Design rationale for problem based learning using ICTs

1. Design Rationale
Digital technologies that are integral to learning
should be purposefully used in planning to transform
learning. They should also be used across the entire
learning cycle where appropriate.
e-Learning design should be based on sound
theoretical principles and pedagogy. These include the
need to build higher order thinking into learning,
together with pedagogies that are authentic, learner-
centred and valued by the learner.

2. Contents
• School and student profile
• Curriculum requirements
• Problem based learning
• Information & communication technology
• Pedagogy
• ICT and the SAMR model
• Bloom’s taxonomy and technology

3. School and student profile
• Calen District State College (CDSC) is a small rural k-12 school located 53
kilometres north of Mackay.
• Enrolment is currently 210 students
• There are 19 full-time equivalent teachers and 10 full-time equivalent
non-teaching staff.
• Year 11 Business has only five students.
– The students have similar abilities and would be considered to be above average.
– All students have internet access at home.
– All students have experience with online research and are aware of only using
authentic, reliable sources.
– The students have taken Business since Year 8 and are aware of the characteristics
of successful businesses and the rights and responsibilities of consumers and
business.
– This is the first assignment where they will need to evaluate evidence and make
recommendations with justifications for their decisions.
– The students have used bubbl.us, popplet, wikispaces and blogger before.
– The students have not used Prezi or Glogster in the school environment before.

4. Curriculum Requirements
• This project is a 10 week unit of work taken from the Business Management Senior Syllabus
(2013)
• “Students apply their knowledge and understanding of the main functions of businesses to
practical and authentic situations as they develop innovative and creative feasibility studies
or undertake business ventures. Working in teams, students develop communication and
management strategies.“
• “The dimensions for a course of study in this subject are:
– Dimension 1: Knowing and understanding business management
– Dimension 2: Applying and analysing management strategies
– Dimension 3: Evaluating and communicating management strategies “
• The underpinning practices of this syllabus are communication strategies and management
strategies.
• The area of study is business development with a focus on developing and testing ideas and
preparing a feasibility study to determine the viability of those ideas. “
• The Learning Sequence as outlined in this wiki identifies the linkage of the student activities
to the curriculum.
• Students are guided by the teacher to ensure that the objectives of the unit are achievable.

5. Problem Based Learning
• The students have experienced problem based learning before but on a much
smaller and simpler scale.
• It is expected that the students will be able to analyse the problem and determine
subsidiary tasks to meet the objectives.
• The teacher will instruct the students to have five subsidiary tasks so each student
has an opportunity to lead the group. The students will decide who leads which
task.
• The students will use a wikispace to collate their research.
• The students will meet on a regular basis (at least weekly but the interval will be
determined by the needs of the project) and use SWOT analysis to evaluate the
research and identify and resolve challenges as they arise.
• As outlined in the Learning Sequence the primary role of the teacher is monitor
and guide the activities of the students.
• Although the teacher should not provide answers it is expected that the teacher
will offer guidance to ensure that critical elements are not overlooked.
• The exception to the teacher providing content knowledge is when the students
identify the knowledge gap.

6. Information & Communication Technology
• The students have been using various ICT tools
throughout their secondary schooling.
• The students have not had to produce a pitch deck
multimodal presentation of this complexity before so
additional technical support will be available from the
school’s ICT teacher, Mr Ken Brown.
• The students will regularly export the wiki in case it
needs to be recovered.
• Pages will be regularly copied to MS-Word so work can
continue in the event that the internet connection is
down.

7. Pedagogy
CDSC embraces explicit learning – I do, we do, you do. Although PBL does not
fit the explicit learning model there is, as Hmelo-Silver and colleagues (2007)
point out, a need for the teacher to scaffold the student’s learning through
extensive guidance and, when requested by the students, specific content
knowledge. “Scaffolded inquiry and problem-based environments present
learners with opportunities to engage in complex tasks that would otherwise
be beyond their current abilities” (p. 100).
The teacher is required to carry out extensive monitoring of all phases of the
project to enable appropriate guidance and ensure that the students are
working safely, legally and ethically.
The students will be using technology to research, integrate , manage and
evaluate data. This project requires the students to use higher order thinking
skills to solve problems, this will be facilitated by the use of ICT tools.

8. ICT & SAMR Model
ICT should not be used to just add bells and whistles instead it should be
used to transform learning.
The table below shows how technology is used in this project at all levels of
the SAMR Model.

9. Bloom’s Taxonomy & Technology
This problem based learning project facilitates higher order thinking skills.
The students will have worked within all the levels of Bloom’s taxonomy as
evidenced in the diagram below: