problem 4 - PBL Flashcards
what is constructivism
learning is the construction of knowledge rather than its direct acquisition
- Learners do not just passively absorb info, they actively try to organize it and give it meaning
individual vs social constructivism
individual = when the process of construction occurs separately within each learner
social = when people work together to understand the world - includes theories that focus on how people work together to create new knowledge
criticisms of constructivism
- Only vague explanation of the cog processes that underlie learning
- Some constructivists take the idea of control that students have too far, suggesting that teachers do not have much influence on students
- Research shows that instructions from teachers can have a powerful influence on what students learn
constructivism in relation to PBL
Cog load theory: higher intrinsic load = not good for learning new knowledge
Proximal zone of development: how much study needed to learn new knowledge
- No prior knowledge = need a lot of guidance until student becomes knowledgeable about it
- Potential development (zone) & interaction with other people e.g. teachers or fellow students are important, not necessarily discredits PBL
- Scaffolding is important
what are the 2 principles that PBL is based on?
- Students are challenged to solve ‘authentic’ problems or to create complex knowledge (based on idea that constructing one’s own knowledge leads to most effective learning)
- Knowledge is best gained through experience
consequences/cons of PBL in relation to LTM (Kirschner)
Instruction with min guidance ignores human cog architecture = neg consequences
- LTM is not passive collection of fragments + everything we see/hear/think depends on LTM
- Info stored in LTM allows situations to be recognized & responded to = purpose of instruction is to modify LTM
- If this doesn’t happen, nothing is learned & the instruction is ineffective
Problem-based search places heavy demands on WM
- WM doesn’t help in acquiring knowledge in LTM bcuz WM is already used to search for solutions to the problems so cannot be used for learning
- A person can search for solutions w/o changing the LTM = doesn’t learn
consequences/cons of PBL in relation to WM (Kirschner)
WM is where conscious info processing takes place – there are 2 characteristics of WM:
- limited capacity & duration
- when info needs to be processed, not just stored, capacity is even smaller
These limitations become redundant when the info is stored in LTM = to give as little guidance as possible is to ignore these limitations
- PBL places too great a burden on WM
what are the 3 types of knowledge that can be distinguished among experts
Content knowledge = the amount of knowledge & the way knowledge is organized in the teacher’s brain
Pedagogical knowledge: knowledge that goes beyond the knowledge of a subject & is about teaching that subject
Curricular knowledge: the knowledge from which the teacher draws their ‘tools’ to explain or clarify certain material
cognitive load theory in relation to PBL
PBL makes too great a demand on WM = detrimental to the learning process
- Novice students have too little prior knowledge = makes it harder for them to integrate new schemes with their old schemes
- More experienced students - no diff between the different ways of teaching
worked example effect in relation to PBL
pupils who have to solve probs perf worse on tests than those who study the worked examples
– bcuz pupils who have to do this learn which steps to take for certain probs which is a basis for acquiring prob-solving schemes
Worked-example = giving steps on how to do something based on an example – you are told how to solve smth (e.g. a math question) instead of having to figure it out for yourself
Kirschner conclusion on PBL
highly guided instruction is probably better than less guided version (PBL)
PBL can be detrimental to learning bcuz it can lead to misconceptions or incorrectly organized knowledge
PBL aims to create a learning environment in which students…
- Learn in the context of meaningful probs
- Actively construct mental models that help understand these probs
- Learn by sharing their ideas abt these probs w their peers
- Develop self-directed learning skills
what are the 2 key processes in PBL
the activation of prior knowledge & the elaboration
a discussion is effective when students have limited knowledge
– they learn more than experts bcuz the interaction between the available knowledge & the info that still needs to be learned is increased = leads to a better integration of the new info
findings related to PBL & memory
students who were first given a prob, discussed it & later studied it, remembered sig more (40%) than students who first read/studied it and were then given the prob
Students who already had experience w the subject had only an 11% increase in what they remembered through the PBL system
Fact that PBL increased memorization: explained by idea that the activation of prior knowledge makes it easier to understand & remember new info
what makes a good PBL education according to cog load theory (Schmidt)
- Work in small groups: share the cog burden
- Learn through training skills to work in groups: to minimize extraneous cog load
- Learning task is to explain a phenomenon by means of its underlying mechanisms: reduce intrinsic cog load by making the probs progress from easy to difficult
- In the discussion: prior knowledge is activated = reduce the intrinsic burden
- Tutor must facilitate learning: reduces intrinsic burden by asking questions about irrelevant info & reduces extraneous cog burden by intervening when irrelevant info is discussed
