What are your initial reactions to this theory/model? What are barriers to its use? What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?
When I first heard "Case Based Learning," I immediately thought of law school. (Actually I thought of Legally Blonde- the setting of which was law school.) I see Case Based Learning as a valuable learning method for adult learners in many different occupations- lawyers, doctors, teachers, nurses, plumbers, electricians, etc. Basically, the way most people operate on a day to day basis is case-based. You encounter a situation at work or at home (struggling student, leaky faucet, bumpy rash, etc.) and you use your knowledge from previous situations (cases) to decide the best solution.
A barrier I see is that without at least a certain level of pre-requisite information, case based learning just seems like guess and check. I think, however, that cases paired with other teaching methods could provide a valuable way for learners to apply and practice new skills and knowledge.
Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?
I don't really see me formally using case based learning with my elementary school students. For the most part, I think this method is a little too complex for younger students to benefit from it. It might be too difficult to translate knowledge from one case to an entirely different one without a great deal of teacher support.
That being said, I think it is important to include some elements of this type of learning in elementary instruction. Students do need to understand that other people have solved problems in different ways in the past and consider how how those solutions can help them figure out new scenerios. Students should also reflect back on their own cases (past experiments, problem solving strategies, trials and errors) to make decisions about what methods to use in the present.
Since we're taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?
Online databases are an excellent way to store collections of cases for specific occupations and situations, since these databases are accessible to all and searchable by a variety of factors. I have loved looking through the Knowledge Innovation for Technology in Education (KITE) case database. I had no idea something like this existed and plan on continuing to search this resource when planning technology integration for my classroom. Cases could also be shared using video on sites such as YouTube or Google Video.
Hi Rachel, I enjoyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteWithout having ever been in your classroom, I'm going to make a wager that you have actually used case-based learning with your elementary school students. You probably weren't thinking, oh, wow, this is CBL! The reason I make this wager (won't put a dollar amount on it, I'm broke :() is because I so clearly remember my teachers in elementary school reading stories and showing videos about such things as anger management, healthy food choices, taking care of a pet, etc. These were stories involving actual children: stories with which we could relate, which were authentic, interesting, and from which we could draw for our own use. I know education has changed since back then, but I presume that the same kinds of stories are being used in today's elementary school classrooms. Or am I wrong?
Thanks again for the post,
Al
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI think the case-based scenario does have a limited use at the elementary level. For example, if you wanted to teach students proper behavior, you could have a group of students act out something you witnessed in the past. Then, the rest of the class can tell you what is wrong with that behavior.
I think as teachers we use CBL/CBR more as a professional tool (how we problem solve within our PLTs) than actual lesson platforms. I also think the CBL/CBR process can be subconsciously used - again, when we are working with the child that doesn't want to try, we ask ourselves, "What have I done in the past with a similar problem - what worked?"
ReplyDelete