Guide to integrating problem-based learning programs in higher education - book overview

 This book, Guide to integrating problem-based learning programs in higher education: Design, implementation, and evaluation, is written by Pam Epler and Jodee Jacobs, both from Youngstown State University, USA. 

There are 12 chapters and each is summarised in the detailed table of contents. 

The first chapter introduces and reviews the history, and advantages/disadvantages of problem-based learning (PBL) and provides examples of the integration of PBL into HE.

The follow chapters on the use of technology with PBL, how to evaluate PBL in HE, and student perspectives about PBL.

Chapter five discusses the challenges inherent in designing, implementing and teaching PBL in HE.

Chapter 6 moves into the role of technology with project-based learning. Then Chapter 7 provides examples of PBL classroom models in HE.

Chapter 8 summarise emerging research on project-based learning. Then Chapter 9 discusses the use of groups and peer tutors in PBL classrooms. Chapter 10 traces the integration and support of PBL in synchronous and asynchronous online classrooms. Chapter 11 provides a project-based learning service delivery model case study and the last chapter discusses future trends for PBL in HE.

Overall, a useful guide to PBL, with the inclusion of project-based learning and technology-enhanced / digitally supported learning. The context is HE and American which privileges on-campus learning /instructional design. However, the principles provided throughout the book are applicable (with care and scholarship) into vocational education. The introduction, judicious and structured use of technology to support contemporary PBL and project-based learning is useful. 

Assessing Learning conference - Dunedin - DAY 1

Move across from the University of Otago to Otago Polytechnic at lunch time to begin participating in the Assessing Learning Conference. Had to miss first keynote with David Boud.

First up, a workshop with Peter Mellow on effective assessments titled: EdTech in assessment: sinner or saviour? https://tinyurl.com/yasdsxvp for slides

Presented HoTEL as a grounding framework to inform on pedagogy. However HoTEL does not indigenous knowledge, which has to be woven into the Westernised frameworks. Added the Australian dimension with examples of how indigenous peopled learnt. Also Curtin University e-resource on elearning for processes and approaches. Assessment in the 21^st century pedagogy as being the provision of timely and meaningful feedback, relevant tasks, self and peer assessments and clear, transparent goals and objectives. “Good assessment should be a learning experiences”.

Look up sinister 16 – Potter & Kustra (2012) course design for constructive alignment – A primer on learning outcomes.

Reminder on listening to students to find out what assessment strategies do students prefer? Lowest – quizzes, written papers, group projects, middle – audio recordings, open discussion, paired discussion and highest – response to video, twitter summaries, screen casts, field experiences, interviews, work samples.

Need to ensure students KNOW why they are being assessed. Promotes formative assessments as it provides feedback, have opportunities to fail and can be fun (or be a game). Learners need to know whay they are being assessed, how, what rules and the value.

Tools for assessments – organising assessments, grade centres, deployment of assessment (e.g. peer matching, multiple choice quizzes, automate feedback. New technologies not quite there but include grade/analyse/QA/authenticate assessments, automated essay scoring, block chain – authentication, badging / certification, AI, badges / gamification, Learning analytics / assessment analytics, haptics (force feedback).

Solutions to ‘cheating’ include having students pledge not to cheat, sign honour codes etc. Evidence from multimedia evidence has metadata that can be tapped to establish authenticity of data. Use learning analytics to tighten quizzes etc. on LMS – randomise, auto feedback. Revision Assistant can be used by students to obtain formative feedback on essays. Online proctoring is possible, using keyboard recognition, web camera observations and identification of students. So why not make classroom about learning and not testing?? Promoted efficacy of MOOCs – using University of Melbourne examples. Students found in video quizzes (usually questions between slides) useful.

Reommended peerwise as a tool to create a collaborative learning environment. Peermark can be an alternative to turnitin. Perusall – every student prepared for every class – allows students to annotate readings and share with others in the class.

Then support two of eassessment sub-project researchers with their presentations.

