vanOostveen, Roland

ванУствін, Роланд

Name not available

11Roland vanOostveen (Canada)Associate Professor, Faculty of Education University of OntarioInstitute of Technologyroland.vanoostveen@uoit.caAN INTRODUCTION TO PROBLEM-BASED LEARNINGONLINE IN UOIT’S BA IN ADULT EDUCATIONAND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGYРоланд ванУствін (Канада)ПРОБЛЕМНО-ОРІЄНТОВАНЕ ОНЛАЙН-НАВЧАННЯІ ЦИФРОВІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ У ПІДГОТОВЦІ БАКАЛАВРІВІ МАГІСТРІВ В УНІВЕРСИТЕТІОНТАРІО-ІНСТИТУТІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙTraditionally HE learning is defined by a ‘content learning’orientation. This means that the focus is on the delivery (by theprofessor) of information, concepts and the like to the students.Students are expected to ‘learn’ the concepts. Learning is usuallyinterpreted in terms of memorization and comprehension of theconcepts, and at times, as application of the concepts to questions orproblems that are posed as part of tasks, assignments, quizzes, testsand examinations. Course standing is usually determined by how wellstudents perform on a mix of these summative assessments. To a largeextent, control of the curriculum in terms of what the students will‘learn’ and how it will be ‘learned’ is in the hands of the professor(Goodson, 2005; Oliver & Omari, 1999).When courses are offered online, traditional course delivery, asdescribed above, tends to devolve to a lonely experience with learnersinteracting with the course content and having few opportunities toquery the professor, other students or anyone else. This is preciselythe situation that is found in many MOOCs, resulting in very highdrop out rates, among many other detrimental effects (Means, Bakia& Murphy, 2014). In order to provide a profoundly different type ofexperience a paradigm shift with respect to how curriculum is viewedand experienced by students, teaching assistants (TAs) and professorsis required. Problem based learning (PBL) was adopted in theUniversity of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) Bachelor ofArts in Adult Education and Digital Technology (AEDT) program asan attempt to instigate this type of shift. The AEDT program is fullyonline, using a wide variety of synchronous and asynchronous tools.12The origins of PBL lie in the medical school at McMasterUniversity (Hamilton, Canada) in the 1970’s, where the arguments forit’s adoption were rooted in the early introduction of students to casebased studies in clinical settings, allowing for student self-enactedmotivation and the student’s ability to see the relationships betweentheory and practice (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980; Lee & Kwan, 1997).The early versions of PBL procedures centred on small groups oflearners focusing on the provided problems, attempting to clarify theproblems by creating questions about concepts that were not wellunderstood and then responding to the created questions byintegrating new knowledge uncovered by each group member fromtheir individual research work (Boud & Feletti, 1998).All AEDT courses are articulated as a series of 12 modules, eachincluding: 1. Video-based case studies that are made publicallyavailable on YouTube.Learners are required to interact with the video clips prior tomoving to the synchronous virtual conferencing ‘tutorial’ sessions.The case studies present a situation or context to which learners areinvited to identify or rather to create a problem that they will exploreor research as they move towards a solution. The YouTube video clipsare structured in the form of modified Problem Based LearningObjects (PBLOs) (vanOostveen, Desjardins & Bullock, 2010).PBLOs are small reusable digital multimedia capsules that: presenta video- based case study as a context or situation in which an ill-defined problem can be identified or created, poses questions that willfoster the analysis of the situation, provides an theoretical lens thatchallenges learner’s pre-conceived notions that are elicited by thevideo-based case study, and finally, poses questions that initiate actiontoward problem clarification/comprehension and solution creation.Problems, themselves, are defined as a differential between thecurrently perceived situation and the desired or resolved situation. Thedifferential identified above can be modified through the applicationof knowledge and resources. It is the responsibility of learners todetermine what knowledge and resources are possessed by the teamand that, which must be discovered and constructed.Hour long video conferencing ‘tutorial’ sessions, held in AdobeConnect (a browser-based audio/video virtual conferencing tool), arescheduled at various times of the day. Learners are required to attend oneof the sessions. During the ‘tutorial’ sessions, the learners discuss theirperceptions of the video clips and begin to formulate plans to createsolutions. Instructors facilitate the discussion by listening and respondingto the learners with support or challenge as required. Savin-Baden (2007)13suggests that facilitators should «recognize that being a facilitator meansalso being a learner», «guide but not interrupt», «represent etiquette» and«acknowledge and use prior experience» (p.53).Solutions are fashioned by small teams of learners who workcollaboratively using a variety of digital technologies. Informationand resources are accumulated from Internet sources and used toactively construct knowledge by the learners as they research andlearn about the problem and the situation illustrated in the video casestudy (vanOostveen, 2014). The locations in which this knowledge isbuilt is shared through the affordances that are integral to the toolsused. The solutions are shared with class colleagues during regularlyscheduled presentations held within the tutorial sessions.The PBL orientation used in the AEDT program require the settingof a context within which individual problems or an over-archingproblem or multiple problems can be identified for the learners toinvestigate. The assignments in the course then becomes the settingfor the creation of solutions to the problem(s). Assessment tasks arefocused on process, rather than content, with a gravitation toperformance-based and other authentic assessment methods. In otherwords learners need to be able to gather information about thelearning process that is being experienced, so that judgments about thevalue of the work can be made by all. The PBL work processes areprimarily collaborative, as there is much tobe gained from knowledge created by individuals joined in acommunity of learners. Accordingly, a wide variety of tools,applications, and environments, particularly tools which supportcollaboration, are available for the learners to work on and in. Primeexamples of these types of applications are wikis, blogs and GoogleDocs. Learners are free to choose their own tools as long as they sharethe tools with others in the course.Learners are also specifically provided with spaces and tasks thatrequire metacognitive reflection in order for them to concentrate on‘thinking about their thinking’ and to begin to recognize the changesthat the PBL exercises must be made to their thinking about thescenarios, contexts, concepts and theories within the course. Thesechanges in thinking provide evidence for learning that occurred. Anexample of a metacognitive activity that has been used in the PBLcourse in the AEDT program required the learners to begin and endthe course with the production of a concept map focusing on theconcept of ‘learning’. As a final formal assessment task, learners wereasked to self-evaluate and provide rationales for the similarities anddifferences between the two concept maps.14Anecdotally, learners have responded to the online PBLprogramming in a variety of ways:Many learners, particularly those who are coming to the programwith extensive non-academic interests and experiences, wereenergized, fully engaged and motivated by the PBL environment andthe interactions which occur within it.Some learners actively resisted the ‘learner centred’ focus of thecourses. Typically learners who fit in this group have difficulties inmaking the shift away from the traditional orientation of having cededcontrol of their learning to the professor.Initial periods of frustration on the parts of most learners turn into‘a-ha’ moments when learners begin to trust the process and rely onthe conversations with their colleagues to provide insights into theprocesses in which they are involved.Several studies that are designed to provide specific evidence insupport of the use of PBL in online courses are underway and thesewill be reported on in the near future.References1. Barrows, H.S. & Tamblyn, R.M. (1980). Problem-based learning: Anapproach to medical education. New York: Springer.2. Boud, D. & Feletti, G. (1998). The challenge of problem-basedlearning. London: Kogan Page.3. Goodson, I. (2005). Towards an alternative pedagogy. In Goodson, I(2005). Learning, curriculum and life politics: the selected works of Ivor F.Goodson. New York: Routledge.4. Means, B., Bakia, M. & Murphy, R. (2014). Learning online: Whatresearch tells us about whether, when and how. New York: Routledge.5. Oliver, R. & Omari, A. (1999). Using online technologies to supportproblem based learning: Learners’ responses and perceptions. AustralianJournal of Educational Technology 15(1): 58-79.6. Savin-Baden, M. (2007b). A practical guide to problem-based learningonline. New York: Routledge.7. vanOostveen, R. (2014). Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education andDigital Technologies Course Development Model, Version 3 April 10, 2013.Unpublished.8. vanOostveen, R., Desjardins, F. & Bullock, S. (2010). ProfessionalDevelopment Learning Environments (PDLEs) embedded in a CollaborativeOnline Learning Environment (COLE): Moving towards a new conceptionof online professional learning. Ottawa: Canada Council on Learning.Retrieved on March 30, 2014 from http://www.ccl- cca.ca/pdfs/Funded-Research/201009vanOostveenDesjardinsBullockFullReport .pdf

