BENEFITS DESCRIBED
BY
STUDENTS
We were using skills we knew we
would need in our jobs, like using time
wisely, exercising responsibility, and
not letting the group down.
 We learned that when the real world is
the source of evaluation, you had
better have your act together.
 Yes, enjoyed it, felt like I had more
responsibility.

BENEFITS DESCRIBED
•
•
BY
STUDENTS
I liked it, got a lot of ideas out, but did need
some guidance some times.
Like the idea of going off on our own to
research everything possible instead of being
limited by teacher specification.
BENEFITS DESCRIBED
•
•
•
BY
STUDENTS
Communicating with outside sources, and
making contacts for information.
How to communicate and work with the
corporate world, make contacts. How to write,
how to work with other people in groups
How to be a leader.
Educational Features
Traditional Instruction
Emphasizes
Content Coverage
Focus of Curriculum
Knowledge of Facts
Project and Problem
Based Learning
Emphasizes
Depth of Understanding
Comprehension of
Learning “building-blocks Concepts and Principles
skills in isolation
Development of complex
problem-solving
Educational Features
Scope and Sequence
Traditional Instruction
Emphasizes
Project and Problem Based
Learning Emphasizes
Follows fixed curriculum
Follows student interest
Proceeds unit by unit
Large units composed of
complex problems or realworld issues
Broad, interdisciplinary
focus
Resource provider and
participant in learning
activities
Narrow, discipline-based
focus
Teacher Role
Lecturer and director of
instruction
Expert
Advisor
Educational Features
Teacher Role
Traditional Instruction
Emphasizes
Project and Problem
Based Learning
Emphasizes
Lecturer and director of
instruction
Resource provider and
participant in learning
activities
Expert
Focus of assessment
Products
Advisor
Process and products
Test scores
Tangible accomplishments
Comparison with others
Criterion performance and
gains over time
Reproduction of
information
Demonstration of
understanding
Educational Features
Materials of instruction
Traditional Instruction
Emphasizes
Project and Problem Based
Learning Emphasizes
Texts, lectures and
presentations
Direct or original sources:
printed materials,
interviews, documents and
other sources
Teacher-developed
exercises sheets and
activities
Use of Technology
Ancillary, peripheral
Data and materials
developed by students
Central, integral
Administered by teachers
Directed by students
Useful for enhancing
teacher’ presentation
Useful for enhancing
student presentation or
amplifying student
capabilities
WHAT EVERY GOOD PROJECT NEEDS
1. The Need to know, engaging students by:
Entry event or activity
– Video
– Scenario
– Establishing Relevance
–
Why do I need to know this?
Educational Leadership Sept 2010
WHAT EVERY GOOD PROJECT NEEDS
2. Essential Questions. (A project without
questions is like an essay without a thesis)
3. Inquiry and Innovative ways to find answers to
their questions (solutions and products)
4. Student Voice and Choice (Establishing
Ownership)
5. 21st Century Skills (Collaboration,
communication, etc)
6. Feedback and Revision (student Evaluation)
7. Presentation of their Product (teacher
evaluation)
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
PBL SHOULD

NOT BE DONE IN ISOLATION
Establish a PLC for PBL to address gaps in
academics, collaborate and solve school-wide
issues related to teaching and learning.
RESOURCES




PBL for Teachers
http://pbl4teachers.wikispaces.com/
Seymour Papert: Project-Based Learning. Inside a state
juvenile correctional facility
http://www.edutopia.org/seymour-papert-project-basedlearning
Project Based Learning from Educational Leadership
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb
08/vol65/num05/Project-Based_Learning.aspx
Global Perspectives - http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo
RESOURCES












Exploring the Environment
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/
Project InSTEP Teacher Instructional Designs
http://instep.cet.edu/instrucdes.html
PBL Essentials
http://www.pbli.org/pbl/generic_pbl.htm
PBL in Math
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/pbl/sd96/knowns.html
PBL Clearinghouse
http://www.udel.edu/pbl/problems/
Project and Problem Based Learning
http://www.uoregon.edu/~moursund/Math/pbl.htm
Project Based Learning site for
students to practice skills
http://www.studygs.net/pbl.htm
BACKGROUND
 The
radical and transformative technological
revolution has resulted in fundamentally new
ways of science and engineering practice
 Sustaining this revolution across all areas of
science, engineering, and education requires a
diverse workforce that is capable of designing
and deploying cyber-based systems, tools and
services.
PROJECT GOALS
 Infuse
cyberinfrastructure (CI) learning
experiences into the pre-engineering/technologybased classrooms to promote metacognition for
science and engineering design
 Engage students in CI-enabled science and
engineering discovery through building a future
sustainable city


Themes --- City Infastructure
Scenes --- Engineers solving real-life problems
WORKSHOP GOALS
 Provide
the professional development for teachers
on CI-enabled PBL
 Train teachers with instructional designs that
Mirror the game themes of the project and
fundamental engineering principals
 Is an integral part of the classroom instruction
instead of as an add-on.
 Build a CELEF community with available university
and partner resources
 Wiki collaboration in Fall 2012
 Participation in our project advisory board

