Research on Problem-Based Learning at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) Members of the LDI community are currently collaborating with the staff and students of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), to conduct research on the implementation of problem-based instruction in the high school classroom, and to determine the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) - and other instructional strategies - on problem solving and metacognitive processes of learners.
is a public residential school for high school age students with demonstrated potential for mathematics and science. While serving these students, the academy has also served as a "laboratory" for implementing a number of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the high school curriculum. The "Learning Story of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy," authored by IMSA president Stephanie Pace-Marshall, provides further insight into the mission and activities of IMSA.
The following activities are being undertaken in the context of the LDI-IMSA inquiry effort:
- Analysis of the effect of problem-based, problem-centered, and lecture-based instruction on solving near-transfer and far-transfer problems in genetics, world studies, and macro-economics courses.
- Analysis of the use of hypothesis-driven (backward) reasoning skills and data-driven (forward) reasoning skills among learners as a result of the type of instructional strategy used to teach subject matter.
- Qualitative analysis of classroom activity and dynamics in problem-based classroom settings.
- Determination of the effect of metacognitive attributes and prior academic achievement on learner performance in problem-based, problem-centered, and lecture-based instructional settings.
- Analysis of the relationship between learners' definitions of learning, and learners' evaluation of the effectiveness of problem-based, problem-centered, and lecture-centered instructional strategies.
- Development and validation of an assessment instrument for measuring effectiveness in problem-solving and reasoning strategies among learners engaged in problem-oriented learning.
- Training of IMSA faculty and staff in the administration of research and assessment tools for measuring metacognitive development and problem solving skills.
- Development of a case-study analysis of the IMSA teaching and learning environment.
Data collection and training is being conducted through the early part of the 2002 calendar year.
For more information on this project, please contact Yusra Laila Visser. Furthermore, continue to check this section of the LDI site for updates on research progress and findings.
A paper on "What makes problem-based learning effective. The impact of various PBL attributes on performance, problem solving strategies, attitudes, and self-regulatory processes of high school science students," authored by Yusra Laila Visser, was presented on the fourth day of the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, held in New Orleans, April 1-5, 2002.