[net-gold] Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics Instruction #2

From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Other Net-Gold Lists -- Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K-12ADMINLIFE <K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:47:05 -0400 (EDT)

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Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:49:46 -0700
From: Richard Hake <rrhake@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: AERA-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Net-Gold] Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics Instruction #2

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ABSTRACT: In response to my post "Does Problem-Based Learning Work
for Physics Instruction" [Hake (2010b)], John Cowan (2010) of the PBL
list wrote: "Brian Bowe, at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT),
showed PBL to be effective in Physics in a far from favourable
departmental climate." Google searches provided links to information
on DIT's "Physics Education Research Group," the PBL program at DIT,
and "Maggi's book."

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In response to my post "Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics
Instruction" [Hake (2010b)], John Cowan (2010) of the PBL list wrote:

"Brian Bowe, at Dublin Institute of Technology, showed PBL to be
effective in Physics in a far from favourable departmental climate.
See my evaluation in Maggi's book."

Seeking further information, I searched Google <http://www.google.com> for:

1. ["Brian Bowe' "Dublin Institute of Technology"] with the quotes ".
. . " but without the square brackets [. . . .] to unearth "Physics
Education Research Group" at
<http://physics.dit.ie/research/education.html>, headed by Brian
Bowe, and containing a plethora of material on PBL. I note that: (a)
John Thompson of the University of Maine and Matthew Moelter of
California Polytechnic State University are associate members of the
DIT group; and (b) information on PER at DIT is at
<http://www.compadre.org/per/programs/program.cfm?ID=328>.

2. "Dublin Institute of Technology" to obtain the valuable and
detailed account "Problem Based Learning: DIT School of Physics" at
<http://physics.dit.ie/programmes/pbl.html>. As far as I know
(please correct me if I'm wrong) there are no similar program in U.S.
University physics departments. At
<http://physics.dit.ie/programmes/pbl.html> there's a link
<http://physics.dit.ie/programmes/pbl_it.html> to a report "DIT's
novel problem-solving approach to physics is great fun, say
students," by Anne Byrne (2002) in the Irish Times.

3. "Maggi PBL" (without the quotes) to find Maggi Savin-Baden (2003).
Using Amazon.com's "Look Inside" feature at <http://amzn.to/9UIZHL> I
searched for (a) "Cowan" but found no evaluation of Brian Bowe's DIT
program, (b) "Bowe" to obtain zero hits, (c) "Dublin" to obtain
Donnelly (2002).

BTW, the present thread "Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics
Instruction" was initiated by a post "Effects of Problem Based
Economics on High School Economics Instruction" [Hake (2010a)] in
response to the U.S. Dept. of Education report of the same name by
Finkelstein et al. (2010).

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands
President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References which Recognize the
Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)
<rrhake@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>
<http://HakesEdStuff.blogspot.com>
<http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake>

"Science should be visualized as progressing from problem to problem
- to problems of ever increasing depth. Problems crop up especially
when we are disappointed in our expectations, or when our theories
involve us in difficulties, in contradictions; and these may arise
either within a theory, or between two different theories, or as the
result of a clash between our theories and our observations. Thus
science starts from problems, and not from observations; though
observations may give rise to a problem, especially if they are
unexpected; that is to say, if they clash with our expectations or
theories."
Karl R. Popper (1902-1994) in "Conjectures and Refutations" (p. 222)

REFERENCES [All URL's accessed on 24 August 2010; some URL's
shortened by <http://bit.ly/>.]

Byrne, A. 2002. "DIT's novel problem-solving approach to physics is
great fun, say students," reproduced from The Irish Times Education &
Living, April 23rd 2002; online at
<http://physics.dit.ie/programmes/pbl_it.html>

Cowan, J. "Re: Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics
Instruction," PBL post of 24 Aug 2010 06:42:47+0100; online at
<http://bit.ly/aMZKGx>.

Donnelly, R. 2004. "Online Learning in Teacher Education: Enhanced
with a Problem-based Learning Approach." AACEJ 12 (2): 236-247 and
Mimeo, Dublin Institute of Technology. [An ERIC abstract is at
<http://bit.ly/9rlxTc>.] A list of the prolific Roisin Donnelly's
publications is at <http://bit.ly/9q5eIZ>..

Finkelstein, N., T. Hanson, C-W. Huang, & B. Hirschman. 2010.
"Effects of Problem Based Economics on high school economics
instruction," U.S. Dept. of Education, NCEE 2010-4002, U.S.
Department of Education, online as a 4.5 MB pdf at
<http://bit.ly/aTIFCV>. I thank David Berliner for informing me of
this report.

Hake, R.R. 2010a. "Effects of Problem Based Economics on High School
Economics Instruction," online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at
<http://bit.ly/9tYZiO>. Post of 20 Aug 2010 14:01:50-0700 to AERA-L
and Net-Gold. in response to 'Finkelstein et al. (2010). The abstract
and link to the complete post were also transmitted to various
discussion lists.

Hake, R.R. 2010b. "Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics
Instruction," online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at
<http://bit.ly/cprmLW>. Post of 23 Aug 2010 14:14:15-0700. The
abstract and link to the complete post were also transmitted to
various discussion lists.

Savin-Baden, Maggi. 2003. "Facilitating Problem-Based Learning
(SRHE)." 2003. Open University Press. Amazon.com information at
<http://amzn.to/9UIZHL>. Note the searchable "Look Inside" feature.
According to <http://www.acronymfinder.com/>, "SRHE" probably stands
for "Society for Research into Higher Education (UK."

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[net-gold] Does Problem-Based Learning Work for Physics Instruction #2

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