OVERVIEW OF CI-ENABLE GAMES
approach
City Infrastructures
 A series of virtual reality
games in a given context
 Each game has a focus
on a particular
fundamental science and
engineering concepts
 All games can be used as
as lab activities at all levels of the Project-Lead-theWay curriculum and eventually proceed to a complex
open-ended capstone project at the senior level
Digital
Electronics
Power Ville
ThermoPower
Civil Engineering
and Architecture
Principles of
Engineering
Engineering Design and
Development (Capstone)
PLTW Curriculum
BioEnergy
Course
alignment
Stability
Course
alignment
Waste
Course
alignment
Course
alignment
Traffic Light
Energy
Course
alignment
Transportation
Biotechnical
Engineering
Course Alignment
 Integrated
Sustain City
SKILL SETS AND TOOLS
 Metacognitive
Interventions
 Road Map --- study guides
 What I Know-What I Want to Know-What I have
Solved (KWS)--- student log to keep reflection of
students own learning
 Think-Aloud-Share-Solve ---- Online Chatting and
Peer Assisted Learning
SKILL SETS AND TOOLS
 Metacognitive
Interventions (cont.)
 What I Know-What I Want to Know-What I have
Solved (KWS)--- student log to keep reflection of
students own learning
 Think-Aloud-Share-Solve
---- Online Chatting and
Peer Assisted Learning
SKILL SETS AND TOOLS
 CI-
Tools
 Simulation
 Modeling
 Collaboration
 Virtual Analysis
 Virtual Design
 Learning in any place at
any time
---- Introduction to Engineering Course
Concepts and Skills
 Energy Types – renewable and non-renewable
 Energy Production Procedures
 Environmental Impacts of Different Energy Sources
 Coal
 Solar
 Wind
 Nuclear
 Optimization
---- choose the best energy source for the city with
given budget and demand
Mystery of Traffic Light
--- Digital Electronics Course
Concepts and Skills


Different Logic Gates
Sequential Circuit Design Procedure
Bridge to the Future
--- Civil Engineering and Architecture Course
Inputs
 Number of Cars
 Can be between 0 to 10
 Number of Trucks
 Can be between 0 to 10
 Length of the bridge
 Can be between 25 to 150 feet
 Width of the bridge
 Can be between 23 to 100 feet
Output
 Live load, Dead load and Total load
 Bending moment at the center and ends
 Depth of the bridge
 Area of the bridge
 Sheer force
 Deflection
 Number of steels required
Usage
 The user enters the sustain city and then come to the
bridge design
 Then the user inputs the values for bridge design
 The values mentioned in the output are calculated
and the animation based on those values are shown
ThermoPower
--- Principal of Engineering Course
CONCEPTS AND SKILLS



Thermal Process Analysis of Heat Transfer in Energy
Production
Laws of Thermodynamics
Programming
BioEnergy
---- Biotechnical Engineering Course
CONCEPTS AND SKILLS



Biochemical Conversion Process
Efficiency and Emission Analysis
Environmental Impacts of Adopting Biofuel for Energy
Production
Rising Above the Gathering Storm
Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic
Future
Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century: An
Agenda for American Science and Technology, National Academy of
Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine
FINDINGS
Having reviewed trends in the United States and
abroad, the committee is deeply concerned that the
scientific and technological building blocks critical
to our economic leadership are eroding at a time
when many other
nations are gathering strength.
Rising Above the Gathering Storm
Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic
Future
Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century: An
Agenda for American Science and Technology, National Academy of
Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine
FINDINGS
Having reviewed trends in the United States and
abroad, the committee is deeply concerned that the
scientific and technological building blocks critical
to our economic leadership are eroding at a time
when many other
nations are gathering strength.
FRAMEWORK
LEARNING
FOR
21ST CENTURY
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/
WHY 21ST CENTURY SKILLS?
 In
the US only 15% of the undergraduates receive
their degrees in natural sciences or engineering.
 Past
3 years alone, China & India have doubled
production of 3- and 4-year degrees in engineering,
computers science and IT, while the US production
of engineers is stagnant and CS and IT have
doubled.
WHY 21ST CENTURY SKILLS?
 In
2003, US 15 years olds ranked 24th out of 40
countries that participated in an exam that
assessed students abilities to apply mathematical
concepts to real world problems
 56%
of engineering PhDs in the US are awarded to
foreign-born students.
WHY 21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND?

Although US fourth graders score well against
international competition, they fall near the bottom or
dead last by 12th grade in Mathematics and Science,
respectively.

In 2004 chemical companies closed 70 facilities in
the United States and have tagged 40 more for
shutdown. Of 120 new chemical plants around the
world 1 will be in the United States. 50 will be in China.
21st Century Skills
The Role of the
Government in
Advancing the Green
Economy
Clean Energy
Sales
Planting green jobs
Solar Jobs
Businesses, ventures and proposals that could help satisfy
new renewable energy requirements
Green Jobs Defined
Green jobs involve environmentally friendly
products and services or businesses and
organizations that concern themselves with
improving the environment.
Review Lesson Plan Template
on Wiki
John Henry
henryjohn37@gmail.com
609-330-9218