Problem Based Learning
DkIT First Year Comparison
PBL to Traditional Teaching
Method
Our Customers – Survey of DkIT
Graduate Employers.
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What our customers want from us?
Who are our customers.
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The employers
What our customers want – DkIT survey(2003)
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Team work
Problem solving skills
Quality systems
Technical Skills
The Problem
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Our students were having great problems
with Physics.
Our overall retention was not good.
We were not delivering students with the
correct skill set to the employers.
An Answer
PBL
Standard of Student
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All qualified applicants (AQA) on Certificate
courses
Standard of student intake much higher in the
past, however introduction of new degree
courses has increased standard.
Two choices in order to maintain\improve
retention rate:
1. Dumbing down.
2. Student centred learning (PBL)
The Implementation
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Staff training in PBL techniques
All physics teaching on Science courses
changed to PBL beginning Sept 2003
Student numbers:
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03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
=
=
=
=
48
52
54
64
07/08 = 67
08/09 = 68
Problem Duration
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Each session ideally lasts 2 hours.
Problems last 2, 4, or 6 hours.
Students take other subjects – NON PBL,
but forms of student centered learning
now used in some subjects.
Fully integrated tutorial and Lab
sessions.
20 problems cover total syllabus.
Physical Conditions
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Only one dedicated Physics PBL laboratory
4 workbenches ( 6 students max per bench)
5/6 students per PBL group. (Ideal)
5 networked computers installed, plus printer,
in lab.
Extensive library of Physics books in the lab.
Whiteboard, E-Beam system, and networked
computer, for each PBL workbench.
P.B.L The Process
Summarised!
Setting the Climate:
1
Assign roles for the problem.
2
Make or review the team ground rules.
3
Members contribute constructively
towards resolving the problem and
maintaining an effective working
team using the PBL process.
Encountering a New
Problem:
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1
Consider the problem as presented.
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2
Rewrite the problem as you
understand it.
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3
Clarify:
>
The kernel of the problem.
>
What you are expected to produce.
Using the Four Columns:
Ideas/
Facts / - Learning
Hypotheses Information Issues
Action
Plan
Brainstorm
about ideas
to resolve
problem
Plan who
needs to do
what by
when in
order to
resolve the
problem
Clarify the
facts given in
the problem.
Collate
information
obtained
through idea
generation
List what needs
to be learned in
order to
resolve the
problem.
Identify key
learning issues.
Self Directed Learning:
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1
Everyone follows up on the key
learning issues.
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2
Other learning issues are followed up
by individuals as assigned in the action
plan.
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3
Library, computer searches, resource
people, other resources.
Assessment Strategy
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3 Phases:
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Phase 1:
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Tutor assess process.
Tutor assess product. Marks Pro-rated on attendance.
Phase 2:
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Attendance mandatory.
Self Assessment of process, Tutor assess process and product,
Pro-rated.
Phase 3:
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Peer Assessment.
Analysis of Physics results
( including Autumn repeats)
Number
Registered
2002/03
2003/04
Traditional
PBL begins
59
48
2004/05
52
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
54
64
67
68
Sat Sem 1
Exam
52
60
58
60
Pass Sem 1
Exam
47
52
47
57
54.8
51.6
48.0
62.7
90
87
81
95
Average
Mark %
Pass Rate
%
Sat Sem 2
Exam
43
37
41
41
55
49
Pass Sem 2
Exam
29
34
40
37
48
41
40.0
51.6
57.9
57.3
53.3
52.5
Pass Rate
%
67
92
98
90
87
84
Retention rate
% (Physics only)
49
71
77
69
75
61
Average
Mark %
02/03 Physics Exam Results –
Christmas, Easter, & Summer
50.0
40.0
Christmas
30.0
20.0
Easter Test
Summer
Examination Score
<9
0
<1
00
<8
0
<7
0
<6
0
<5
0
<4
0
<3
0
<2
0
10.0
0.0
<1
0
% of Students
Test Results - Traditional 2002 - 2003
03/04 Physics Exam Results Christmas, Easter, & Summer
Key Points
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Christmas, Easter and Final exam marks showed a
significant improvement
Summer pass rate (including Continuous Assessment)
increased from 67% to 91 % (average) using PBL
Retention Rate ( as applied to Physics) increased from
49% to 72 % (average) using PBL
Student Comments
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A survey of the students was conducted. Some
of their comments:
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“As I am repeating the subject this year I can
honestly say this method is by far a better way of
teaching than lecture based learning.”
“For a person who has never done physics before I
find it very interesting and it’s a change from long
classes.”
“It stays in your head because you have to find the
information yourself.”
