Abstract:

Problem-based approach to learning (PBL) is an instructional method in which students learn through facilitated problem solving. In PBL student centers on a complex problem that does not have a single correct answer. They work in collaborative groups to identify what they need to learn in order to solve a problem. They engage in self-directed learning and then apply their new knowledge to the problem and reflect on what they learned and the effectiveness of the strategies employed. In this way they learn both content and thinking strategies. This type of learning leads not only to the acquisition of technical skills, specific to the subject or field, but also allows, by its own nature, the development of skills like problem analysis and solving, critical thinking, cooperation and team work, decision making and self-regulation that can be transferred to other contexts. PBL will be exemplified by two case-studies that were conducted in Lifelong Learning in Applied Fields (LLAF) TEMPUS funded project, in a course entitled: Introduction to informal education. In this course learning is based on reading academic articles and finding literature describing case studies and field experiences about the characteristics of informal education, its components, dimensions and its spheres of activity. Multicultural groups of students, enrolled in the Education and Community BA program, collected materials regarding the nature of informal education. The groups were multicultural and included both male and female students, who were Jewish, Arab, Druze and Circassia, religious and secular, native Israelis and veteran immigrants, city dwellers and those living on in rural communities, villages. The students were of different ages and had a range of life experience. Some of those aged 30-40 are active in informal education. Others, aged 18-22, have recently completed their high school studies, and their knowledge of informal education was a result of their own experiences as students. The students searched for authentic questions that concerned them with relation to an overarching question: How to motivate youth to get involved in the community and society? To answer the questions raised, they collected materials and interviewed professionals. The students synthesized theory and findings from the field, followed by group and class discussions in light of the academic articles read by the group members. The second example included post-graduates who were given a list of 20 topics where educational policy is reflected, the students formed groups according to their chosen topic. The learning evolved around the problem of how the chosen policy can be improved in practice.

The learning included the following stages:
First stage: the students checked what they knew about the topic;
Second stage, they collected academic articles on the topic, and set out to discover how the policy was reflected in their nearby educational reality;
Third stage, group sessions were held regarding the poster design;
Fourth stage was devoted to the joint creation of the evaluation tool;
Fifth stage was a four-hour event where the posters were displayed and evaluated.

The presentation will include: a description of the learning process and its evaluation. Implications of these findings for the LLAF project will be discussed.

Keywords:

Problem-based learning, formative assessment.