+1 862 207 3288 A copy of the marking rubric will be available on Blackboard. As the PBL group assignment is worth 35% students will be given more direction during class on how to get the best out of this assessment and also how the peer assessment will operate. All students
(internal and external) will be assigned to a group and will be set up with a Blackboard group discussion area. For external students you will work with this virtual group, internal students will use this electronic space to record extra group communication outside group meetings.
Requirements:
In this unit we will utilise a modified method of PBL. This will involve you working in a group with 6 – 8 other students throughout most of the semester. You will be allocated a problem learning scenario and create learning outcomes and a solution (see appendix for details of scenario). After being allocated one of the scenarios to work on you will read the case study and as a group you will define your learning objectives and identify the process by which you will achieve them.
Internal students will have a weekly seminar time made available to you to work on your PBL group assignment. This is to be conducted as a formal group session and you will be responsible for keeping a group record of your meetings. Every week your group will appoint a facilitator and a secretary. The facilitator is to guide the group process and the secretary is to provide assistance and keep a group record which will be posted on your group discussion page on Blackboard. The following week the previous secretary becomes the facilitator and a new secretary is appointed. External students will also follow this basic approach.
Problem based learning is a method that is a major learning strategy in a large number of universities around the world. PBL puts the students at the centre of the learning. Effective
PBL requires good group skills, problem solving skills and clear learning objectives. To do this activity effectively will require students to discuss the problem, explore different options, and divide the problem into manageable parts and sub-problems, trying to find similarities with other problems that have been addressed in other similar contexts. You must ensure that the solutions you generate have an evidence basis. We will also work through the basics of undertaking a PBL in an early week in the seminars.
A guide to problem based learning is located under unit resources on Blackboard. Please read this before your group starts meeting. The following provides a summary of the steps involved in this process:
1. Decide who will be the first week’s facilitator. A Blackboard discussion area will be set up for each group. This will allow for quick group communication and a place to write up a record of group process – the job of the secretary. You will need to discuss how you will work
together – what are your strengths, areas of interest etc. Your tutor has access to this discussion area and will be able to also monitor your group progress.
2. Read the case/problem, clarify words, terms, concepts you are not familiar with.
3. These scenarios are all based hypothetically in WA although they could be applied to many areas in Australia. If you have group members who are not familiar with this setting e.g. international students or distance students, then as a group ensure you brief these members so they understand the situation. If as an external group you feel completely unfamiliar with this setting then please discuss with your tutor early on.
4. Formulate group learning objectives i.e. what do you want to get out of the experience as
a group e.g. work well together as a group, work efficiently, and come up with a realistic solution.
5. Ensure you have agreed on the group process including when and how often you will meet, how you will communicate (this is particularly important for external students) and what timeline/plan will ensure you get through this task. You may need to swap emails, phone numbers and agree to meetings outside of class time.
6. Define the problem/s, analyse the problems and make an inventory for the different explanations of the problem that you have found.
7. Study and find the required information by allocating work tasks to group members, reporting back, discussing and synthesising the findings. You will need to consult a number
of resources and professional literature.
8. Come up with some strategies. These scenarios are complex so it is essential that you consider a comprehensive approach. You will need to think creatively and think about an integrated response. Ensure you have a timeline that will mean that you will complete the tasks by the due date. Decide who will be responsible for the final edit of the written report.
9. Review your work to determine whether your activity has met the learning objectives you set.
Expected outcomes:
This is a group assignment hence only one copy of the final submission is required for each group. Ensure however that all members get a final copy for their own records.
This assessment will be submitted electronically directly via Blackboard. If you have attachments ensure they have all been pasted into one final document for uploading.
You need to include the following in your report:
1. Cover page with group member names, student numbers, and declaration
2.¡ Introduction
¡ Group learning objectives e.g. work well together, pass unit
¡ Group process (briefly)
¡ Introduction to scenario and what you see as the main issues
¡ Your ideas for some strategies to address the main issues
¡ Conclusion including whether you achieved your learning objectives
¡ References
3. Copies of completed peer assessment sheets (see Blackboard for peer assessment sheets). One required from each group member (check how to do this openly and honestly). You will be required to submit a peer review of the assessment. Any student identified by their peers as not contributing to the group learning process and outcomes may fail this activity. The relevant form to complete will be on Blackboard.
Special instructions for submission
Written PBL reports are due by Friday 6th June. To submit your PBL for grading you will need to do the following:
l Ensure you have your final written version saved as one Word doc.
l The assessment submission cover sheet needs to be completed. List the names and student numbers of all group members.
l Scan and save all the peer review feedback sheets into one PDF document.
l Appoint one member of your PBL team who will submit the above via Blackboard Grade centre and also send an email to your tutor to advise you have done this for your group providing the group’s name and topic.
l Students will have an individual mark recorded for them and the feedback will go to the group person who lodged the report. They can then share this with other group members.
PBL Scenarios
You will be allocated one of the following PBL scenarios to work on for this group activity. Be sure to read the guide to PBLs located within the assessment tab on Blackboard.
1. Leavers in Bali
This Problem Based Learning (PBL) activity looks at the issue of drug use during Leavers which has developed as an important, if controversial, way to mark the end of secondary education for many students in Australia.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this PBL activity, students might have covered some of the following areas:
l A history and description of what Leavers is
l New developments with Leavers going overseas to celebrate
l Why it has the potential to cause drug problems
l An understanding and appreciation of the different perspectives that different stakeholder groups have
l The range of potential strategies that could be put in place to make this safer
Description
For many young people in Australia, Leavers has become a traditional occasion to mark the end of students’ senior high school years. Students tend to congregate in several well know locations and ‘wind down’ after the hard slog of TEE. However Leavers has also become known
as a time that many young people are exposed to and may partake in drug use – both illicit and licit. Concern has been expressed by many quarters, including parents, school authorities, local authorities and some students, about the drug taking behaviour at these events. There is concern not just about the consumption of alcohol and other drugs but associated behavior including unsafe sex, violence and traffic injuries. Many Australian students are now travelling to Bali for Leavers. A group of health and education professionals is particularly concerned about WA Leavers travelling to Bali. You are a member of this group. Why are you are worried and what solutions are you advocating? What other people and organizations will you need to consult and work with? Who will you need to convince of your approach?
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