5.+Problem,+Project+&+Case+Based

 ==**What are the differences among Problem-based, Project-based, and Case-based learning, specifically in terms of student thinking and actions, and the kind of help/instruction needed from the teacher?**==

__Problem-based Learning__
 Problem-based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences.The central idea behind problem-based learning is to present the students with open-ended problems that they must work together to solve. The teacher's role is to provide the students with the resources they need to solve the problem. Beyond providing the necessary resources, the teacher's role is to act as a facilitator. The teacher should provide direction but not directly instruct the students. The student's role is PBL is to work cooperatively by deciding what resources are appropriate to solve the problem/question. The students will required to think critically about not only the question itself but the best way to solve the problem. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their group and organize and direct the learning process with support from a tutor or instructor. Advocates of PBL claim it can be used to enhance content knowledge and foster the development of communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning skill. __Elements of well-designed PBL should include:__
 * Complex, typically real-world, problems
 * Opportunity for open-ended solutions
 * Small, collaborative groups
 * Methods-based education and assessment
 * Description of the final assessment
 * Teachers acting as facilitators
 * Feedback and reflection of the learning process
 *  One example of problem-based learning is GlobalEd (II): http://www.globaled.uconn.edu/GlobalEdII/. GlobalEd (II) simulates an international decision-making environment intended to replicate foreign policy making between ~15 different countries around the world. Classrooms in secondary school are each assigned to real countries that they must learn about, and then represent their assigned country's interests through negotiation and developing policies and treaties with other countries. In each simulation, the collective group of students are given a major international problem that connects all countries, such as the access and use of freshwater, or international climate change. GlobalEd (II) provides students with an online educational environment where they participate in team-based problem solving, all the while incorporating social studies, professional writing skills, and science into their problem-solving and simulated international communications.

Project-based learning focuses the curriculum on the project(s) and does not use the project as an enhancement to teach the curriculum content. The learning objectives and goals are based on the projects used throughout the unit(s) and students are provided with central questions or problems related to constructing a product. Through the development of the product students are engaged in the learning objectives and goals that match the curriculum content (Thomas, 2000). Key distinction with project-based learning is that students are working to "construct" a product that provides evidence of what they have learned. Teachers should take on the role of facilitators and design instruction where students engage in learning the content through doing rather than listening and integrating the knowledge. __Elements of a good project based learning experience include:__ 
 * __Project-based Learning__ **
 * A fertile open-ended question or issue that is rich, real and relevant to the students lives
 * Real world use of technology
 * Student-directed learning and/or the deliberate engagement of student voice
 * Collaboration
 * Multi-disciplinary components
 * Long term (more than 3 weeks) time frame
 * Outcomes-based, with an artifact, presentation, or action as a result of the inquiry
 * Project should be focused on making sure students are learning.
 * One example of an online project-based program that provides an easy programming language for learners 8 and older is Scratch. Scratch fosters project-based learning that is intended to provide learners with the ability to develop the mathematical and computational skills related to the 21st century workplace. Scratch provides a user friendly interface with easy programming language to imagine and create graphics, animations, video games, music, and art. Scratch also provides students with a network to share and collaborate with other Scratch users around the world. Students who create projects are encouraged to upload their work onto the Scratch network for other Scratch users to comment and learn from each others projects. The Scratch network even fosters learners to develop marketing skills by developing advertisements to market various skills different scratch users have to offer. http://info.scratch.mit.edu/About_Scratch

CBL is based on events that have actually taken place in real life. This restricts the scope of the learning to the events within the case. This form of learning does allow for multiple perspectives to be used by students to determine a solution to the case. The solution learners develop may be different from what actually took place in the real-life situation that the case is based on. It is important for the instructor to provide the learners with the real-life solution that was used for the case. Cases where the solution actually failed provides important knowledge for the learners to apply to future cases. Learners should use the knowledge they acquired from similar cases to assist in the development of their solutions for future cases. Instructors need to provide students with training on what to pay attention to in a case as there will be information that is provided in the case that is irrelevant to developing a solution. CBL can enhance the application of student’s aquired knowledge and skills under real life situations. CBL is widely used in Medical, Business and Legal education.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">__Case-based Learning (CBL):__ **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
 * An example of medical case-based learning would involve a case where a patient is displaying certain symptoms. The medical students would need to diagnose the cause of the patient's symptoms and prescribe a treatment for their diagnosis. Students would have access to a database of information on the patient's health and the instructor acts as the "socratic" questioner to guide the students through the case (Thomas, 2000). The students diagnosis is then compared to what really occurred with the patient's diagnosis and whether or not the patient's health improved based on the treatment provide. The following link is from the University of Michigan and their library of medical case studies. http://anatomy.med.umich.edu/courseinfo/clinical_index.html