In the second tutorial in PBL students discuss their learning issues as a group so that they comprehend the different aspects related to the case. However, in some schools students distribute these learning issues among them and present them as powerpoint-answers. What do students in your school do? Do they discuss these learning issues through a scribe and construct these answers together as a group, or they present the responses created by individual students using powerpoint?
Which approach do you encourage as a tutor?
What is the educational basis for the approach used in your PBL groups?
A student ardently thinking out loud on a "whiteboard" is an honor to behold.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
Free story telling, scetching/diagramming is certainly preferable over ppt presentations, but require certain skills, that are good to acquire. I’d encourage open discussions anyway, but would strictly Control time and content, so that to avoid discussion entropy multiplication.
I have used both.
With the omnipresence of ICT, students tend to use PowerPoint, some even include short videos in theirs.
I encourage them to split the presentation among them, and set a timeframe in the evalutaion tool I give to each group. Some groups tend to go over the limit re timeframe and contents. for the latter I insist that the group leader emails me with any queries with regards to the set tasks.
Whiteboard and marker, I use when I teach a particular group in a one off session. So I set the whole class either a problem for the group or different problems for different groups to solve on the spot with me being available to clarify any difficult aspects. Reason for choice method, whole class problem or individual groups problems, varies for different reasons; from class size, to class dynmaics, to time available. It is very intuitive for me here.
Whichever problem method is used, I pick groups randomly after the allotted time is over to present their findings for discussion. Students listening to the presentation are encouraged to query anything presented, though most often than not, I have to start the ball rolling. Ironically I used to find this challenging method much more productive student interactive discussion wise.
Powerpoints tend to stultify the rest of the students listening to them; probably the current saying 'death by powerpoint' is a truism. Which is another excellent reason to use PBL:)
Thank you, Pauline, for your response. Yes, there is a tendency of students to present their PBL learning issues as powerpoint or videos in tutorial 2, while the others are listening. Do you think that this way approach enhances deep learning? What are your concerns? How can you facilitate the discussion to engage other students in the group to contribute? Do you usually ensure that there is a scribe on the whiteboard to encourage students contribution? Why do you think that the use of powerpoint presentations encourage superficial learning? If the discussion and the use of whiteboard are ideal, how does this approach relates to the theories of learning?
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