Проблемно-орієнтоване онлайн-навчання і цифрові технології у підготовці бакалаврів і магістрів в університеті Онтаріо-інституті технологій

Institutional Repository of Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University

11
Roland vanOostveen (Canada)
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education University of Ontario
Institute of Technology
roland.vanoostveen@uoit.ca
AN INTRODUCTION TO PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
ONLINE IN UOIT’S BA IN ADULT EDUCATION
AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Роланд ванУствін (Канада)
ПРОБЛЕМНО-ОРІЄНТОВАНЕ ОНЛАЙН-НАВЧАННЯ
І ЦИФРОВІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ У ПІДГОТОВЦІ БАКАЛАВРІВ
І МАГІСТРІВ В УНІВЕРСИТЕТІ
ОНТАРІО-ІНСТИТУТІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ
Traditionally HE learning is defined by a ‘content learning’
orientation. This means that the focus is on the delivery (by the
professor) of information, concepts and the like to the students.
Students are expected to ‘learn’ the concepts. Learning is usually
interpreted in terms of memorization and comprehension of the
concepts, and at times, as application of the concepts to questions or
problems that are posed as part of tasks, assignments, quizzes, tests
and examinations. Course standing is usually determined by how well
students perform on a mix of these summative assessments. To a large
extent, control of the curriculum in terms of what the students will
‘learn’ and how it will be ‘learned’ is in the hands of the professor
(Goodson, 2005; Oliver & Omari, 1999).
When courses are offered online, traditional course delivery, as
described above, tends to devolve to a lonely experience with learners
interacting with the course content and having few opportunities to
query the professor, other students or anyone else. This is precisely
the situation that is found in many MOOCs, resulting in very high
drop out rates, among many other detrimental effects (Means, Bakia
& Murphy, 2014). In order to provide a profoundly different type of
experience a paradigm shift with respect to how curriculum is viewed
and experienced by students, teaching assistants (TAs) and professors
is required. Problem based learning (PBL) was adopted in the
University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) Bachelor of
Arts in Adult Education and Digital Technology (AEDT) program as
an attempt to instigate this type of shift. The AEDT program is fully
online, using a wide variety of synchronous and asynchronous tools.
12
The origins of PBL lie in the medical school at McMaster
University (Hamilton, Canada) in the 1970’s, where the arguments for
it’s adoption were rooted in the early introduction of students to case
based studies in clinical settings, allowing for student self-enacted
motivation and the student’s ability to see the relationships between
theory and practice (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980; Lee & Kwan, 1997).
The early versions of PBL procedures centred on small groups of
learners focusing on the provided problems, attempting to clarify the
problems by creating questions about concepts that were not well
understood and then responding to the created questions by
integrating new knowledge uncovered by each group member from
their individual research work (Boud & Feletti, 1998).
All AEDT courses are articulated as a series of 12 modules, each
including: 1. Video-based case studies that are made publically
available on YouTube.
Learners are required to interact with the video clips prior to
moving to the synchronous virtual conferencing ‘tutorial’ sessions.
The case studies present a situation or context to which learners are
invited to identify or rather to create a problem that they will explore
or research as they move towards a solution. The YouTube video clips
are structured in the form of modified Problem Based Learning
Objects (PBLOs) (vanOostveen, Desjardins & Bullock, 2010).
PBLOs are small reusable digital multimedia capsules that: present
a video- based case study as a context or situation in which an ill-
defined problem can be identified or created, poses questions that will
foster the analysis of the situation, provides an theoretical lens that
challenges learner’s pre-conceived notions that are elicited by the
video-based case study, and finally, poses questions that initiate action
toward problem clarification/comprehension and solution creation.
Problems, themselves, are defined as a differential between the
currently perceived situation and the desired or resolved situation. The
differential identified above can be modified through the application
of knowledge and resources. It is the responsibility of learners to
determine what knowledge and resources are possessed by the team
and that, which must be discovered and constructed.
Hour long video conferencing ‘tutorial’ sessions, held in Adobe
Connect (a browser-based audio/video virtual conferencing tool), are
scheduled at various times of the day. Learners are required to attend one
of the sessions. During the ‘tutorial’ sessions, the learners discuss their
perceptions of the video clips and begin to formulate plans to create
solutions. Instructors facilitate the discussion by listening and responding
to the learners with support or challenge as required. Savin-Baden (2007)
13
suggests that facilitators should «recognize that being a facilitator means
