In a message dated 2/17/99 7:00:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Subj: Problem-Based Learning Blues
> Date: 2/17/99 7:00:38 PM Eastern Standard Time
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Kathleen Morgan)
> Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
(Kathleen Morgan)
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> Hi Tipsters,
>
> Last semester, I taught a section of Intro Psych using an entirely
> problem-based, collaborative learning team approach. This had an
> _amazing_ impact on the better students in the course, and based on both
> exams and evaluations, I think they thrived on it.
> The problem (and the source of my blues) was with the weaker students.
> For them, the course was just one "blooming, buzzing" bundle of confusion,
> as the psychologist said(;-)). They were swept along by the others, but
> I think they did _worse_ than they would have if the course were taught
> using
> conventional lecture methods.
> Here's where I need your help. What can I do about this? How might
> I maximize the positive aspects of problem-based, collaborative learnign
> for ALL students? What is there in the cognitive/developmental literature
> out there that might help me out here? (I'm a comparative psychologist
> by training.)
> I'm most grateful for your help and suggestions.
> Thanks!
> --Kathy Morgan
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Kathy,
Your experiences sound quite similar to mine in this realm. . . and I have
been grappling with these issues also. While preparing a paper for this
year's Amer Assoc of Higher Ed conference (which was just accepted, yea !), I
came across the following material from last year's conference:
Assessing the Effects of Participating in a Collaborative Learning Community
on Learning Outcomes
Dr. Lou Bohl-Fabian
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
AAHE Assessment Conference
June 1998
The following link or url will take you to a summary description of this
research, which systematically compared f2f collaborative learning with the
more traditional lecture - discussion format. This study provides sound ideas
for assessing the effectiveness of the collaborative approach. . . a good
place to start I think. If you are interested, I could email a file that
contains a summary of Dr. Fabian's dissertation. Or you could contact Fabian
yourself via the email address provided at the link below. He was very helpful
and open in sharing his data and experiences with me.
<A HREF="http://www.aahe.org/assessment/1998/LearnCom.htm">Syllabi from
sessions on Learning Communities at the 1998 AAHE Conference on As</A>
http://www.aahe.org/assessment/1998/LearnCom.htm
Since I plan to use this approach with greater enthusiasm for the on-line
teaching environment (although my bias at this point is to use a blend of
techniques), my study of 'how too's' has recently focused on this area. If you
are interested, I could send a number of links to good resources. . . also, I
just participated in an on-line 'how-to' course (nuts and bolt of
collaborative teaching on line) sponsored by the Wellspring and Colunbia
University (Teacher's College), which was very well done. If you are
interested, I could send contact information.
One last idea . . . I am trying to extend my holiday with parents in Florida
(in search of sunshine) to attend the following conference: Creating and
Sustaining Learning Communities: Connections, Collaboration, and Crossing
Borders . . . looks interesting.
<A HREF="http://www.usf.edu/~lc/conf">Learning Community Conference at USF
</A>
http://www.usf.edu/~lc/conf/
Not from the cognitive/development literature, but I hope this helps anyway !
Sandra
******************************************************************************
*
Sandra Nagel Randall, Ph.D.
Wayne County Community College District, MI
Department of Human and Community Development
Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada
Biopsychology Consultant
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Off: 248-948-8162
Fax: 248-948-5090
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/snrandall">http://members.aol.com/snrandall
</A>
******************************************************************************
*****
