When it comes to PBL, I feel this is the most authentic approach that we have addressed thus far. PBL seems to fully involve students within the content and allows the opportunity for students to apply the information they have learned. The potential barrier is the idea that all concepts may not always be able to be presented within this approach. All concepts may not be able to reflected through a project, which could later present a problem for teachers. Those who are able to overcome these barriers will find that students should have a better understanding of the information covered.
For the students in which I currently teach, I find application is the best way for them to learn and understand concepts. PBL provides the authenticity of various objectives, far more than multiple choice questions. While my students work in a self-paced environment, I feel this could work if presented as a semester-long effort. If students used the entire duration of the class to build upon one HUGE project, I feel this would be beneficial and ensure that all concepts were included and expanded upon.
I feel that perhaps creating a PBL project online would have to mimic that of a website. I am not quite sure what the best approach would truly be with my students but I do feel that in efforts to create a finalized product, it would need to be a substantial platform so that students would be display their efforts over the duration of the particular project.
I agree that PBL offers the most authentic, rich approach. I also think that it would be the most challenging to implement in my class. It definitely requires that students be self-motivated and able to work on their own. The research aspect would be challenging with limited access to resources, too. Many of them lack the know-how to conduct research on their own.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, though, if I couldn't try this with just a handful of my students that have shown that they work well in collaborative settings and have the ability to find resources on a given topic (just starting the research process in 2nd grade). (Julie Jones)
The on-line platform I think works best is having students create a website showcasing their problem/solution. There are many free website builders that allow students to do this - so I agree with you - to showcase the PBL in an on-line format would require a substantial platform.
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