Spring 1997
Vol 5 Issue 2
IN THIS ISSUE...
Learning . . . Something to Talk About
The Role/Relationship of Faculty Development in Learning
The Faculty Evaluation Plan = Lifelong Learning
A Garden: A Metaphor for Learning
Assessment and Evaluation: In Search of a Common Terminology
PBL in Mathematics . . . What a Concept!
Maricopa Learning Project: What's It All About?
What I Learned About Learning as a Learner
Did you know . . .
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Problem-Based Learning in Mathematics...What a Concept!
Donna Tannehill, Rio Salado College
Yvonne Zeka, GateWay Community College
If we assume that we can't predict the future, that there will always be problems to solve, then how do we ensure that our students have the necessary skills to solve these problems? Or . . . let's put it another way. How do we instill the process of problem-solving in our students to such an extent that when confronted with a problem, even outside of a mathematics course, they will know where to begin and how to proceed? A possible solution to this problem is Problem-Based Learning (PBL). As defined by Dr. Howard Barrows and Ann Kelson from Southern Illinois University Medical School, "Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is the learning which results from the process of working toward the understanding and resolution of a (complex) problem."
A total of 40 students experienced PBL in our Arithmetic Review courses during the fall of 1996. Eighteen students were enrolled in the day class and twenty-two in the night class. These students solved the following problem:
What should your annual salary be
to afford the car you want?
This problem required students to not only use the problem-solving process, but also to apply the pre-algebra skills learned during the semester. Students were given two weeks to solve the problem and turn in their results. Not an easy task!
Learning occurred for everyone involved!
Students learned . . .
- chaos -- what appears to be simple is complex, and what is complex can become simple
At first, students had difficulty determining what information was needed to compute their annual salary. However, they soon discovered (with help from us) that by using the simple problem-solving process they could identify and organize data into a usable form. - problem-solving -- the process and why they should use it
(see chaos) - ratios -- when and why they are used
"What is the debt-to-income ratio thing anyway?" - nonlinearity -- the problem solving process is not linear
Students commented that they cycled through different parts of the problem-solving process many times as new information presented itself.
- this was a problem that students could really "get their hands on"
The students became immediately engaged in the problem. We never had to ask them to stay on task, and attendance improved.
- our assumptions concerning technology access and familiarity needed to be analyzed
We assumed that all of our students knew how to navigate the World Wide Web. - this method requires facilitation and not instruction
Students need the freedom to pursue their own solution paths. - our students' thought processes
With the aid of video and through the use of effective questioning, we were able to observe students' metacognition. - there is always more to learn
The "new and improved" version of our problem and project is being implemented in another class this semester. We have plans to integrate PBL into other mathematics courses.
As the SCANS and Wingspread reports indicate, problem-solving is a necessary skill for workers and citizens. We feel that through the use of PBL, our students are becoming problem-solvers.
