Buzzwords: Take a Careful Approach

Many educators I’ve met have mentioned project-based learning or problem-based learning at least once. However, these terms aren’t interchangeable and the focus of each strategy is somewhat different.

Project-based learning dates back to the early twentieth century whereas Problem-based learning was developed about forty years later; the former is centered around investigating a complex problem that can involve more than one subject, while the latter is subject-focused and involves a more narrow approach.

Campbell describes the disciplines as: “Project-based learning is often multidisciplinary and longer, whereas problem based learning is more likely to be a single subject and shorter. Generally, project-based learning follows general steps while problem-based learning provides specific steps” (2014).

Larmer provides an excellent graphic that compares and contrasts the two:

When investigating the efficacy of PBL Dochy et. al. wrote:

“The claims of PBL advocates are not all supported by an extensive research base, and much of the research has been restricted to higher education, predominantly in medical schools. There is little research with K- 12 populations … It would be naïve to believe that the medical school model of PBL could be imported into other settings without considering how to adapt it to the local context, goals, and developmental level of learners. Another barrier to using PBL in K-12 education is the constraints of classroom organization. The model of PBL in medical school involves an integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum organized around problems rather than subject domains. In most K-12 situations, teachers must assess students in specific subject areas and problems often do not map neatly onto these subject area divisions. Moreover, it requires careful planning to engage in PBL in 50-min class periods” (2003).

Meta-analyses have yet to prove that Problem-based learning is effective outside of carefully constructed scenarios (Hattie, 2008). However, this doesn’t mean that elementary teachers could not benefit from units of instruction that involve Problem-based learning, rather careful planning is required to ensure learning is happening. Classrooms that are struggling academically may not benefit from this strategy in a way that justifies its implementation, but hopefully, future research will be able to pinpoint what aspects of problem-based learning make it beneficial to students.

Due to the similarities between Project- and Problem-based learning it would seem logical to conclude that neither have shown to correlate with high achievement gains in classrooms. Hopefully this does not encourage teachers to do away with either instructional method, but to carefully consider why and when to use them.

Works Cited

Campbell, C. (2014, September 16). Australian Council for Educational Research. Retrieved April 2017, from Teacher Magazine: https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/article/problem-based-learning-and-project-based-learning Dochy, F., SEgers, M., Bossche, P. V., & Gijbels, D. (2003). Effects of problem-based learning: a meta-anlysis. Learning and Instruction, 13. Hattie, J. (2008). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement (1 ed.). Routledge. Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-Based Learning: What and How Do Students Learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266. Larmer, J. (2015, July). Project-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning vs. X-BL. Retrieved April 2017, from Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-vs-pbl-vs-xbl-john-larmer Partnership for 21st Century Learning. (n.d.). Framework for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved April 2017, from P21: http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework Schmidt, H. G., Rotgans, J. I., & Yew, E. H. (2011). The process of problem-based learning: waht works and why. Medical Education, 45, 792-806.

Problem Based Learning – Does it work?

Hello again,

There’s been a lot of hype around Problem Based Learning (PBL) in the Austin area these days, and children of many ages are taking part in projects that give them agency over the learning process that may not be afforded otherwise.

Next week I would like to engage in a discussion about PBL and whether or not it is linked to student achievement in measurable assessments. For readers who would like to contribute, I would consider the following questions:

What benefits does PBL bring into the classroom for the student, teacher, parents, and/or community?

Have PBL programs been linked to higher achievement gains for K-12 or higher education?

If there are no links between achievement gains and PBL, are there other benefits that may promote higher gains indirectly?

When have you used PBL in your classroom? What comments can you make about the atmosphere of the classroom before, during, and after the unit?

Academic Success and Homework

Happy spring everyone!

As teachers wrap up the end of the year, it may be a worthwhile question to ask: Is it worth it to give my students homework every day?

The short answer is that it depends mostly on what homework you’re sending home, how students engage with that homework, in what ways a students’ environment can affect the assignment, and whether there is a supportive mentor/tutor available.

Although more relevant in elementary school than middle or high school, homework perpetuates a gap in education that benefits students with more supports at home. Family members helping with homework, stable environments to complete assignments, and adult supervision are all examples of what might factor into finishing tasks at home. Students who have parents that work at times when they need support are already at a disadvantage and is only exacerbated when teachers depend on academic progress continuing at home. Students in families that can’t afford child care and are forced to leave minors at home without supervision are the most harmed by homework policies.