“PBL should be carried out in every subject.”
Disadvantages of PBL
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Very resource intensive
Room must be suitable for group work
Initial equipment costs can be high
Staff – student ratio must be low
Producing good problems is very time
consuming
Advantages of PBL for
students
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Deeper understanding of subject
Problem solving skills
Team working skills
Increase of self esteem
Increase of self confidence
Leadership skills
Research skills
Advantages of PBL for staff
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Facilitator role
Increased interaction with students
Increased motivation due to student
interest
Team teaching skills
More relaxed environment
It`s fun
Oh Rats !
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You are at the wheel of your brand new Ford Mondeo, with your
engine idling, waiting for your friend to come out of the shop.
Suddenly, 40 metres ahead of you, a rat starts crossing the
road. All else is forgotten, except that you want to kill that rat.
(You absolutely hate rats).
The road is 10 metres wide. Can you hit the rat before it
finishes crossing the road ?
Accept it as a curious fact that this particular rat is blind and
deaf, and moves at a steady speed of 2 m / s.
Bet you can`t weigh an atom !
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Last night you were bragging to your friend about this
wonderful new PBL physics course and that you feel that you
could tackle any problem.
Your friend says to you that on the farm they use “ Bluestone”
which she thinks contains a metal of some sort.
“So what” you said
“I bet you can`t weigh the metal atom in it” she said with a
twinkle in her eye.
You just can`t resist a challenge.
The electric charge on an electron = 1.60 x 10-19 C
THE MAGICIAN
The year is 1255, and you are an apprentice alchemist in the Transylvanian
School of Magic. The grand wizard John the Just, and his two warlocks ,Tony
the Great and Henry the Wise, have provided you with a magic spell to remove
any accumulated metal from an electrode used in the secret art of electrolysis.
In the ongoing task of trying to turn ordinary metals into gold, the archmage
Ted the White has run out of iron metal.
You have been ordered by the grand wizard to produce 5g of iron metal for
use by Ted the White, but he also wants to know how long he will have to wait if
you start work immediately.
Looking around your laboratory, you find that you have all the necessary
equipment for the electrolysis process.
There is also a very large bottle of iron ( III ) sulphate, and a battery capable of
producing an electric current of 0.8 A in the electrolysis of this solution.( The
battery was a present from an alien time traveller, called Marty, on his way
back to the future)
Marty also forgot his notebook, which contains the following information :
Molar mass of iron = 55.85 g
Electric charge on an electron = 1.6 x 10-19 C
Avogadros number = 6.02 x 1023 mol-1
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QUEEN BREDAS BATH
It is the year 3042, and you have been transported from your homeland by the CAO to the
kingdom of Studentia, ruled by the overlord, Dennis the Destroyer. The overlord has sent you to
the province of Science, to be a slave to its ruler, the Barbarian Queen Breda. The only way to
earn your freedom is to carry out your duties to the complete satisfaction of the Queen.
The weather in Studentia at this time of year is dry and settled, with the temperature being about
10oC throughout the day.
Your first task is to prepare Queen Bredas ceremonial bath, which, according to tradition, must be
at body temperature.
The traditional way of preparing the bath is to carry the sacred hot and cold water in ceremonial
shells which are filled from the Volcanic spring and the Glacier spring, which are both close to the
ceremonial mound which contains the ceremonial bath. As this is your very first task, you decide
to sneak out at night to look at each spring.
At the Glacier spring, there are lots of small icebergs which have broken off from the glacier, and
are floating around in the small pool. Beside the spring are the blue shells used to carry the
sacred cold water. There are three sizes of 10 litres, 5 litres, and 1 litre.
The shells are made from a special insulating material, which ensures that the temperature of the
water in the shell remains constant.
The ceremonial mound containing the bath, is a short walk away from the Glacier spring, and it
takes you about 1 minute to get there. You decide to take a closer look, and find that the mound
appears to be made of bark chips, but they are very soft. The bath itself is round, made of metal,
and has a brown colour with streaks of green. You estimate the dimensions of the bath to be :
Diameter = 1.5 m
Depth = 0.6 m
Thickness of the bath material = 5 mm
As you leave the ceremonial mound, you take a 30 second walk to the Volcanic spring, where
there are lots of hot rocks falling into the lake, and the water is constantly on the boil. The red
shells used to carry the sacred hot water are beside the lake. These shells are made of the same
special insulating material, and there are the same three sizes as the blue shells.
On the way back to your sleeping quarters, you realise that a plan is needed in order to make
sure that Queen Breda is satisfied with her bath in the morning, which is scheduled to take place
at 11.00 am