First up, Cheryl Stokes from Ara Institute of Canterbury, with ‘developing reflective practice of level 4 cookery students through sensory analysis of food.  Provided overview of her teaching context and background of the project. Especially the shift from unit standards to graduate outcomes and the shift in assessment approach to portfolio instead of exams. Rationalised the research question  - to improve student reflective learning and ability with associated vocabulary to describe the taste, texture of food. Described reflections on who teaching, process and tasting reflective skills could be improved. Discussed challenges – especially how students could improve their mobile learning practices – back up their data on the cloud to access on multiple devices or secure storage in case they lost their device. Showed how research question evolved as project progressed to meet student learning needs. Focused project on improving tasting vocabulary, find appropriate cloud based app to record photos, improve reflective writing. Introduced Mindly as a app to build mindmaps of tasting vocabulary. Allows photos to be linked to text mindmap nodes. But tutors need to refer to the app and how it can be used for students to be engaged. Used google keep to archive notes, add photos, links etc. as a collection tool for their portfolio. Works with various languages, not only in English. Able to be used in tandem with google docs and extension is available on Facebook if Chrome browser is used. Increased integration of the various bits of evidence so collection of evidence can be easier to collate portfolio. Reflected on experience as a researcher working with students in a workroom. Detailed some recommendations – especially support for tutor and timing for introduction of the tools and concepts of reflective learning.

Then James Gropp and Stuart Campbell from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology on ‘using reflective practice in a technical problem based learning environment’. Introduced research question and aircraft engineering background and student cohort – note more than ½ of cohort were international students from a Pacific Island airforce. Shifted from didactic pedgagogy to problem based learning approach. Most important to focus on the learning and make this visible. Set the task to repair an small airplane as the ‘problem’ to be completed. Used aircraft servicing task cards as the basis of the eportfolio. To begin, reflection was poor. 1^st cycle did not produce results as students were not taught how to reflect or think through on what they were learning. Therefore, students were task and not learning focused!! Changed questions to include ‘learning’, provided exemplars, tutors changed from engineers to teachers, honouring the learning from errors. Tutor capability developed with daily reflective sessions. 2^nd cycle revealed improvement across the board. 3^rd cycle ran without changes and evidence of students’ adoption of reflective learning and problem solving.

Next, Dr. Megan Anakin from University of Otago with  ‘constructing a developmental framework to assess reasoning skills’. Detailed background and need for 21^st healthcare practice and the challenges of teaching reasoning skills to doctors. Shared progressions used in NZ curriculum / learning maths concepts as examples of frameworks. Defined clinical reasoning, theoretical underpinnings, expert skills, involving students in teaching and how students learning it. Introduced the cognitive models – dual process – fast and slow and script theory. Senior clinicians tended to have CR as tacit and learnt through apprenticeship as modelled to them by their mentors. Developed a framework for students to unravel how the traditional framework is mapped to the real world. Provided medical students with characteristics and outlines to help them practice and select appropriate strategies. Year 2 students still had to depend on ‘scripts’, year 3 starting to realise the complexity and need to adjust their questioning. By Year 6, students able to hone in more quickly and probe deeper to try to diagnose effectively. Need to follow up on this project as there is much of relevance.

GPS Doodling - uses in Vocational Education

This article came up on the Stuff website tweaked my techy muse. The cyclist, Stephen Lund, has been using his bike rides and his GPS to create GPS doodles. Stephen presented at Tedx and archives his doodles on strava. In the course of a year (20150, he has accomplished 70 doodles!! All completed through cycling around his home city of Vancouver.

There is a creative aspect to GPS doodling, but also a great deal of planning to plot the route before executing the ride. The uses of similar technology in education are numerous. Students, on field trips' could undertake similar trips, either as plotted on the GPS by their tutor, or to create their own 'piece of art'. Learning outcomes include important practicing of spacial skills and learning is made all the more powerful when authentic examples are availed through GPS guided field trips.

Will now have a chat with tutors who may find the idea useful :)

NTLT conference - day 2

Day two dawns much cooler than yesterday, with light rain. A breakfast meeting with other staff development teams begins a busy day.