Of course, no one wants to forgo a system that may improve student performance. Even if the gains are small, why wouldn’t we want children doing at least some homework? Would any parent give up the marginal gains their child is to receive for the equality of all children? Probably not…

A policy held at some schools is that homework is distributed to all students, but there is no grade assigned for any work completed. Oftentimes a system of rewards and incentives manifests itself along with tedious parent-teacher communication. It’s definitely a step in the right direction to avoid giving students grades over a portion of their day they may not have control over. However, as students become older, homework becomes much more relevant.

Pickering, Marzano, and Hattie argue that there is evidence for gains from students completing homework. Among the research there was a common trend: the effect sizes of homework on older students (high school and above) is much higher than for elementary students. An important factor that is not discussed is whether these comparisons involved assignments that required parental support and guidance or not. In high school it would seem fair to assume most homework is completed by the student independently and that elementary homework data may reflect achievement gains based on average parental involvement, not independent student gains. It would be an unfair assessment to lump homework together, so many researchers mentioned in Pickering and Marzano’s meta analysis point to assigning less homework the younger the student. For example, Cooper’s suggestion for homework to require no more than 10 minutes multiplied by the students’ grade level with slight adjustments for reading homework.

For the educators who like lists and guidelines, Marzano and Pickering make the following suggestions for teachers.

Research-Based Homework Guidelines

Research provides strong evidence that, when used appropriately, homework benefits student achievement. To make sure that homework is appropriate, teachers should follow these guidelines:

• Assign purposeful homework. Legitimate purposes for homework include introducing new content, practicing a skill or process that students can do independently but not fluently, elaborating on information that has been addressed in class to deepen students’ knowledge, and providing opportunities for students to explore topics of their own interest.
• Design homework to maximize the chances that students will complete it. For example, ensure that homework is at the appropriate level of difficulty. Students should be able to complete homework assignments independently with relatively high success rates, but they should still find the assignments challenging enough to be interesting.
• Involve parents in appropriate ways (for example, as a sounding board to help students summarize what they learned from the homework) without requiring parents to act as teachers or to police students’ homework completion.
• Carefully monitor the amount of homework assigned so that it is appropriate to students’ age levels and does not take too much time away from other home activities.

(For links to the article by Pickering and Marzano as well as much more information, see Works Cited)

One of the most salient points that educators should extract from these guidelines, and the evidence for and against homework is that it might be more helpful to find assignments that connect curriculum to every day student life. Not only might we find assignments that allow students to explore their home life through a new lens, but maybe using homework as an effective means of building students’ ability to contextualize, appreciate, and have agency over the skills they are learning in school. When teachers learn to find ways to engage a students’ home life and dare I say culture, in the classroom, they have immediately gained a more meaningful definition of teaching.

Here is a more conventional example as how to contextualize why homework can be helpful, with the right systems in place.

While working as a first grade teacher I once received a student without previous schooling. In Texas, Pre-Kindergarten (PK) and Kindergarten(K) are not required by law; this creates a staggering two-year academic gap between students who attended PK and K that first grade teachers are expected to cover in one academic year. After speaking with the students’ mother, we agreed on a strict homework schedule that involved between twenty to forty-five minutes of work per day. This particular student achieved gains of about 1.8 school years; most of this gain was achieved by the proper context, parental support, and appropriate work-load. Many of the assignments required an adult/reader present (not something most of the other parents had the luxury of doing), a stable place for my student to concentrate, and assignments that challenged, but did not overwhelm.  The gains this student saw were not a typical story, but an excellent example of how carefully paying attention to individual needs can help empower the student and take full advantage of the affordances of the home environment.

Works Cited

Hattie, J. (n.d.). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievment. New York: Routledge.

Pickering, Marzano. (2007, March). Educational Leadership. Retrieved February 2017, from ASCD: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx

Homework: Does it improve student academic success?

Hello again,

Homework is assigned by almost every elementary teacher I know. What benefits does it have for student achievement? If there are any, what grade levels does it affect the most? Does the type of homework assigned matter?

Evidence from Hattie’s meta analyses suggests that the use of homework in high school classrooms is effective and can provide great gains in student academic success. However, elementary and middle school classrooms show much smaller gains from having homework.

In order to give a good analysis of homework, this week, I’m asking any of my elementary colleagues to give examples of when they’ve found homework beneficial or not and/or evidence found by researchers other than those listed below in the Sources to be Cited section.

Works to be Cited

Hattie, J. (n.d.). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievment. New York: Routledge.

Pickering, R. J. (2007, March). Educational Leadership. Retrieved February 2017, from ASCD: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx