Problem-Based Learning in Peruvian Higher Education:

Science and Math Education for Future Public School Teachers

PUCP - UD

Dr. George WatsonDr. Deborah AllenUniversity of Delaware

Dra. Ana Pastor de AbramPontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Washington DC, August 11, 2004

Delaware, USA Dela where?

Perú, South America

Date of foundation : 1917Departments : 11Undergraduate majors: 45 Masters programs: 32Ph. D. programs : 3

PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL PERU

                                  

University Community

Regular students: 15 490Undergraduates: 14 682Graduates: 808International students: 179

Professors:

Total: 2352Full time: 338Part time: 2014

Science Departments Physics Mathematics Chemistry Civil Engineering Mechanical Engineering Industrial Engineering

Mining Engineering Electronic Engineering Computing Science Architecture Telecommunications

Problems in Math and Science Education in the Public

Schools in Perú

A) There is an extreme achievement gap between private and public schools in Peru.

B) Results of International Standardized Tests (public schools):

Last place in Latin America TIMS 1996 PISA 2002

Professional Development of Teachers at Present

1. Pre service teachers do not receive quality math and science courses in the public institutions of education.

2. Science content courses and science pedagogy courses are not well articulated in the pre-service teacher curriculum, so teachers are not well equipped with effective teaching methods.

Hypothesis

The incorporation of Problem-Based Learning as a strategy in the professional development of future math and science teachers will help to better articulate math and science content with pedagogy in an efficient way.

What is Problem-Based Learning?

PBL prepares students to think critically and analytically, and to find and use appropriate learning

resources.

PBL is an learning approach that challenges students to “learn to learn,” working cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real world

problems.

“The principal idea behind PBL is that the starting point for learning should be a problem, a query, or a puzzle that the learner wishes to solve.”

Boud (1985)

What is Problem-Based Learning?

What are the CommonFeatures of PBL?

Learning is initiated by a problem.

Problems are based on complex, real-world situations.

All information needed to solve problem is not initially given.

Students identify, find, and use appropriate resources.

Students work in permanent groups.

PBL: The Process

Students are presented with a problem. They organize ideas and previous knowledge.

Students pose questions, defining what they know and do not know.

Students assign responsibility for questions, discuss resources.

Students reconvene, explore newly learned information, refine questions.

Overview

Problem, Project, or Assignment

Group Discussion

Research

Group Discussion

Preparation of Group “Product”

Whole Class Discussion

Mini-lecture(as needed)

Assessment(when desired)

The Problem-BasedLearning Cycle

Activities at PUCP during the First Year

1. Training of six PUCPprofessors at UD Oct 2002

2. Designing the first PBL workshop at PUCP Nov 2002 – Jan 2003

3. PBL workshop in Lima. February 2003

4. Implementation of PBL and Cooperative Learning. From March to July 2003

5. Mentoring of the innovative experiences. From March to July 2003

6. Second PBL workshop in Lima. July 2003

7. Internal evaluation. July 2003

Activities at PUCP during the First Year

1. Implementation of courses in PBL and CL methodologies at PUCP continued during the second semester (July to December, 2003).

2. PBL workshop for professors who teach courses for pre service math and science, public school teachers and professors at other universities. (Feb. 2004)

3. Assessment of the implementation of the innovations in PUCP and these additional institutions from March to July, 2004.

Activities in PUCP during the Second Year

4. Workshop “Diseño de Problemas, Procesos y Evaluación en el Método ABP” for professors at PUCP. July 2004.

5. Collaborative methods in PUCP Are they worth the trouble? 15, 16 July 2004

6. Evaluation of project. September 2004

Activities in PUCP during the Second Year

PUCP Professor Leaderstrained in PBL at UD

Luis Bretel PhilosophyIsabel Landa ChemistryPatricia Morales ChemistryPatrizia Pereyra PhysicsCarlos Pizarro PhysicsJorge Quiroz PhysicsEmilio Gonzaga MathCecilia Gaita MathWilmer Atoche Math Victoria Ramirez EngineeringMiguel Cataño EngineeringQuino Valverde Engineering

3er

2do

1er

4to

100

84

45

87

Workshops 2003 - 2004

1° y 2° : PUCP + others3° : public institutions4° : PUCP

Training of 316 Individuals

92 156

708

PUCP 2003

Public institutions

Foreignguests

PUCP 2004

Examples of Courses at PUCP that Incorporate PBL

Sciences• Math 1, 2 and 3• Physics 1 and 2• Chemistry 1 and 2• Statics• Dynamics• Technical drawing

Engineering• Thermodynamics• Fluid dynamics• Automatic control • Hydrology • Communication theory• Plant Engineering• Geology and Mineralogy Lab.• Mechanical drawing

Foreign guests:

• Chile• Colombia

National guests:

• School Fé y Alegría • Instituto Superior Pegagógico de Monterrico• Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos• Universidad Enrique Guzmán y Valle• Universidad Nacional Federico Villareal• Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería• Universidada nacional Agraria, La Molina

Participants in Training at PUCP:

• Cuba• México

Outside Perú

• PUCP Professors provided PBL workshops in other countries:

Chile (Universidad del Bio Bio, Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad de Antofagasta (Chile),México (Universidad de Colima) andColombia (Corporación Universitaria Autónoma de Cali).

• Professors from Chile, Cuba, Colombia and Mexico visited PUCP (in last 2 years), to observe and learn about our PBL experiences.

•Translation into Spanish and publication of the “Power of Problem Based Learning”(A book about Delaware experiences)•The current

preparation of a new book that presents PUCP PBL experiences and researches in several departments (in science and engineering).

Additional Results

•The continuous increase of number of professors who now are discussing and reflecting about teaching and learning. •Two engineering

departments (Electronic and Mechanical), are transforming their curriculum into a PBL format (like the “hybrid curriculum” of Queen’s University of Canada), etc.

•Many private and public institutions (schools and universities) are interested in our PBL experiences and want to participate in PBL training.

Additional Results