The MC today is Mike Grumball, head of trades at SIT. First keynote of the day is with Dr. Ganesh Nana, chief economist at the business and economic reseach ltd. (BERL). Ganesh presents on the topic 'tertiary education, value and the 21st century economy'. Provided an overview of where the present world economies are -using examples from rising values in stock markets around the world but unemployment high in many countries (esp. in Europe) and disparities between the well off and the less so (i.e. inequality increasing). Challenges in the new world include climate change, access to energy / raw materials, water, food and skilled labour. Reviewed economics with respect to how 'value' may be defined. Economics is wide ranging including social / political sphere. Economics is about how we choose to use resources (wealth) to generate more valus - produce/deliver things we want, need desire, look after, maintain, or replenish resources and improve and or expand resources (i.e. a sustainable view). Value is difficult to define in dollars and cents but policy advisers require a measurement of value. Measures beyond GDP include UN human development (old) and OECD better life initiative and OECD well-being framework. In NZ, Treasury has recently developed the treasury living standards framework which includes - economic growth, sustainability for the future, increasing equity, social infrastructure and reducing risks (to generate through increases in financial/physical, natural, social and human capital). Education contribute to all aspects of the treasury living standards framework. NZ spending on education (also tertiary) slightly below OECD average. At present, inputs (maximum no. of students) and outputs (maximise no. of graduates) measured and now working on 'outcomes' - still difficult to measure and skewered to economic outcomes (employment, higher income, better access to skilled employees). Current funding incentives are on course completion, qualification completion, student retention and student progression (still outputs). However Tertiary strategies include delivering skills for industry, getting at risk young people into career, boost maori / pacifica completions etc. moving towards 'outcomes' but difficult to measure. Recommends gather data on post-graduate outcomes (beyond just the economic) and explore indicators of broader outcomes.

After morning tea, I attend session with Christine Dunn on 'embracing technologies to enhance nursing engagement and learning in summative assessment'. Christine had trialled ipads with communications courses as per CPIT use of video to support learning of therapeutic communications. Assessment of application of effective communication to therapeutic relationships. Students are provided with a scenario, sign into a youtube account, then participate in a 5-6 minute simulated interview with a'client'. Interview is videotaped and uploaded to youtube. Leaners review their interview, reflected on their performance and develop an improvement plan. Learning from project used to improve next iteration.

Next presentation is with Ruby Day from Wintec on 'pursuing authenticity in designing learning spaces to engage foundation students. Went through the principles underpinning re-design to make the learning more student centred, build life long learning skills and create a positive class culture. Provided background on course / student profiles etc. Applied project based learning with process of developing principles, change management focus, selection of modules to integrate, work with teaching team. Goal was to establish motivation and retain engagement. Projects included setting up students' personal profile, personal learning plan and a community (group) and an individual vocationally focused project. Projects were diverse with regards to topics, focusses and levels.

Then, I facilitate workshop on 'implementing active learning with tablets' as a follow up to yesterday's keynote. Mainly to establish if participant's projects were learner-focused and to work on how implementation may progress. The need to plan the course / programme with objectives, learning activities, opportunity to receive feedback / reflect and work on next learning objective.

After lunch, there is keynote with Professor Angus McFarlane from University of Canterbury on 'Mai I te ao tawhito ki te ao hou: cultural touchstones for higher education in today's world'. Presentation centred around the importance of touchstones with regards to democracy and diveity with the tertiary education. Consider continuums of 'cultural consciousness', the main dangers of 'Eurocentric hegemony' and present an argument to favour culturally connected discourses in research and teaching. Presented a set of 5 influences for culturally inclusive pedagogy and propose a process that has potential to build on existing scientific and cultural imperatives for a place in the new world. Challenged us to think about how we are being culturally competent. To prepare students to become culturally conscious, with educational direction coming from the traditional Eurocentric and Te Ao Maori. Need to have equity not just equality.

Workshops in 4 streams and I attend the presentation with Stephen Atkins, Chris Fraser and Lyn Blair with 'problem based learning at Otago Polytechnic: developing a research programme'. First year Business degree students enrol in the problem-based learning programme and complete the equivalent of 8 papers. Details of the structure and philosophies of the programme presented. Then workshop to move through 4 'stations' to experience problem-based learning. Wrap up of the session closes the session. PBL programme has 5 projects - business tool kit, business practices, giving back, environmental issues and business venture plus 'gap fill' finals. 50% individual and 50% group assessment reported as individual 8 paper results. PBL students have less lecture time but more time to work on projects. Project individual and group assessments mapped to all the learning outcomes from the 8 courses.

