Theories behind Problem-Based Learning
"The mind that is baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."
-Wendell Berry
What is Integration?
An interdisciplinary curriculum is one that uses content from more than one of the standard, traditional disciplines.
Integration is a deeper application of interdisciplinary work. Specifically, disciplines are "blended" or superseded and used as tools to approach an organizing center, such as an issue or problem.
Here is one definition of integration:
"An integrated curriculum, in a nutshell, refers to the fusion of knowledge from different disciplines . . . and the tapping of real-life situations for problem solving and critical thinking in the classroom."
What is Problem-Based Learning (PBL)?
In PBL, students discover and attempt to solve a real-world problem relevant to their lives. Specific content and subject areas are learned as students recognize a need for knowledge.
PBL has its roots in the Socratic inquiry method and apprenticeships: hands-on problem-solving in which knowledge and skills are taught as needed. The method as used today was first developed in medical schools in the 1970s, and has since been used in business, law, architecture, and education schools, among others. Recently the method has been adapted to work in secondary education.
The basic premise is that students use the disciplines as a toolbox to discover and solve a real-world, relevant problem. The problem is the central stimulus that triggers the need to know and the direction of the learning: as students discover that they "need to know" something to move forward in their problem, they are motivated to learn that thing.
How does this project fit into the PBL model?
During Menlo's sixth grade SF Baylands project, rather than "discovering" the topics and issues, students are "presented" with problems associated with their local environment. They then investigate these issues through research and hands-on experiences in an effort to understand how our actions and choices can affect the life and community around us. It is the sixth grade team's hope that through this project students are exposed to the process of research and the need to educate oneself and others on local issues that affect a global environment. This is a building block project to the PBL project they will encounter in the 7th grade, where they are asked to "discover" the problem, research the associated issues, and design a solution.
Why Use Integration and PBL?
In order to become citizens of an increasingly globalized world, students need to acquire the ability to tackle the type of problems that exist in this world: ones that do not respect disciplinary boundaries and to which there may not be one "right" answer.
Recent research on the brain and how it grows shows that we learn by making connections. This, in part, has led to the educational philosophy of constructivism, which is the basis for our Middle School Philosophy. In a constructivist approach, students "construct" and discover knowledge for themselves. A teacher becomes a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage." PBL aligns with constructivism.
PBL helps students learn to investigate, think critically, make connections, and construct knowledge for themselves.
Does it Work?
Studies have shown that students using PBL do as well or better on standardized tests. They have stronger conceptual understanding, better long-term retention of content, and are better able to apply skills. Furthermore, the students are still learning the content that "needs to be covered." Because PBL helps students see the relevance of what they are learning to their own lives, students have greater motivation, confidence, self-regulation, and ownership of their learning.
1Simanu-Klutz, Luafata. Integrated Curriculum: A Reflection of Life Itself. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning Briefing Paper, November 1997.
This information was compiled by Eden Beck from a presentation on integration to the faculty during the fall 2005 Teacher's In-service day.