Shelagh A. Gallagher

The Effects of Problem-Based Learning On Problem Solving

Problem-based instruction is designed to provide students with a guided experience in solving an ill-structured problem. All learning in problem-based instruction stems from students initial questions about a problem situation. Currently used in medical school programs, problem-based curriculum has not been tested at the high school level. Science, Society and the Future (SSF) is an experimental problem-based course for gifted high school students. In the interdisciplinary course, students examine the meaning and impact of current science issues (the effect of electromagnetic fields on childhood leukemia, the health care system). In this study, SSF students and a group of comparison students were tested to determine changes in their spontaneous use of problem-solving steps as they consider an ill-structured problem. Results show some significant changes for the SSF group not observed in the comparison group.

Problem-Based Learning: Where Did it Come from, What Does it Do, and Where is it Going?

Problem-based learning, unbeknownst to many educators, has been around for two decades. A brief history of the evolution of PBL shows innovation comprised of four elements: an ill-structured problem, substantive content, student apprenticeship, and self-directed learning. Research evidence supporting its effectiveness is not numerous but tends to support that PBL is better than traditional instruction on a number of variables, including long-term information retention, conceptual understanding, and self-directed learning. PBL can be modified with integrity into elementary, middle, and high school classrooms for the gifted.

Problem-Based Learning for Traditional and Interdisciplinary Classrooms.

Classroom instruction in problem solving often takes the form of presenting neat, verification-style problems to students at the end of a period of learning. This practice stands in stark contrast to professional problem solving, where the problem comes first, and is a catalyst for investigation and learning. Problem-based learning provides students with an opportunity to grapple with realistic, ill-structured problems using the same kinds of techniques and habits of mind professionals use. The problem-based curriculum and instruction design puts students in the role of professional problem solvers by designing instruction around the investigation of an ill-structured problem. Teachers act as metacognitive coaches and tutors instead of “experts” who have the “right answer” to the problem. Two different applications of problem-based learning at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are described in this article. One application is in an interdisciplinary senior elective course entitled Science, Society and the Future where problems investigate modern dilemmas resulting in modern advances in science and technology; the other is in a more traditional sophomore required course, American Studies, where the problems studied provide students with a feel for the critical decisions which drove the development of the Nation. A description of research projects underway to document the effectiveness of the program is also provided.

The Effects of Time and Direction Changes on the SAT Performance of Academically Talented Adolescents.

In an attempt to explain the gender gap in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, a study tested the effects of changing time limits and directions on the performance of academically talented males and females. Students took either the SAT-Math subtest (n = 46 males and 27 females) or the SAT-Verbal subtest (n = 36 males and 33 females) under Timed or Untimed conditions and with Standard or Non-standard Directions. Analyses involved comparisons of performance by gender under the experimental conditions. Resulting trends indicated differences on the basis of time and gender on the SAT-M subtest. Further analysis revealed several patterns which could potentially explain reasons for performance differences outside of ability. No significant differences were found on the SAT-V subtest. Discussion of study results include the reasons why performance on the SAT-M may not reflect pure ability and the efficacy of using the SAT-M with its current time limit to identify academic talent.

Myth 19: Is Advanced Placement an Adequate Program for Gifted Students?

Is it a myth that Advanced Placement (AP) is an adequate program for gifted students? AP is so covered with myths and assumptions that it is hard to get a clear view of the issues. Let us find the answer about AP by looking at current realties. Reality: AP is hard for gifted students to avoid. AP affects class rank through weighted grades. AP course taking, AP test scores, and AP class grades are three of the top 10 college admissions criteria (Breland, Maxey, Gernand, Cumming, & Trapani, 2002; Espenshade, Hale and Chung, 2005). AP test scores of 4 or 5 can save time and money in college. Students know these realities: In 2008, 1.58 million teens took 2.74 million AP tests, including 264,480 ninth and tenth graders. More than 11,000 students took six or more AP exams (College Board, 2008). Reality: AP never was a program for gifted students. From the start, the AP program was for colleges; early access to college credit was an incentive to encourage students to enroll in college. Students get credit, colleges get students, everyone benefits. Early AP literature was for and about gifted students because they were the college bound population. Today 75% of high school seniors continue to college. Reference to gifted students has disappeared from AP literature not because the program changed, but because college bound population changed. Reality: AP is now integral to secondary education. AP gained popularity as gifted students earned college credits and principals started weighing grades to encourage higher enrollments. Ultimately, AP caught the attention of educators seeking a reliable pinnacle of high school achievement. Suddenly school quality was judged in part on the number of AP courses offered, the number of students enrolled in AP, and the number of students who passed the exam. Schools started using open enrollment policies for AP; any motivated student could sign up. Federal and state education agencies now make significant investments in AP: · Thirty-seven state education policies mention AP by name; the Education Commission of the States provides guidelines to help write AP policy statements (Dounay, 2006). · The “Access to High Standards” section of No Child Left Behind is devoted exclusively to AP. · In 2008, the AP Incentive and Test Fee programs received

The Road to Critical Thinking: The Perry Scheme and Meaningful Differentiation:

43 million in federal subsidies, the Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act only received

Project P-BLISS: an Experiment in Curriculum for Gifted Disadvantaged High School Students

7.5 million. Federal money is supplemented locally by 47 states.

Meeting the Needs of Students With 2e It Takes a Team

On the road to critical thinking, many students are ready for something beyond rote memorization. But what comes next? How do their changing beliefs affect their learning? Are these students different from their peers? If they are, how can we accommodate and differentiate instruction so all students receive appropriate challenges and supports on their journey?

What Were Willie and Xavier Thinking? A Reflection on James Gallagher's Research on Student-Teacher Interaction.

Gifted disadvantaged students hide in the regular classroom with no reason to show what they can do, and many reasons why staying hid den seems like a good idea. Ultimately, the failure to find these stu dents and meet their needs is an enormous loss both to the individual student and to society. How can schools counteract the deterrents to achievement disadvantaged gifted students face?

Problem-Based Learning: As Authentic as It Gets.

The provision of flexible, multidimensional, customized supports and services for a twice-exceptional (2e) child requires a system of education that is capable of dynamic and personalized interventions that respond to a 2e student’s learning strengths and challenges. We believe that this kind of educational response entails more than an excellent individual teacher . . . it takes a team.