3.1

PHOTON PBL Instructional Resource Development

To address the lack of instructional resources for PBL in photonics technology education, the PHOTON PBL project, in partnership with selected photonics industry partners and university research laboratories from across the US, will create a series of eight multimedia PBL Challenges (DVD) and instructional resource materials covering a broad range of photonics applications. Active participation of industry and university partners in providing genuine real-world photonics problems that can be used in the classroom, actual problems whose solutions have been documented and tested, serves as the centerpiece of the PHOTON PBL project. Unlike traditional case studies in which students passively study and critique problem situations encountered by others, the PHOTON PBL Challenges are designed to actively engage students in the problem-solving process by virtually “inserting” them into the context and environment in which the problem is to be solved, thus emulating the actual workplace experience.

For each PHOTON PBL Challenge, both a student version and an instructor version will be developed. The student version will contain a multimedia introduction to the specific company or university research lab to set the context for the problem challenge followed by a re-enactment of the problem statement by actual industry/university personnel, the problem-solving process engaged in by actual engineers and technicians, and a detailed presentation of the problem solution. A problem solving “toolbox” will be incorporated into each PHOTON PBL Challenge to provide students with the learning resources needed to successfully guide them through the problem-solving process. The instructor version will contain all of the information contained in the student version plus additional instructional resources including an instructor’s “toolbox” containing instructional strategies, assessment and evaluation tools, industry standards related to the problem challenge, a solution guide detailing alternative problem solutions, and information regarding alignment with national science, math, language arts and technological literacy standards. The instructor version will also contain a generic PBL template and instructions to help them develop their own PBL Challenges.

Each PHOTON PBL Challenge is directly linked to the highly successful NSF-funded PHOTON curriculum and laboratory materials [1], which are aligned with national science, math, language arts and technological literacy standards, and have been adopted at over 80 secondary and post secondary institutions across the US. These field-tested instructional materials and laboratory equipment have been developed to support instruction in topics including geometric and wave optics, laser principles and applications, fiber optics, lighting and illumination, environmental sensing, laser materials processing, optical fabrication and testing, and biophotonics. Each PHOTON PBL Challenge is designed to be completed by students in a one- to four-week time frame and can be customized by the instructor for complexity allowing for multiple problems to be presented within a typical 15-week semester.

Another obstacle in adopting PBL in technology education is its departure from traditional didactic methods. A common complaint among students introduced to PBL for the first time is the stress and anxiety associated with open-ended problems and self-directed learning. Most students are accustomed to traditional lecture-based methods of instruction in which information is passively “transferred” from the instructor to the student in an environment that is well structured and where problem parameters are clearly defined and closed-ended. Conversely, “The sudden propulsion to the uncertain, self-directed technique and the responsibility associated with PBL exposes learners to an uncertain and unknown dimension, thus, eliciting fear, anxiety, and the desire to hold on to something familiar when the outcome is unknown [9].” This frustration and anxiety can not only lead to disengagement from the learning process among students, but can also create a stressful situation for faculty trying to transition to PBL from more traditional instructional methods. To ease this transition, the PHOTON PBL Challenges are designed to be implemented using three levels of structure ranging from Level 1 (Instructor Led - Highly Structured), to Level 2 (Instructor Guided - Moderately Structured), to Level 3 (Instructor as Consultant - Open-Ended) depending on the technical nature of the problem and the ability level of the students. By providing scaffolds for learning that allow students (and faculty) to progress through the PBL Challenges along a continuum, from a low autonomy mode (structured) to high autonomy mode (open-ended) over time, faculty will be more likely to adopt this new mode of instruction and students more likely to develop the skills and confidence needed to take responsibility for their own learning [16,17,18,19]. This is illustrated in Figure 2 and described in the proceeding sections.

Figure 2.

The PBL Continuum

3.1.1

Level 1 (Instructor Led – Structured)

In Level 1, students are presented with the PBL challenge in its entirety as a multimedia-based case study. This includes a multimedia introduction to the environment (industry/university research lab tour) in which the context of the particular photonics application is presented, a re-enactment of the problem statement, group problem analysis and discussion, and problem solution recorded at the industry/university partner site. The purpose of Level 1 is to introduce the student to the concepts, principles, and procedures associated with problem-based learning. In Level 1, the instructor guides the student through each phase of the problem-solving process in a highly structured format which includes defining and framing the problem, identifying resources needed to solve the problem, generating possible problem solutions, testing hypotheses, and converging on an optimal solution as a team effort. During the presentation of the PBL Challenge, the instructor has the option of pausing the multimedia presentation at specific points to encourage student discussion of the problem-solving process, technical content, and other situational factors and constraints that must be taken into consideration in the solution of the problem. This active learning strategy will help develop students’ ability and confidence to engage in the problem-solving process as well as critical thinking and metacognitive skills [1,3].

Figure 3.

Graphical Representation of a PHOTON PBL Challenge created in partnership with IPG Photonics, Oxford, MA: (a) Scene 1: The Introduction – Presented in Levels 1, 2 & 3. (b) Scene 2: The Problem Statement - Presented in Levels 1, 2 & 3. (c) Scene 3: The Problem Solving Process – Presented in Levels 1 & 2 initially; Level 3 only at the end of the Challenge. (d) Scene 4: The Problem Solution - Presented initially in Level 1 only; Presented in Levels 2 & 3 at the end of the Challenge

3.2

Professional Development in Problem Based Learning

Just as important as the lack of instructional resources and materials for PBL in photonics technology education is the lack of pedagogical knowledge among technology educators needed to teach PBL. This is common in technology education. While great progress has been made over the past decade in upgrading the technical skills of technology faculty through professional development programs sponsored by NSF and other funding organizations, less attention has been given to the instructional methods used to teach these skills to students. The old adage “teachers teach the way they were taught” still rings true [20]. Technology educators are typically highly trained experts in a very specific technical field. Unfortunately, most have had little or no formal training in education and pedagogy [21]. Like their predecessors, technology educators most often employ an instructor-centered approach in their teaching, attempting to “fill” the student with knowledge rather than assisting the student in developing the capacity to learn. If PBL is to be successfully adopted, technology educators must be provided with professional development designed to introduce them to the pedagogical underpinnings of PBL, in a way that changes their way of thinking about teaching and learning as well as their practice: the design, evaluation, and delivery of instruction. They must learn how to effectively integrate content and pedagogy in a way that actively engages students in individual and collaborative problem-solving, analysis, synthesis, critical thinking, reasoning, and skillfully applying knowledge in real-world situations [22,23].

Researchers [24] argue that for professional development to be effective, it must extend beyond the typical one-or two-day workshops, which overall have been shown to be ineffective in producing changes in teacher practice. In fact, research on the effectiveness of professional development efforts aimed at producing changes in practice show that only about 15 percent of what is learned in classroom settings is ever applied on the job because these efforts are usually short-term, lack continuity through adequate follow-up and ongoing feedback from experts, are isolated from the participants’ classrooms and school contexts, take a passive approach to training teachers, and allow little opportunity to learn by doing and by reflecting with colleagues [25,26]. In one example, Saylor and Kehrhahn [27] found that compared to the typical 10-20 percent transfer of knowledge rate typical of short-term workshop models, the continuous nature of a yearlong professional development program with middle school teachers resulted in an 80 percent transfer of knowledge to the classroom.

The PHOTON PBL project will address the need for change in instructional practice by providing high school and community college technology educators from across the US continuous professional development in the principles and applications of PBL over a two-year period. By involving instructors directly in the PBL Challenge development process, providing ongoing instruction, support and feedback, and time for collaboration with colleagues and mentors in the implementation of PBL in their classrooms, they will build the capacity to develop their own PBL challenges in other courses. In its first year, the PHOTON PBL project has recruited 16 seasoned technology educators (8 high school; 8 college level) trained in the use of the PHOTON curriculum and laboratory materials to be part of the PHOTON PBL Challenge development team. These educators will experience PBL firsthand by working with the PHOTON PBL Project team in developing and alpha testing the first four prototype PBL challenges in their classes. Working through the PBL cycle, instructors will use the development and implementation of the PHOTON PBL Challenges as an actual problem-solving activity – using PBL to teach PBL. Through this process, the instructors will evaluate, update and refine the PHOTON PBL challenges in preparation for alpha testing a second group of four additional PHOTON PBL challenges to be developed during year two of the project. Instructors will be provided with ongoing mentoring and support throughout the duration of the project through online collaboration, site visits, and periodic meetings. Photonics industry and PBL experts from across the US will serve as mentors to the instructors through a dedicated list server. In all, eight PHOTON PBL Challenges will be tested by 16 instructors using the using the PBL process. An additional outcome of this effort will be the development of a teacher’s guide to PBL, developed for teachers by teachers.

3.3

Research in Problem-Based Learning

While PBL has been used successfully in the medical profession for decades with great acclaim, less is known about the effectiveness of PBL in engineering, and especially in technician education. A review of the literature on PBL identified several studies conducted to validate the efficacy of PBL in engineering education with researchers reporting mixed results. For example, in a study conducted at Maastricht University [6], researchers found that PBL was more effective in the first years of an engineering program, but only when integrated with some directive instruction. In another study conducted at South Dakota School of Mines [5], researchers examined the effectiveness of PBL as an alternative to traditional instructional methods in the freshman year of engineering. Overall they found that students in the experimental cohort (PBL) performed better academically, had a higher retention rate, and were generally more satisfied than those students in the control group, which used a traditional lecture approach. In another study in which researchers examined the effects of PBL on self-regulated learning, results revealed that PBL students had higher levels of intrinsic goal orientation, task value, use of elaborative learning strategies, critical thinking, metacognitive self-regulation, and peer learning compared to control group students (traditional instruction) [28]. Conversely, in a review of the literature on PBL, researchers found that while evidence suggests that students in PBL have a more positive attitude and are more likely to take responsibility for their own learning, PBL requires time and effort in gaining acceptance and that more effort is needed in developing skill in facilitation and attitude toward self-directed learning [9]. In an effort to resolve these and other variations in the reported effectiveness of PBL as compared to traditional lecture-based instructional methods, researchers at Middlesex University [29] conducted a meta-analysis involving 91 citations. The results of the meta-analysis showed that variations in instructional methods, implementation, and assessment of learning outcomes yielded inconclusive evidence upon which to provide robust answers to the questions about the effectiveness of PBL. The researchers concluded that while PBL appears to be a promising alternative to traditional lecture-based methods of instruction in engineering and technology education, more research is needed to assess its efficacy.

To address the need for more research on PBL in technology education, the PHOTON PBL project will work in partnership with researchers from the University of Connecticut NEAG School of Education to conduct quantitative and qualitative research on the effectiveness of PBL as compared to traditional lecture-based methods with regard to learning outcomes, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, metacognitive development, self-efficacy, and motivation. Researchers will also examine the extent to which specific professional development activities contribute to changes in teaching practices (i.e., transfer of training) among participating faculty. Data sources will include instructor and student questionnaires, classroom observations, personal interviews, anecdotal data, documents and other artifacts. The research will result in a series of published articles and may also provide a basis for doctoral research for project participants pursuing graduate degrees in education at the University of Connecticut.