Inclusive Practices: Double Entry Journal #6

"The instructional model of the teacher and the textbook as the primary sources of knowledge" is one that has come under serious scrutiny - and for good reason. With the technological advances and the demands of today's economic climate, students need more than memorization skills - they need to have a deep understanding of concepts and feel prepared to use their knowledge to make important decisions. Students need to learn how they think, so that they can utilize their strengths to foster innovation and creativity.

Project based learning has many benefits; one of those benefits is that students are forced to apply concepts to unique real world problems. They have to transfer their knowledge into something applicable. Project based learning has been shown to increase students' confidence in their knowledge of content (Shepherd, 1998) which results from their ability to see their knowledge used as a tool to solve problems outside of a workbook. Another study (Boaler 1997, 1998) concluded that students taught using project based approaches did better on conceptual problems in national exams. Not only did they know the algorithms - they could apply them in an intuitive way. Since project based learning forces students to extend concepts beyond the traditional classroom applications, another noted consequence is an increase in the ability to define a problem and create a strategy to solve it (Gallagher, Stepien, & Rosenthal, 1992).

Problem based learning is an approach that also emphasizes real world applications. This approach is usually accompanied by group work (brainstorming, implementation, reflection) and heavily emphasizes the necessity to create a strategy to solve a problem. Problem based learning increases student performance on clinical problem solving scenarios, which entail discussion and collaboration with other group members, and reflection on the end result (Vernon & Blake, 1993; Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). Problem based learning increases metacognition, which is how a student thinks about thinking. Experience with problem solving allows students to understand their own thought processes and refine their ability to construct solutions (Lundeberg, Levin, & Harrington, 1999; Savery & Duffy, 1996; Williams, 1992). Other research (Darling-Hammond & Hammerness, 2002) shows that in professions such as medicine and teaching, problem solving improves "reflection on action", which allows students to develop a concept of self-evaluation and self-efficacy.

Design based learning also has a myriad of benefits to students. Working in groups to develop models and create artifacts which implement concepts and knowledge can allow students to collaborate and specify roles within groups (Newstetter, 2000).  Design based learned is suited well for many applications. Engineering, computer science, art, and architecture are a few of the many disciplines that rely on the ability to design models and work in groups. Designing a model can often times allow students to view processes in a more systematic manner, where they understand the steps that precede a goal and have a deeper understanding of the individual parts of a system (Hmelo, Holton, and Kolodner, 2000). One study in particular (Fortus and colleagues,2004) also noted that motivation and a sense of pride and ownership over a successfully completed design were byproducts of this learning approach.

The differences between these approaches lies within the different ways in which students are exposed to applying raw knowledge to broader situations. All of these teaching approaches extend learning beyond traditional practice problems, but the way this end is reached varies between approaches. It seems much more necessary to comment on the connection that binds these concepts rather than the differences. In fact, it is easy to see how certain pairings of these concepts work well together. For example, students may design a model to assist them with solving a problem, or the solution to a problem could take the form of an involved project. The concepts are all interwoven and each is vital to another's success.

The most important striation that runs through these approaches is that they de-emphasize repetition and memorization and emphasize a discovery approach, where creativity and genuine understanding are tools used to apply knowledge in a way that feels very concrete and real to the students.

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Sources:

Barron, B., & Hammond, L. D. Teaching for meaningful learning. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf