Page 291 - Learning to Learn

LEARNING TO LEARN: BECOMING A SELF -GROWER 291
EXPERIENCE 10: READING FOR LEARNING READING
Level 3—Application of Knowledge to New Situations
Question How does a learner become successful in a problem-based learning environment, and what
are three practices these students use effectively?
Answer Successful learners would need to learn to use the Learning Process Methodology
effectively and understand the relationship between levels of learning and the ability to
solve problems. The key steps of using the LPM would be to become effective readers in
order to identify what information in the reading is critical for their understanding. This
would help them to ask the questions most likely to produce the meaning needed to for
applying the knowledge to the current problem.
A second practice is to use the Problem Solving Methodology to state the problem, identify
issues, and determine what is known, and what is not known in order to help identify
learning issues.
Finally, learning how to contextualize and transfer knowledge becomes critical so that any
new knowledge can be applied to other new problems with equal effectiveness.
Question How does a teacher become effective with PBL, and what are three key practices they must
embrace?
Answer The faculty member needs to see their role as not the expert (which they are) but as the
facilitator of learning and mentor of future doctors. The most important behavioral change is
developing the patience to let the process unfold. The facilitator already knows the questions,
direction, and solutions but must let the learners own the process. The faculty member
must focus on the assessment of the performance of the learners to strengthen the learners’
learning and problem solving skills. Also, the design of the learning experiences must be as
authentic as possible (true to real-life) and be structured with the right level of challenge for
the learners.
Level 4—Problem Solving and Working Expertise
Question In what disciplinary areas does PBL really work, and in what situations doesn’t it? Why is
there a difference?
Answer The context of the medical field (and scientific fields in general) tend to be where individuals
accumulate a lifetime of professional practice (and habits) even as new knowledge and
advancements are rapidly changing. The best practices that were state-of-the-art 10 years
ago are rarely now considered “good enough.” Learning must thus become part of daily
practice as new situations present themselves or new practices become available. How
many disciplines are producing research? Are problems becoming more complex? In each
of the disciplines where the answer is “yes,” the practices of PBL makes for a very strong
learning environment.
Hopefully you now see the challenges in reading for learning. You have experienced learning similar to
PBL in this class and have studied how learning works through the Learning Process Methodology and
problem solving through the Problem Solving Methodology. You have studied how the learner learns,
and the teacher facilitates. The level of thinking in producing levels of learning through the Reading
Methodology would allow you to answer these questions at these higher levels.