Problem Based Learning: an Instructional Model and Its Constructivist Framework
Problem Based Learning:
An instructional model and its constructivist framework
It is said that there’s nothing so practical as good theory. It may also be said that there’s nothing so theoretically interesting as good practice1. This is particularly true of efforts to relate constructivism as a theory of learning to the practice of instruction. Our goal in this paper is to provide a clear link between the theoretical principles of constructivism, the practice of instructional design, and the practice of teaching. We will begin with a basic characterization of constructivism identifying what we believe to be the central principles in learning and understanding. We will then identify and elaborate on eight instructional principles for the design of a constructivist learning environment. Finally, we will examine what we consider to be one of the best exemplars of a constructivist learning environment -- Problem
Based Learning as described by Barrows (1985, 1986, 1992).
Constructivism
Constructivism is a philosophical view on how we come to understand or know. It is, in our mind, most closely attuned to the pragmatic philosophy of Richard Rorty (1991). Space limitations for this paper prevent an extensive discussion of this philosophical base, but we would commend to the interested reader the work of Rorty (1991) as well as vonGlaserfeld (1989). We will characterize the philosophical view in terms of three primary propositions.
1. Understanding is in our interactions with the environment. This is the core concept of constructivism. We cannot talk about what is learned separately from how it is learned, as if a variety of experiences all lead to the same understanding. Rather, what we understand is a function of the content, the context, the activity of the learner, and, perhaps most importantly, the goals of the learner.
Since understanding is an individual construction, we cannot share understandings but rather we can test the degree to which
An instructional model and its constructivist framework
It is said that there’s nothing so practical as good theory. It may also be said that there’s nothing so theoretically interesting as good practice1. This is particularly true of efforts to relate constructivism as a theory of learning to the practice of instruction. Our goal in this paper is to provide a clear link between the theoretical principles of constructivism, the practice of instructional design, and the practice of teaching. We will begin with a basic characterization of constructivism identifying what we believe to be the central principles in learning and understanding. We will then identify and elaborate on eight instructional principles for the design of a constructivist learning environment. Finally, we will examine what we consider to be one of the best exemplars of a constructivist learning environment -- Problem
Based Learning as described by Barrows (1985, 1986, 1992).
Constructivism
Constructivism is a philosophical view on how we come to understand or know. It is, in our mind, most closely attuned to the pragmatic philosophy of Richard Rorty (1991). Space limitations for this paper prevent an extensive discussion of this philosophical base, but we would commend to the interested reader the work of Rorty (1991) as well as vonGlaserfeld (1989). We will characterize the philosophical view in terms of three primary propositions.
1. Understanding is in our interactions with the environment. This is the core concept of constructivism. We cannot talk about what is learned separately from how it is learned, as if a variety of experiences all lead to the same understanding. Rather, what we understand is a function of the content, the context, the activity of the learner, and, perhaps most importantly, the goals of the learner.
Since understanding is an individual construction, we cannot share understandings but rather we can test the degree to which