Is it Project-based Learning? Projects… Project-based Learning… Can be done at home without teacher guidance of team collaboration Requires teacher guidance and team collaboration Are used year after year and usually focus on a product (make a diorama, develop a skit) Is based on appropriate standards and important content, is timely The teacher work occurs mainly after the project is complete The teacher work occurs mainly before the project starts (identifying standards, setting limits, establishing outcomes, etc.) Structured: The students do not have many choices in the direction of the project Ill-structured: The student teams make most of the choices during completion of the project within limitations set by the teacher Based on directions or steps established by the teacher Based on standards and concepts (identified by the teacher) that the teams must use to adequately solve the project Graded by teachers using subjective measures like neatness. The assessment is not shared with students prior to starting Graded based on clearly defined rubric made specifically for the project. Shared with students prior to launching the project Every project has the same goal and most completed projects look the same Student teams develop a project that solves a problem and the solution materializes from student research. All solutions differ Projects are artificial and rarely represent the real world outside school Strive to represent solutions to real world problems that student encounter outside school Are not particularly relevant to students lives Could provide solutions to real world problems even though they may not be implemented Do not resemble work done in the real world Is just like or simulates work done in the real world outside school Do not include scenarios or background information or are based on events that have already been solved by others Based on scenarios or simulations that is real, or if it is fictitious, it is realistic, entertaining, and timely Often based on the use of a single tool (make a Power point) rather than a genuine problem that people face outside school Use the tools, technology, and practices employed by people in the field. Teams choose tools according to needs All projects are the same All project-based activities are different Sample: Make a model of the Alamo Sample: Using locally sourced materials and building techniques design an economically feasible model shelter that would project members of your community during a terrorist attack and make a recommendation to the city council for future planning

Technical/Procedural Problem Solving Another Type of Problem Solving

Problem Solving Categories Design Trouble-shooting Invention/Innovation Research and Development Experimentation Technical/Procedural

So Far, We’ve Focused on Design While Design Problem Solving is the primary method used in STEM, in some cases you will need to use other methods. Now we are going to focus on Technical/Procedural Problem Solving

Technical/Procedural Problem Solving Form of problem solving that requires a student to follow a set of technical directions to accomplish a task. For example, students might be required to build an electronic device following precise directions of a technical nature and then, when the device is complete, the students must complete a series of experiments. T/P Problem Solving is a lower level method of problem solving (Six Facets)

T/P Problem Solving & Six Facets While Design Problem Solving is very effective in reaching the higher levels of the Six Facets (Applications, Perspective, Empathy, & Self-knowledge) T/P Problem Solving can be a useful tool for reaching the first two levels of the Six Facets (Explanation & Interpretation)

Strategies for Solving T/P Problems Typically don’t use the design process T/P Problems require the student to: Seek relationships and work out solutions Follow step-by-step technical directions Read a schematic drawing Read and write technical directions Understanding the systemic order of technical devices T/P Problems requires that the learner have some prior background in the subject matter