Last month, I had a privilege to attend a course on Problem Based Learning (PBL).
It was organised by the Centre for Academic and Soft-skill Development and held at KUSZA campus at Block Khadijah Room 01. The PBL was presented by Dr Berhannudin Mohd Salleh, a Prof Madya from the University Tun Hussein Malaysia (UTHM). It took place for two days on July 5th and 6th, 2008.
My only exposure on PBL was when I attending a seminar at the Glen Marie Hotel in Shah Alam where I just happened to be sitting in one of the parallel session since the one I chose to be in was really packed. The presenter was from KUIM, if I'm not mistaken and she had shared her experience doing PBL for the first time after having attended a workshop on PBL.
Here, I would like to share the reflection that I wrote at the end of the first PBL workshop:
"Once an obscure idea has now becomes crystal clear. Starting from 10 o'clock in the morning, we started to apply what we have learned about PBL, a trigger and FILA table.
First, we brainstormed on our group's name. Then, we appointed the group leader, the scriber and someone to be in charge of the laptop cum powerpoint slide prep.
The brainstorm was also to determine the topic for our group first PBL project. We considered a few topics from the safety issue due to uprooted rhu trees that are found abundantly on KUSZA campus to the Teaching and Learning facilities that are available or the lack of it. We did discussed about the unsatisfactory condition of the cafeteria on the campus in terms of uncleanliness, drainage and foul smell problems. However, we finally agreed to do a PBL on the Flash Flood Fenomena on the roads at KUSZA campus each time during and after a heavy rain. The word drainage from the earlier discussion helped to pin point the topic for our first PBL.
Our next discussion was to decide on the two objectives that would serve as a scope or a beacon to direct our PBL project.
1. To identify the causes that lead to flash flood.
2. How to overcome the flash flood problem.
Then, we prepared the FILA table to determine the facts, ideas or hypothesis, the learning issues derived form the hypothesis and the action to be taken to address the learning issues or what we need to learn more about.
The FILA table helped a lot in term of pinpointing our next action or what action to be taken next and thus assigning each of those task to group members evenly and fairly.
The rest is history.
We had so much fun doing our first PBL. Personally, I can't wait to share this with the students. "
mmmm... I did my first PBL with the students immediately in the following week! :-D
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Action Research
Just to share an action research I did in class today :)
BACKGROUND:
We've spent 10 weeks exploring different approaches to essay writing and practicing writing each essay types.
Students have been exposed to 7 different approaches to essay writing namely chronological order, spatial order, topical order, problem solution, cause and effect, comparison and contrast.
Students have been practicing writing each essay type based on the organized note and received feedbacks on their written essay practice.
Today (Thursday, March 27, 2008) the students are tested on their writing essay skill in class (8:30 - 9:40 a.m.). They have to choose one of the two topics and write a 300-word essay based on an unorganised note provided.
After the test, the students are in so involved in discussion. They are saying how they have so many things (ideas) rushing to their minds based on the notes provided in the test that they need more time to write. They have an hour to write the essay. From my initial impression of the answer booklet, I find that the length of the essay is more than 2 pages long and more than half of the students needed extra time to complete their writing.
PURPOSE:
1) Do the students make use of the strategies or approaches to essay writing they have learned?
PROCEDURES:
14 students, 11 female and 3 male of MLT group at UDM kampus Kota were involved in a this survey. They were asked these two questions after they submitted the answer booklet for the test.
The TWO questions asked:
1) How many students actually thought about which approaches to use for writing the particular topic that they have chosen?
2) How many of them actually prepare a diagram or flow chart to organise the ideas that were rushing to their head when they see the notes provided in the test questions?
RESULT:
NONE thought about the approaches or strategies or way or what ever when they read the test questions.
NONE prepare any sort of diagram or flow chart to help organise their ideas and present those ideas in a proper essay write-up.
CONCLUSION
The students do not make use of the strategies or approaches to essay writing they have learned during the test. There maybe several probabilities why the students do not make use of these strategies when they are sitting for the test. One of the possibility, as some of them mentioned was that they don't even relate to what they have learned when they begin to write the essay. Their focus was just to write down all those ideas that come to mind when they get the test question.
RECOMMENDATION
Thus, as a teacher, probably we should consider making the directions or instructions in the test question more explicit. Perhaps it would serve as a cue to the students that they should consider those before begin to write the essay.
An illustration of this is...
The original direction in the test was "Choose ONE of the two topics and write an essay in about 300 words". Now consider the new and improved direction: "Choose ONE of the two topics below and write an essay in about 300 words based on the unorganised note provided by making use of appropriate strategy." I'm sure that the new and improved version of the instruction is more precise.
Your two cents worth of thought on the matter please?
BACKGROUND:
We've spent 10 weeks exploring different approaches to essay writing and practicing writing each essay types.
Students have been exposed to 7 different approaches to essay writing namely chronological order, spatial order, topical order, problem solution, cause and effect, comparison and contrast.
Students have been practicing writing each essay type based on the organized note and received feedbacks on their written essay practice.
Today (Thursday, March 27, 2008) the students are tested on their writing essay skill in class (8:30 - 9:40 a.m.). They have to choose one of the two topics and write a 300-word essay based on an unorganised note provided.
After the test, the students are in so involved in discussion. They are saying how they have so many things (ideas) rushing to their minds based on the notes provided in the test that they need more time to write. They have an hour to write the essay. From my initial impression of the answer booklet, I find that the length of the essay is more than 2 pages long and more than half of the students needed extra time to complete their writing.
PURPOSE:
1) Do the students make use of the strategies or approaches to essay writing they have learned?
PROCEDURES:
14 students, 11 female and 3 male of MLT group at UDM kampus Kota were involved in a this survey. They were asked these two questions after they submitted the answer booklet for the test.
The TWO questions asked:
1) How many students actually thought about which approaches to use for writing the particular topic that they have chosen?
2) How many of them actually prepare a diagram or flow chart to organise the ideas that were rushing to their head when they see the notes provided in the test questions?
RESULT:
NONE thought about the approaches or strategies or way or what ever when they read the test questions.
NONE prepare any sort of diagram or flow chart to help organise their ideas and present those ideas in a proper essay write-up.
CONCLUSION
The students do not make use of the strategies or approaches to essay writing they have learned during the test. There maybe several probabilities why the students do not make use of these strategies when they are sitting for the test. One of the possibility, as some of them mentioned was that they don't even relate to what they have learned when they begin to write the essay. Their focus was just to write down all those ideas that come to mind when they get the test question.
RECOMMENDATION
Thus, as a teacher, probably we should consider making the directions or instructions in the test question more explicit. Perhaps it would serve as a cue to the students that they should consider those before begin to write the essay.
An illustration of this is...
The original direction in the test was "Choose ONE of the two topics and write an essay in about 300 words". Now consider the new and improved direction: "Choose ONE of the two topics below and write an essay in about 300 words based on the unorganised note provided by making use of appropriate strategy." I'm sure that the new and improved version of the instruction is more precise.
Your two cents worth of thought on the matter please?
Monday, March 24, 2008
First Entry
It's 12 past 3 in the morning. Yet, I'm not sleepy. Here I am taping away on the laptop trying to put down m thoughts in the wee hour of the morning. I can't help thinking that Ia do have an eight o'clock class, which is about 4 hours time.
Now my logical sense is knocking in! Get some rest!
My nose is already stuffed, my stomach is grumbling, it's raining outside, and only the cockaroo of the cocks that is still absent. Never mind! Get some rest!
Good night everyone!
Till I see you next time! Later!
Hasta La Vista! hasta luego!
Ila Liqaa!
bye-bye!
Now my logical sense is knocking in! Get some rest!
My nose is already stuffed, my stomach is grumbling, it's raining outside, and only the cockaroo of the cocks that is still absent. Never mind! Get some rest!
Good night everyone!
Till I see you next time! Later!
Hasta La Vista! hasta luego!
Ila Liqaa!
bye-bye!
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