Integrating Information Technology and PBL

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Integrating Information Technology and PBL
George Watsonghw_at_udel.edu
Institute for TransformingUndergraduate Education
University of Delaware
Workshops on Problem-Based LearningAmerican
University of Beirutwww.udel.edu/pbl/AUB
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The Way It Was... 1973
2004
graphing calculators, laptops, gigabytes and
gigahertz, ubiquitous computing
Computation
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The Way It Was... 1973
2004
e-mail, voice-mail, chatrooms, FAX, pagers, cell
phones, text messaging, instant
messaging, wireless connectivity
Communication
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The Way It Was... 1973
2004
Online Information web catalogs, networked
databases, Britannica Online, online
newspapers, course websites, CMS
Collections
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Education and the Cs of Technology
Computation and Calculation Communication and
Collaboration Collections and Connections
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An important question
Given the amazing advances in technology and the
dramatic change in the first-year experience, Can
we afford to continue teaching the way we were
taught?
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IntegratingInformation Technologyand PBL
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Active Learning Objectives

• Courses should
• Be student-centered and encourage students to
  learn to learn.
• Provide opportunities to think critically and to
  analyze and solve problems.
• Assist students in developing skills in gathering
  and evaluating information.
• Provide experience working cooperatively in teams
  and small groups.
• Help students acquire versatile and effective
  communication skills.
• Offer a variety of learning experiences.
• Apply technology effectively where it will
  enhance learning.

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Information Technology Objectives

• Students should
• engage in electronic collaboration.
• use and create structured electronic documents.
• do technology-enhanced presentations.
• use appropriate electronic tools for research and
  evaluation.
• use spreadsheets and databases to manage
  information.
• use electronic tools for analyzing quantitative
  and qualitative data.
• identify major legal, ethical, and security
  issues in information technology.
• have a working knowledge of IT platforms.

Adapted from Technology Across the Curriculum,
George Mason U.
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Overlap of Active-Learning Objectives and
Instructional Technology Objectives
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Overlap of Active-Learning Objectives and
Instructional Technology Objectives
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Overlap of Active-Learning Objectives and
Instructional Technology Objectives
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Utilizing Online Resources
Web Sites and Web Pages
Old thinking The web is full of misinformation
and biased representation Stay away!
New thinking Engage and
develop critical thinking skills. The Internet
Challenge!
Evaluating online resources critically
Executing web searches effectively
Information for solving problems