also being a learner», «guide but not interrupt», «represent etiquette» and
«acknowledge and use prior experience» (p.53).
Solutions are fashioned by small teams of learners who work
collaboratively using a variety of digital technologies. Information
and resources are accumulated from Internet sources and used to
actively construct knowledge by the learners as they research and
learn about the problem and the situation illustrated in the video case
study (vanOostveen, 2014). The locations in which this knowledge is
built is shared through the affordances that are integral to the tools
used. The solutions are shared with class colleagues during regularly
scheduled presentations held within the tutorial sessions.
The PBL orientation used in the AEDT program require the setting
of a context within which individual problems or an over-arching
problem or multiple problems can be identified for the learners to
investigate. The assignments in the course then becomes the setting
for the creation of solutions to the problem(s). Assessment tasks are
focused on process, rather than content, with a gravitation to
performance-based and other authentic assessment methods. In other
words learners need to be able to gather information about the
learning process that is being experienced, so that judgments about the
value of the work can be made by all. The PBL work processes are
primarily collaborative, as there is much to
be gained from knowledge created by individuals joined in a
community of learners. Accordingly, a wide variety of tools,
applications, and environments, particularly tools which support
collaboration, are available for the learners to work on and in. Prime
examples of these types of applications are wikis, blogs and Google
Docs. Learners are free to choose their own tools as long as they share
the tools with others in the course.
Learners are also specifically provided with spaces and tasks that
require metacognitive reflection in order for them to concentrate on
‘thinking about their thinking’ and to begin to recognize the changes
that the PBL exercises must be made to their thinking about the
scenarios, contexts, concepts and theories within the course. These
changes in thinking provide evidence for learning that occurred. An
example of a metacognitive activity that has been used in the PBL
course in the AEDT program required the learners to begin and end
the course with the production of a concept map focusing on the
concept of ‘learning’. As a final formal assessment task, learners were
asked to self-evaluate and provide rationales for the similarities and
differences between the two concept maps.
14
Anecdotally, learners have responded to the online PBL
programming in a variety of ways:
Many learners, particularly those who are coming to the program
with extensive non-academic interests and experiences, were
energized, fully engaged and motivated by the PBL environment and
the interactions which occur within it.
Some learners actively resisted the ‘learner centred’ focus of the
courses. Typically learners who fit in this group have difficulties in
making the shift away from the traditional orientation of having ceded
control of their learning to the professor.
Initial periods of frustration on the parts of most learners turn into
‘a-ha’ moments when learners begin to trust the process and rely on
the conversations with their colleagues to provide insights into the
processes in which they are involved.
Several studies that are designed to provide specific evidence in
support of the use of PBL in online courses are underway and these
will be reported on in the near future.
References
1. Barrows, H.S. & Tamblyn, R.M. (1980). Problem-based learning: An
approach to medical education. New York: Springer.
2. Boud, D. & Feletti, G. (1998). The challenge of problem-based
learning. London: Kogan Page.
3. Goodson, I. (2005). Towards an alternative pedagogy. In Goodson, I
(2005). Learning, curriculum and life politics: the selected works of Ivor F.
Goodson. New York: Routledge.
4. Means, B., Bakia, M. & Murphy, R. (2014). Learning online: What
research tells us about whether, when and how. New York: Routledge.
5. Oliver, R. & Omari, A. (1999). Using online technologies to support
problem based learning: Learners’ responses and perceptions. Australian
Journal of Educational Technology 15(1): 58-79.
6. Savin-Baden, M. (2007b). A practical guide to problem-based learning
online. New York: Routledge.
7. vanOostveen, R. (2014). Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education and
Digital Technologies Course Development Model, Version 3 April 10, 2013.
Unpublished.
8. vanOostveen, R., Desjardins, F. & Bullock, S. (2010). Professional
Development Learning Environments (PDLEs) embedded in a Collaborative
Online Learning Environment (COLE): Moving towards a new conception
of online professional learning. Ottawa: Canada Council on Learning.
Retrieved on March 30, 2014 from http://www.ccl- cca.ca/pdfs/Funded-
Research/201009vanOostveenDesjardinsBullockFullReport .pdf


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Проблемно-орієнтоване онлайн-навчання і цифрові технології у підготовці бакалаврів і магістрів в університеті Онтаріо-інституті технологій

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Institutional Repository of Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University