Double Entry Journal #6

1. Read the Introduction. What "dominant paradigm" is showing signs of wear?

The dominant paradigm that is showing signs of wear are teachers who are refusing to step outside of the box and do other things then just text book work or through lecture. We are finally starting to see teachers, and principals are doing different forms of projects.  

2. According to the research, how does project-based learning support student learning better than traditional approaches? Describe three benefits and cite the studies

Benefit One:  In comparison to the control group, the students engaged in project-based learning demonstrated a significant increase in scores on a critical- thinking test, as well as increased confidence in their learning (Shepard, 1998).

Benefit Two: "Studies of traditional vs. project-based approaches have demonstrated several benefits from projects, such as an increase in the ability to define problems,(Gallagher, Stepien & Rosenthanl, 1992) growth in their ability to support their reasoning with clear arguments ( Stepien, Gallagher, & Workman, 1993), and enhanced ability to plan a project after working on an analogous problem-based challenge ( Moore, Sherwood, Bateman, & Goldman, 1996).

Benefit Three: Students who may struggle in traditional instructional settings have often been found to excel when they have the opportunity to work in a PBL context which better matches their learning style or preference for collaboration and activity ( see e.g.,Boaler, 1997; Meyer, Turner,& Spencer, 1997; Rosenfield & Rosenfield, 1998).

3. According to the research, how does Problem-Based Learning support student learning better than traditional approaches? Describe three benefits and cite the studies.

Benefit One: Problem-Based Learning is that it supports more flexible problem solving.  There are many possible solutions to one problem; there is no designated right answer.  Students have the chance to use their knowledge and creativity to find solutions.  (Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, and Gijbels, 2003). 

Benefit Two is that students are better able to make hypotheses and explain their reasoning for their hypotheses.  Instead of having the teacher or the textbook tell them what is happening, they have the opportunity to explore on their own and construct their own knowledge.  (Hmelo, 1998b; Schmidt et al., 1996). 

Benefit Three: is that students are better able to support their findings with well-reasoned justifications.  They are critically thinking about their problem to come up with a solution, and because it is their own reasoning, they are better able to articulate it more so than if they were just trying to repeat something they read in a book.  (Stepien et al., 1993).

4. According to the research, how does Learning by Design support student learning better than traditional approaches? Describe three benefits and cite the studies.

Benefit One to Learning by Design is that students have the chance to design artifacts that show their understanding of knowledge.  They get to use their creativity, and the teacher can see if they are grasping the concept in a real world situation.  (Fortus and colleagues, 2004). 

Benefit Two is that through Learning by Design activities, students get to become experts on the concepts that they are working on.  In order to create their artifact they must do research and collaborate with others to find information they will need.  (Hmelo, Holton, and Kolodner, 2000).

 Benefit three is that design activities help students better in understanding complex systems.  They are able to look at the problem from different perspectives, and if one solution isn’t working they can make revisions and try again.  (Perkins, 1986).

 5. What are the differences between the three approaches?

 In Project-Based Learning students will complete a series of tasks that will result in one final product or presentation.  In Problem-Based Learning students will be given a real life problem and they have to come up with a solution. There are many ways they can approach the problem, and not everyone’s solution will be the same.  In Learning by Design students create an artifact that demonstrates that they understand a concept and how to apply it.

 6. In your opinion, what is the most important benefit to learning that is common across the three types of inquiry-based learning approaches?

I think the most important benefit out of all three approaches is that in all three the students are gaining their own knowledge and they are being active in their way of learning. They aren't just sitting there listening to a lecture or doing book work. 

Source:

Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. Teaching for meaningful learning. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf