ClappingTree’s Web 2.0

(This research proposal was submitted in April 2005 for the “MID809: Designing, Conducting, and Reporting Investigations” module at the National Institute of Education, Singapore.)

I. Goal

To explore whether the use of collaborative social software such as a wiki can more effectively mediate Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approaches among polytechnic students.

II. Motivation

Business Information Technology is a new elective module that will be introduced in May 2005 to one of Polytechnic X’s diploma programs. The module is knowledge-intensive and has a high applied management focus. A PBL approach is therefore adopted as the teaching strategy for this module.

Benefits Of Problem-Based Learning

“Only by wrestling with the conditions of the problem at hand, seeking and finding his own solution (not in isolation but in correspondence with the teacher and other pupils) does one learn.” – John Dewey, 1910

Most educators agree that problem solving is among the most meaningful and important kinds of learning and thinking (Jonassen, 1997; cited in Visser, 2002). “When compared with a control group, students who worked in the (PBL) format were seen to have increased motivation, problem-solving and self-study skills.” (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1976; cited in Savin-Baden, 2004)

PBL, popularized by Barrows and Tamblyn (1980), is an instructional approach that uses ill-defined real-life problems as the impetus for learning (Boud & Feletti, 1997). The student is presented with a problem situation before he acquires content knowledge for the subject. Working with others, he analyses the problem, formulates learning issues and questions, conducts inquiry and research, creates hypotheses and reaches a solution to the problem (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980). The analysis of these problems results in acquisition of discipline knowledge and problem-solving skills (Uribe, Klein & Sullivan, 2003). (All cited in Lim, 2005.)

The mechanism that sustains the PBL process is collaborative learning, in line with the constructivist theory of learning (Schmidt, 1993; Savery & Duffy, 1995; Hendry & Murphy, 1995; cited in Tan, 2003):

• Understanding is derived from interactions with the problem scenario and the learning environment.
• Engagement with the problem and the problem inquiry process creates cognitive dissonance that stimulates learning.
• Knowledge evolves through collaborative processes of social negotiation and evaluation of viability of one’s point of view.

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· Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 · next » Benefits of Using IT in PBL

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