Afternoon keynote is with Manu Fasea-Semeatu who is national facilitor for CORE education presents on 'Le lalolagi fou:E tumau le fa'avae, ae fesuia'i faiga - understanding the diverse-cities of Pasifika'. An engaging presentation to introduce the work by CORE Pacifica team to support Pacifica education, learners and Pacifica educators PD for technology enhanced learning. Objective to implement Pacifica vision - all Pacifica learners participating, engaging and achieving in education, secure their identities and cultures. Need to remember, Pacifica has multiple cultures, some commonalities but each has specific wealth of culture. Shared strategies used as a teacher to engage Pacifica learners, challenging them to  succeed, achieve excellence and become leaders. Moved into theories / hypothesis towards conception of 'diverse-city' - iversity in Pacifica peoples' belonging and involvement with their Pacifica roots. Presented CORE education themes - personalised learning, new views of equity, diversity and inclusion, using curriculum knowledge, rethink the role of learners and teachers (ako), culture of continuous learning and new kinds of partnerships and relationships. Recommended to list 5 actions to take to become Pacifica responsive, identify what you need to do the achieve the actions and set an timeline. Big CORE ideas are diversity, connectedness (check CORE connected educator month october 2014). Reach before you teach :)

Conference dinner at Cabbage Tree restaurant closes a long but interesting day.

Integrating competency standards into project work - example from engineering section CPIT

Attended a lunch time session from staff of the engineering/manufacturing section in the Trades Innovation Institute (TII) today. ATheir presentation was a subset of one presented at a the recent Adult Literacy and Numeracy Symposium 2010 held at Unitec in Auckland. John Morgan, Tony Smith, Bernie Streeter, Chris Cato, Rayn Baker and Peter Harrison presented on “Embedding Literacy, Language, & Numeracy into Project based learning” – their M-WAU project.

Basically, the delivery of the 6 months pre-trade engineering courses will be re-structured to remove the current 28 summative assessments and be replaced with completion of projects (I.E. making products).  Enbedded into the projects, will be the various performance criteria required to be completed. Numerary and literacy will also be included in situated learning activities. Assessment then involves completion of the projects which requires a complicated set of spreadsheets to track student progress and match their progress to the competency standards completed. 

Of interest is the way in which marks are allocated to projects, changing a competency based assessment into a 'norm referenced' one based on 'tolerances' achieved by students as they work through various projects.  The marks then appear on a graph which can be linked to affinities students may have to various dispositional aspects of the manufacturing trade identifies in vocational roles (toolmaker, fitter /turner, fabricator, welder etc.)

A worthwhile and well throught through project which will be interesting to follow as delivery begins next year.  As all the material related to course delivery is now available digitally, it will be a good project at some stage to see how mobile technology (ipods, ipads, phones) may be useful for students to access learning materials, revision and self track progress.

Trip to Singapore - wrap up

Back home after almost a week in Singapore. Left Singapore’s balmy 30’C plus weather to return to wintry Christchurch. Cycled in to work this frosty morning and checked the temps. at 10am to be 1’C.


Managed to do the obligatory catch up with various aunties, cozzies and my mother-in-law. Good to catch up with news in Singapore on what all the various family members are up to. The Temasek Polytechnic International Conference on Teaching & Learning went well. All the keynotes provided good presentations and workshops. There was a wide range of presentations / papers and I have been catching up with the full papers this morning. Of note are: Gary Poole’s paper to support his presentation on ‘I care & I can’; two papers with a problem based learning focus, one on student experiences by Chan Chun Ming (Temasek Polytechnic) and the other by Lisa Lim and Madeliene Lew (Republic Polytechnic) on first year students perception of one day/one problem PBL strategy; and two on feedback – one by Daphne Pan and Kiruthika Ragupathi from National University of Singapore and the other by Min Yan, David Carless, Diane Salter and Joy Lam on Feedback.

The staff at the local Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) seem to all be very young (perhaps it’s just me feeling old), enthusiastic about teaching and keen to learn. Networked with a few of the Polytechnic & ITE academic / staff development staff and they seem to all be focused on student centred forms of learning including an emphasis on problem based learning, especially at the polytechnic level.

Singapore, as usual, has changed physically since I was last there almost two years ago. New buildings including three tall buildings on the waterfront with what looks like a ship on the top of it. The MRT and most public areas were even more crowded that before. Where do all the people come from?? And how many more will be packed into a very small island? So good to come back to NZ where I did the grocery shopping at the local supermarket on Saturday afternoon. Just the usual small number of people about, enough to know that the supermarket was not closed.