Sunday, February 13, 2011

Lost in a fog!!!!!!

So now I am more confused than ever trying to wrap my head about how to clearly distinguish these three models.  I even spent time today, simply copying and pasting from Kevin's PPT's to have one visual that maybe I could start to tweeze out the differences.  Getting closer but still the fog is dense!!!!!!



Project Components
Project Steps
Guided Design
·      groups consist of 4-7 students
·      defining roles can help promote participation: leaders, planners, researchers
·      after self-instruction, instructor guides students through open-ended problems in class, provides feedback
·      self-instruction provides for...
o  prerequisite knowledge
·      group projects provide opportunity to practice decision-making skill and intellectual thinking:
o  recall, translate, manipulate, interpret,
o  predict, choose
1.    define problem
2.    state objectives
3.    list constraints limiting solutions, assumptions one must make, and facts to be known
4.    generate possible solutions, and evaluate using criteria
5.    select one solution, synthesize
6.    present results and recommendations as a report, or other product
7.    implement decision
8.    evaluate results
9.    feedback should be provided indicating how an “experienced” decision maker might have performed
Cooperative Learning
·      use small groups, 2-5
·      heterogeneous groups suggested by research (e.g., mixed gender, race, and ability levels)
·      low ability student typically improves performance when grouped with higher ability student; higher ability student sometimes decreases in performance
·      individual and group accountability:
o each student is accountable for a specific task or topic as well as topics assigned to other group members
·      positive interdependence:
o each team benefits when all members perform well, and is held accountable when one or more members do not; “sink or swim together”
·      group processing:
·      students coached on group process skills--supporting differences, listening, providing feedback, gatekeeping to ensure all participate, coaching others, reaching consensus
1.    promote group process by assigning roles
2.    leaders keep groups on task, ensure everyone participates and understands
3.    recorders manage group files and folders, tracking each team member’s contributions
4.    reporters give responses to the class about a group's activities or conclusions
5.    monitors act as timekeepers for activities


Problem-Based Learning
·      students work in groups--opportunity to employ synchronous tools to meet as a problem team from a distance (see twoway audio--Elluminate, Skype)
·      students I.D. what is known, what information is needed, and next steps-- opportunity to employ project management and information collecting/organizing tools
·      groups break out and conduct individual research, before reporting back to the team
·      need for a project space that allows individuals to collect and share what they have found
·      Cmap folders would allow groups to store links and documents, and begin to map out a problem space
·      also supports synchronous, real-time mapping and chat/discussion
·      students ultimately report what they have found and make a recommendation--opportunity to employ Web-based presentation tools
·      students evaluate themselves and others' performance on a PBL team--opportunity to employ online assessment tools
·      presents an ill-structured problem
·      provides access to resources to help solve that problem
·      strings together a powerful set of tools to help students collaborate and work through the required steps (e.g., discussing what is known/unknown, collecting resources, meeting online)
1.       students divided into groups
2.       real problem is presented and discussed
3.       students identify what is known, what information is needed, and what strategies or next steps to take
4.       when gaps are identified in needed information, these "learning issues" are divided among group members for further research
5.       group researches different issues, gathers resources
6.       students return to group and evaluate collected resources
7.       cycle repeats until students feel the problem has been framed adequately and all issues have been addressed
8.       after adequate framing, possible actions, recommendations, solutions, or hypotheses are generated
9.       tutor groups conduct peer/self-assessments

 ANYONE OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP??????

3 comments:

Kevin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kevin said...

These collaborative models have a lot of similarities, so I don't know that you can distinguish clearly between them. There is going to be overlap, like with guided design and cooperative learning both suggesting the use of different roles in groups, and with guided design and PBL both focusing on students working to inform an open-ended problem. I wouldn't look for differences in the models, as much as I would look for similarities, as they have some common core principles.

Barb Browning said...

I think the desire to find the differences is a result of trying to figure out which model to choose for the 2nd module but I like the idea of focusing on the common core principles and recognizing that there is overlap. Again, these are the types of teaching that I have always used, but in trying to categorize which models I have actually used has left me flummoxed so I will worry less about this and more about the overall principles!