This short presentation provides an overview of key considerations when initiating an online design - it leverages the process of problem based learning to ensure an 'active' role for the participating learners

1. Designing for Enquiry Based Learning Online
David.Jennings@ucd.ie

2. Overview
• Introduction to online E/PBL
• Review and evaluating online examples
• Planning an online scenario
• Developing Triggers, RLRs and E/PBL Templates for
dissemination online

3. Objectives
• Discuss the concept of Enquiry and Problem-Based Learning
• Explore the opportunities of online E/PBL
• Evaluate online resources and methodologies
• Designing online scenarios
• Producing plans and artifacts (RLRs)

4. Outcomes
By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
• Describe the methodology of online E/PBL
• Analyse and evaluate an array of online E/PBL methods
• Plan, design and create an online scenario

5. The Role of Active Engagement

6. What is Enquiry Based Learning?
• Any approach to learning that embraces the concept of enquiry
…it promotes personal research...the student becomes more
familiar with the multifarious resources at their disposal, such
as e-journals and databases. There it the opportunity to
support one another in research and explore different avenues
of information. The whole experience becomes one of
interchange where students share opinions, research and
experience in order to achieve an end result.
Khan & O’Rourke, Chapter 1, pp1 Handbook of Enquiry & Problem Based Learning. Barrett, T., Mac Labhrainn,
I., Fallon, H. (Eds). Galway: CELT, 2005.

7. What is Problem Based Learning?
• Learning that results from the process of working towards a
resolution or understanding of a problem
They [medical students] were bored and disenchanted when
medical education should have been exciting. The committee
noted that medical education didn’t become exciting for
students until residency training, when they were working with
patients trying to solve their problems. They decided that from
the beginning of school, learning would occur around a series
of biomedical problems presented in small groups with the
faculty functioning as “tutors or guides of education
Barrows, H (2000) Foreword (vii), in D. Evenson and C. Hmelo (eds.) Problem-based Learning: A Research
Perspective on Learning Interaction. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

10. How may we achieve this online?
Online supports may enable
• Web resources to be used to solve, aid, develop, assess and
evaluate solutions to defined problems
• Chat, discussion, collaboration, analysis, interaction, presentation
in the process of resolving defined problems

11. How may we achieve this online?
Online supports may enable
• Web resources to be used to solve, aid, develop, assess and
evaluate solutions to defined problems
E-journals, databases, case studies, Institutional collections,
research portals, repositories etc
• Chat, discussion, collaboration, analysis, interaction, presentation
in the process of resolving defined problems
wikis, VLEs, blogs, chat-rooms, SMS, email, GoogleDocs, ZoHo,
Social Networks, IVC etc

13. Moving to an online scenario
• Why choose this methodology?
• Determined by learners needs - not technology at hand
• What approach to use?
• Independent, Blended, Composite
• How to integrate the solution?
• Medium, Mode, Scale, Moderation, Location

15. Types of Online E/PBL
• Home made
• Requires graphic & instructional design, programming
• VLE embedded
• Sequenced tasks, activities, multiple tools
• Treasure Hunt / Resource Based Learning
• Knowledge acquisition / construction utlising multiple sources
of information on the web
• Online Case Studies
• Related data, simulations, interactive tasks

16. Types of Online E/PBL .2
• WebQuest
"...an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the
information that learners interact with comes from resources on
the internet, optionally supplemented with
videoconferencing" (Dodge, 1995a; Dodge, 1995b).
http://webquest.org/index.php
http://questgarden.com/
http://www.bestwebquests.com/
http://zunal.com/

17. E/PBL Guidelines
1. Clarify terms
2. Define the problem
3. Analyse the problem
4. Systematic clarification
5. Formulating learning outcomes
6. Self and Group study
7. Reporting via a joint presentation/discussion
Based on the work of Tseëlon E 2002. http://www.ucd.ie/sociolog/PBL/index.html

18. 1.Clarify terms (collected resources and a glossary may be provided
online as a mutual starting point) Participants invited to ask for or be
given explanations as required.
2.Define the problem (presentation of the problem and its context were
provided online) Participants are required to define the major issues
captured by the problem.
3.Analyse the problem (facilitated by the online group tutorial)
Participants expected to brainstorm associative connections to the
problem, activating any previous knowledge within the group.
Participants then invited to list any relevant aspects, questions/queries
etc.
4.Systematic clarification (facilitated during online group discussion and
asynchronous discussion threads.) Participants begin by classifying
themes that emerged at the brainstorming session into higher order
groupings. Further refinement may present itself in discussion threads.

19. 5.Formulating learning outcomes (facilitated by online group discussion.
On the basis of knowledge that is lacking, participants formulate learning
goals in unambiguous, well-defined and concrete terms.
6.Self and Group study (facilitated by discussion threads, shared resources
and group presentation/paper). Participants having established keywords
and terms, seek out appropriate resources, systematically checking
sources and working towards synthesizing all relevant material to achieve
the identified learning outcomes.
7.Reporting via a joint presentation/discussion (facilitated by second
online group tutorial) Participants share collectively with other group
members the results of one's inquiries, and decide on an appropriate
action plan to resolve the initial problem.

20. Blackboard Schema

21. Task - Mapping out an E/PBL Scenario
• http://www.bubbl.us/
• http://vue.tufts.edu/index.cfm
• http://cmap.ihmc.us/conceptmap.html
• http://cmap.ihmc.us/conceptmap.html

22. Task Planning...
• Using the worksheets;
• Review a current Module, scope out potential to design a E/PBL
scenario (and/or a trigger RLR)
• Identify / create instructional design plan

23. Task Planning...2
Provide:
Overview (context, activity description etc)
Learning Outcomes
Scenario Building (provides a ‘hook’ to activity)
Task Analysis (focuses learners on actual problem solving)
Roles and Goals (assign / identify variety of roles and expected
goals of each individual)

24. Creating WebQuests
• Go to: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/lognew.html
• Fill in the form and select ‘Spin this Thing’
• Provide links to sources / resources you have identified - under the
“Add Links”
• Select WebQuest then
• Provide the ‘Roles’ (identified in the worksheet) - under the “Create
Category Names”
• Check the appropriate radio button for each category
• Follow up by using the “Customize” link to complete the WebQuest
as per the Worksheets

25. Task - Virtual Field Trip
• Selection of Problem Scenarios http://www.udel.edu/pbl/
problems/
• Alternative modes http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-usevirtual-world
• A little closer to home http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dublin/
89/77/24/?title=Dublin_in_SL
• RLR / Trigger development http://www.articulate.com/products/
engage-demos.php

26. Task alternative development
• Go to http://questgarden.com/
• Use the tool to create an online ‘Quest’

27. Homework...
• Go forth and create...
• Questions
Contact me at David.Jennings@ucd.ie

28. ‘education is not a pail to be filled but a fire to be lit…’
W.B. Yeats