Problem-Based Learning; Curriculum as Problem Solving

One way to strengthen the current learning model based on subject content is the integration of problem-based learning. This is obviously not a new idea as schools like MIT give their students problems that they have to solve based on available resources/new ideas.

Problem/Scenarios work, I think, because they create a tension that participants have to solve and therefore helps students see and apply relationships or develop their own. If we look at subject content as the "notes" then the learning becomes the "space between the notes." Scenarios, based on subject content, then becomes the vehicle for participants to engage with the content and create their own ways of expressing and modifying their learning.

Scenarios are effective because they build on the reality that our brains have more capacity than our ears/eyes. We process information faster than we can express it. Our brains are always trying to fill in the gaps and scenarios let us experiment with solutions while we are still listening/reading. Mind the gap is where the learning is.

We might rather look at issues around problem solving. Problem solving, I think, has a more specific application in terms of situations. What do I need to do and then how should I do it. Helping our students to correctly identify a problem and then solve it in an academically appropriate and sophisticated way is still a challenge. But, when we view our classes as a series of problems to be solved (in creative ways) as we provide the tools for solving the problem, this can help us communicate challenges in a clear and solvable way.

The key would be devising interactive relevant problems to solve. Interdisciplinary instructor teams would set these up and then market the problems to the students to convince them they were the ones that were needed. Instructors would use statistics, their personalities, logic, etc. to show students why their problems were necessary for the present and future. History instructors would justify their curriculum to the community (rather than a curriculum committee) based on what their problem was, how important it was, and how qualified they were to solve it. Instructors could also set up interdisciplinary teams to address these issues collectively and in some ways help the students visualize a path towards a solution.

One possible problem might be to develop a database for other students to use. The students would have to get others on their team to help with the skills they need or acquire the skills themselves. They would have to justify what they were doing within the time and expense of doing it. A final solution would be evaluated based on how well it responded to certain parameters. These problem sets would give students more value than a traditional class.

The problem-based approach helps us see the distinction between learning and work. Some of the most effective learning I have done is when I am tying disparate ideas together to create something new. That is not work in the traditionally academic meaning, in my opinion. It is doing my own personal blending of ideas. Kind of like putting together a puzzle may seem like a lot of work but in actuality it is a series of inspirations followed by looking for new patterns.

In his book The Rise of Superman Steven Kotler posits that achieving the state of "flow" is the way to get optimal creative and athletic performance. There are many words for flow, but it constitutes the ability to focus our attention and effort in such a concentrated way that we optimize performance. We can not perform miracles in this state, but we can steadily improve about four percent each time if done properly. In the radio interview I heard, Kotler explained that a surfer could go from a 20 foot wave to a 25 foot wave in a series of flow event trainings, eventually leading to more better performances.

Kotler says there are 17 trigger events for flow and they are tied to our biological survival urge. When we can channel this energy, we can grow physically and intellectually. The events need to draw us into the now as we challenge ourselves to improve our performance through concrete physical and mental goals. We need to create tension and then resolve it.

The key to these trigger events is that they should not really create fear, etc., but get our minds to mimic and respond to these situations. We need to be stimulated and this is why learning environments need to challenging and stimulating without being too much so.

In "Why Jim Harbaugh is Still Throwing" in the Wall Street Journal coach Jim Harbaugh talks about how he plays a game of catch with prospective quarterbacks to get a sense of their competitiveness and other intangibles. This reminds me of the biblical story of how a leader will evaluate potential warriors by watching them drink water from a stream and judging potential warriors with how they drank, either by cupping their hands so that they are always ready or by putting their mouths in the water, which left them vulnerable.

Scenarios as a method of solution visualization worked for me as I was trying to figure out how I felt about the situation in Gaza, with the conflict between Israel and Palestinians. I could not describe how I felt, but rather came to a greater sense of equilibrium through a series of questions I asked myself. Do I want a long term solution? Does this seem like part of a long term solution? Is war preferable to dialogue? As I asked myself these questions, I became more comfortable with how a felt about the situation and how to describe where I wanted to be going with my thoughts and feelings. I did not feel trapped into an either/or proposition or solution.

We might also think of curriculum development as a form of problem solving. We can develop activities and learning objectives to help people gather information and make decisions. I was talking to someone about an interpersonal situation where people were not jelling as a team. I suggested some processes/activities that would get us working together or at least possibly working together. Once the process starts, we can use reflection and other strategies to modify or change the curriculum.