Fostering transformative reflections in inquiry-based learning:Didactical implications

Inquiry-based learning in its various forms – amongst others, Problem-Based Learning, PBL (e.g., Loyens & Rikers, 2011) – is widely recognized as a pedagogy that can foster transformative learning. Overcoming crises and reach new understandings and deeper, critical worldviews, however, does not come easy, and evidence suggest that also in inquiry-based learning students can become stuck in limbo when they are not adequately facilitated in their reflective processes. This contribution builds on findings from a study conducted in the context of a Scandinavian University which applies PBL as its institution-wide pedagogical approach. Over the course of three semesters, students from different disciplines were engaged in various activities which allowed them to reflect on their learning gains and competence development during their studies. Different didactical prompts and social forms were implemented to facilitate transformative reflections (Mezirow ,1991). Students’ conversations, writings, portfolio artefacts and interactions with the facilitating team were documented and thematically analyzed with a focus on emergent topics and processes of transformative reflections. The analysis resulted in the formulation of a grounded model that proposes that meaningful reflections need to be fostered by at least for didactical elements, being opportunities, challenges, tools and helpful relations

Wirksamkeit problembasierten Lernens als hochschuldidaktische Methode

Das Forschungsprojekt PBL am Hochschuldidaktischen Zentrum (HDZ) der Technischen Universität (TU) Dortmund untersucht unter dem Titel „Wirksamkeit problembasierten Lernens als hochschuldidaktische Methode“ in der Förderlinie „Hochschulforschung als Beitrag zur Professionalisierung der Hochschullehre“ des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) die Effektivität problembasierten Lernens. Die zentrale Fragestellung des Projekts PBL ist die Überprüfung der Effektivität dieses didaktischen Ansatzes für den Erwerb von und den Umgang mit fachlich relevanten Kompetenzen. Dazu vergleicht es in zwei unabhängigen Stichproben das Testergebnis eines speziell für diese Fragestellung entwickelten Testverfahrens, die sogenannte textbasierte Testung. Eine weitere Fragestellung des Projekts ist die nach dem Einfluss der Einstellung von Lehrenden in problembasierten und nicht-problembasierten Curricula auf den Lernerfolg der Studierenden

Opportunities, Challenges, Tools and Helpful Relations: Development of a Model of How to foster Reflections in Higher Education

This paper presents a holistic model which can be used to help teachers to design pedagogical opportunities for meaningful reflections in higher education. Within the PBL Future initiative of Aalborg University, we worked with a group of students from different study programmes and levels. In a three-semester long process these students engaged in a series of reflective activities aimed at helping them become more aware of their professional competence developments. In an iterative process we analysed their reactions to and interactions with a set of given reflective tasks (both face-to-face and online), and with the research team. We summarise our insights into the complex dynamics of reflective processes in a model which conceptualises reflections as taking place as interplay between opportunities, challenges, tools and helpful relations, and with inspiration from the outside world