Blog post_7

Problem/project based learning

 

Since a long time, many countries are working to change their education system because they think that their education system does not meet with needs anymore and being inadequate. Actually, all countries have used teacher centered education system so far but some of them changed it with better education system and some of them like turkey still use it. When we look our education system, we can say that we are not so good. Actually, some test like Pisa shows that we are below of average of education quality compared to other countries. I think we force to use this education model but it is obvious that this model is not adequate moreover. What can we do? Should we change our education model? Actually, yes, we should change our education model. We have put teachers on the center so far. It worked for a short time but not anymore. It is the time to put students on the center so let’s focus the Problem Based Learning model which put students on the center of education. Problem based learning consists of presenting students with authentic and meaningful problem situations that can serve as springboards for investigations and inquiry. Students are problem solver and instructors are facilitator. They find activities belonging to problems in daily life and guide students when they work on them. Students approach problems from different dimensions so they can use physics and math formulas when they work on a social problem. They can develop themselves in many subject when working on a problem. Then, let’s see how problem based learning is used. At first, problems which are chosen by facilitator should definitely be real life problems because the aim of education is to make students ready for real life. Also, Problems should require alternative solutions because every child are special and they may focus problems from different dimensions with different solutions. We shouldn’t limit them. 

Also, we should not expect students to solve problems over their intellectual level. Problems should be balanced. On the other hand, we should know how to plan for problem based learning. As we did with teacher centered approach, we also should decide on goals and objectives because the goals and objectives describe the direction to remind where the lesson is going. Also, this education model aims to educate on problem solving so we have to design appropriate problems belonging to real life otherwise we cannot apply it on education. Actually, teachers are guide in this education model but they still have many work to do. They have to be very careful when monitoring and managing students work because they determine how students work on their projects. Moreover, they should be good evaluator because this education model makes students free on their thinking so evaluation rubric should be prepared very carefully.

 Finally, Problem based education offer a chance to be better. However, it requires some challenges to achieve it.