Flashbacks – going from learner to student again
It was my first week of medical school at the Karolinska Institute. We were told that since the university was now attempting a PBL approach, we wouldn’t be told what parts of the oversized book to read, since figuring it out ourselves would somehow make us learn better. At our first seminar we were given the PBL assignment: Serine proteases
– What is that and what are we supposed to do? we asked our tutor.
– That’s a great question to start with! he answered.
Starting a new course or education is confusing enough. This whole PBL concept added to our confusion and I always assumed that it was because our teachers didn’t know how to use the teaching methods properly.
Now, 22 years later, I am taking a course in online learning, #onl161, and I have joined a PBL group. We are six adult learners with different backgrounds, but all experienced in our respective fields. Faced with a PBL scenario, without clear instructions and structure, I get flashbacks from medical school and I feel this urge to revolt and scream that Problem Based Learning should be called Problem Creating Learning. Then I remind myself that I no longer consider myself a student, but a life long learner and that I didn’t sign up for this course to neither score nor prove points, but to question my beliefs and reflect on new and old experiences. Maybe it is easier to be just a student.
akutdoktorn 
Nice analogy Katrin! Learning is messy and more so in this online context as one tries to make sense of it all. Creating more structure for oneself is one thing but the learning becomes so much richer when we have developed our collaborative literacies. And it is that which the #ONL161 opportunity and journey will provide through Creative PB Learning!
Nice analogy Katrin! Learning is messy and more so in this online context as one tries to make sense of it all. Creating more structure for oneself is one thing but the learning becomes so much richer when we have developed our collaborative literacies. And it is that which the #ONL161 opportunity and journey will provide through Creative PB Learning.
The participants on ONL are mostly quite experienced and also aware of the academic context. As such we can most of the time take a birds-eye perspective on even the course design and chosen learning activities. This is not fair to do with a rookie student, though.
For PBL to work – it need a methodological approach with clear instructions. I don’t think the teacher can resign from responsibilities with the alibi of student active learning. Student active learning requires a very conscious and present teacher. Maybe not as a provider of knowledge, but as one guiding the learning process.
Thanks for commenting, Anne and Carl Mikael! It’s an unexpected benefit of the course to learn more about PBL as well. I think Anne is doing exactly what you are describing, Carl Mikael, encouraging and pushing our group forward while preventing us from going astray.
This first scenario was perfect for our group, and maybe for any group doing an online course together on whatever subject, since it is all about getting the group to work well together.
OK-well….talk about learning being frustrating….I just wrote a comment, but couldn’t post it and it was gone!
Anyway; trying again…..
I am reassured by Anne writing that learning is messy…and especially on-line learning. I think that is in part why it is frustrating for me, I like order and learning by doing feels like a frustrating way to go…I understand the pedagogical point, I have no problem with making mistakes, but I think I feel it is ineffective.
As Miss Marple said (from ”The Magic School Bus”) ”go ahead -get messy”
-messy is OK, it’s the frustration I am not so happy with