This ATE curriculum and professional development project, "Problem-Based Learning (PBL) for Sustainable Technology: Increasing the STEM Pipeline" is building on a strong foundation from previous projects including PHOTON PBL (DUE#0603143). Using Problem-Based Learning (PBL), they are developing active hands-on learning resources that challenge students to explore new and emerging technologies, to "think outside the box," and to apply their knowledge, skills and creativity in solving authentic real-world problems. This project is 1) expanding the scope of PHOTON PBL multimedia instructional materials to address additional STEM disciplines with a focus on sustainable technologies such as alternative energy, lighting, sensors, environmental protection, nanotechnology and biotechnology; 2) creating and implementing a web-based professional development course for the PHOTON PBL; and 3) developing a model one-semester classroom course in problem-based instructional methods for use in pre-service Technology and Engineering Education programs. They are also conducting research on the efficacy of Problem-Based Learning in STEM education. Their results are being disseminated through the project website (www.photonprojects.org), listserve, annual newsletter, presentations at professional organization meetings, and publications in professional journals.
Project Goals: Research shows that compared to traditional lecture-based instruction, PBL improves student understanding and retention of ideas, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills, motivation and learning engagement, and the ability to adapt their learning to new situations – skills deemed critical to lifelong learning. The STEM PBL Project had the following goals and objectives: 1) Expand scope of previous project PHOTON PBL (DUE#0603143) instructional materials to address additional STEM disciplines with a focus on sustainable technologies. Six authentic multimedia interdisciplinary PBL case studies called "Challenges" were developed in collaboration with industry during the project. They include: Wind Power, Solar Power, Advanced Lighting, Sustainable Agriculture, Wastewater Management and Green Chemistry. They are available at: www.pblprojects.org. The Challenges, designed for use in secondary and postsecondary STEM classrooms, have been aligned to the science standards developed by the National Science Education Standards, the mathematics standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the technological literacy standards developed by the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association. In addition, because mathematics is such a key component of STEM disciplines, the six STEM PBL and eight PHOTON PBL Challenges were also aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) mathematics and Kahn Academy math modules as well as other online practice sets. 2) Create and implement a web-based professional development course for the STEM PBL multimedia instructional materials and resources. Three five-week distance-learning sessions were held for participants to work in teams to implement the STEM PBL Challenges. In the first session, participants worked at a structured level (entirely instructor led) with the problem, discussion and solution videos shown in consecutive weeks. The second session was delivered using a guided level of instruction, where the course instructor withheld more information and the participants had to do more research on their own. The last session was delivered using the open-ended level of instruction where the course instructor acted as a facilitator and the participants were only shown the Problem Statement. Thirty-two participants began the first session, 28 began the second session and 26 began the third session. In the end, based on their level of participation in the course, 20 participants were rated as "high" or "moderate" participants. 3) Develop a model one-semester classroom course in problem-based instructional methods for use in pre-service Technology and Engineering Education (TEE) programs. An existing Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) pre-service "Teaching Technology and Engineering Education" (TE399) Methods course was adapted to include PBL. The course was field-tested in spring semester 2011 and was offered again in spring 2012 and 2013. See first research study in goal 4 below. 4) Conduct research on the efficacy of PBL in STEM education. Three research studies were conducted to examine learner reactions to the STEM PBL Challenges with regard to knowledge, skills and attitudes among pre-service and in-service STEM teachers, and engineering technology students, respectively. The first study looked at the impact of a newly developed PBL Methods course (TE-399) for pre-service STEM teachers in the Technology Engineering Education program at CCSU. The results suggest that the pre-service PBL Methods course had a positive impact on the future teachers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding the use of PBL in their future classrooms. A new graduate PBL Methods course was developed as a result of the success of the pre-service course, see third study. The second study examined student reactions to problem-based learning in two photonics technician education programs, one in Massachusetts and one in Connecticut. Results suggest that PBL can be an effective alternative to traditional didactic methods for providing engineering technicians with the problem-solving and critical thinking skills needed to meet the demands of the 21st century workplace. The third study conducted research on the newly developed graduate level Methods course, "STEM PBL Applications for Science and Technology Teachers" (TE-599) at CCSU for technology educators in problem-based learning. Results suggest that while the course had a positive impact on the in-service teachers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding the use of PBL, the implementation of PBL may be hampered in some cases by a school or district’s required adherence to a highly structured standards-based curriculum. The intellectual merit of this project shows that PBL provides instructors and students with active hands-on learning experiences that challenge them to explore new and emerging technologies that provide opportunities to "think outside the box" and apply their knowledge, critical thinking skills and creativity to solve authentic real-world problems. The broader impact of the project was that it introduced PBL instruction at the secondary and postsecondary level into a wide range of STEM disciplines by showcasing sustainable technologies in fields such as alternative energy, lighting, sensors, environmental protection, nanotechnology and biotechnology.
