Meaningful Learning

1. Read the Introduction. What "dominant paradigm" is showing signs of wear?

The particular instructional strategy that is teacher-directed and where the teacher's primary source is the textbook. This is the times that you walk into a classroom and the teacher is in the front of the room, the students all sitting in their seats with their books open, possibly playing popcorn but being stopped throughout the reading to discuss the chapter. 

2. According to the research, how does Project-Based Learning support student learning better than traditional approaches? Describe three benefits and cite the studies.

• It is centered in the curriculum, uses driving questions that lead students to central concepts, focused on building knowledge through inquiry and discovery, students control their learning, and its authentic. (Thomas, 2000)
• It increases the students' critical thinking skills because they can more easily transfer the information they learn. (Shepherd, 1998)
• It also teaches the students to be prepared to support their answers with clear arguments and to come up with plans to solving problems more easily. (Stepien, Gallagher, & Workman)

3.  According to the research, how does Problem-Based Learning support student learning better than traditional approaches? Describe three benefits and cite the studies.

• Students who learn with this approach often score higher on their "certification" tests because they can actually transfer the information. (Vernon & Blake, 1993; Albanese & Mitchell, 1993)
• The information learned by doing seems to be more long lasting than that of the traditional instructional styles. (Robert J. Van Maren)
• Problem Based Learning also enhances a students' ability to apply knowledge and generate hypthesis. (Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, & Gijbels, 2003).

4.  According to the research, how does Learning by Design support student learning better than traditional approaches? Describe three benefits and cite the studies.

• Learning by Design teaches the students to design, refine, and assess their work. (Newstetter, 2000)
• It leads to better learning outcomes than the traditional style. (Hmelo, Holton, and Kolodner, 2000)
• It's particularly good at helping students develop hard to reach concepts and ideas. It makes for more concrete thinking to abstract ideas. (Perkins, 1986)

5. What are the differences between the three approaches?

These three approaches are all a way to encourage students to apply the information being taught in more authentic and real situations and to take the knowledge on with them in their future. Project Based Learning is more about building or creating something that is hands-on, minds-on in the learning process. Problem Based Learning is mostly about finding a solution to an authentic situation. Learning by design is about being able to create something tangible, reconstruct it to make it better, and assess it again. 

6. In your opinion, what is the most important benefit to learning that is common across the three types of inquiry-based learning approaches?

The most important benefit is that the students are gaining skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and reflecting that they will need to use in their futures. The students are also learning concepts rather than just a list of facts and therefore, the information will last in their minds for much longer.