The Role of Criticism in Understanding Problem Solving: Honoring the Work of John C. Belland

259 Pages·2012·2.462 MB·English

by  Samuel B. Fee, Brian R. Belland (auth.), Samuel B. Fee, Brian R. Belland (eds.)

Explorations in the Learning Sciences, Instructional
Systems and Performance Technologies
Volume 5
Series Editors
J. Michael Spector, Athens, GA, USA
Susanne LaJoie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
For further volumes:
http://www.springer.com/series/8640

Samuel B. Fee Brian R. Belland
●
Editors
The Role of Criticism
in Understanding
Problem Solving
Honoring the Work of John C. Belland
Editors
Samuel B. Fee Brian R. Belland
Washington and Jefferson College Utah State University
60 South Lincoln St. 2830 Old Main Hill
Washington, Pennsylvania, USA Logan, Utah, USA
ISBN 978-1-4614-1051-5 e-ISBN 978-1-4614-3540-2
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-3540-2
Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012937881
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
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Preface
We began this project as an effort to honor the memory of John C. Belland. A prac-
titioner and scholar of educational technology, he served his fi eld and his students
for decades. And while all good careers eventually come to an end, he is sorely
missed for his contributions and support.
John was always questioning. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge and deep under-
standing of complex issues encouraged all of us to fully understand the tenets of
instructional design, and then challenge the preconceived notions of the fi eld. It was
never good enough to merely understand the state of the fi eld—to be successful
practitioners, we needed to have those understandings, but also be thinking about
where we were heading and why.
This text is in many ways a continuation of that mindset. Certainly, we look back-
ward at P aradigms Regained , a volume that John Belland and Denis Hlynka authored in
1991. However, our effort here is not to merely take that work forward, but to reevaluate
it, consider the state of the fi eld today, and propose ways in which we might think of
heading forward in our studies of the theory that drives our practices in educational
technology and instructional design. We hope that this volume will serve as an originator
of new ideas as well as a tool for prompting reconsideration of preexisting knowledge.
For our part, we would like to thank our coauthors—all of whom have put up
with numerous emails, various levels of feedback, and multiple queries regarding
deadlines and other minutiae. They have been a pleasure to work with, and we are
very proud to have their contributions for this volume. In many ways, the quality of
our contributors speaks for the quality of the text.
Brian would also like to acknowledge support from the National Science
Foundation (Early CAREER Grant 0953046). Any opinions, fi ndings, and recom-
mendations in this book are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily
represent offi cial positions of NSF.
We would also like to thank our families and friends who have supported us through-
out this lengthy project, and have been very understanding when we have had to “put the
time in” for this volume. Your understanding has always been very deeply appreciated.
Washington, PA, USA Samuel B. Fee
Logan, UT, USA Brian R. Belland
v

Contents
Understanding Criticism and Problem-Based
Learning: An Introduction ............................................................................. 1
Samuel B. Fee and Brian R. Belland
Part I Critical Theory
Argumentation, Critical Reasoning, and Problem Solving ......................... 13
J. Michael Spector and S. Won Park
Postmodernism: A Twenty-First Century Primer to
Problem-Based Learning ................................................................................ 35
Denis Hlynka
What Does a Connoisseur Connaît? Lessons for Appreciating
Learning Experiences ..................................................................................... 43
Patrick Parrish
Part II Application to the Field
Developing a Critical Stance as an E-Learning Specialist:
A Primer for New Professionals..................................................................... 57
Brent G. Wilson
Critical Theory and the Mythology of Learning with Technology ............. 69
Norm Friesen
Habitus, Scaffolding, and Problem-Based Learning: Why Teachers’
Experiences as Students Matter .................................................................... 87
Brian R. Belland
Aesthetics and Game-Based Learning: Applying John C. Belland’s
Connoisseurship Model as a Mode of Inquiry ............................................. 101
Michele D. Dickey
vii
viii Contents
Part III Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
Integrating Metacognitive Prompts and Critical Inquiry
Process Display to Support Development of Problem-Solving Skills ......... 115
Wei-Chen Hung and James Lockard
Issues in Problem-Based Learning in Online Teacher Education .............. 141
Brenda I. López Ortiz
The Fallacies of Problem-Based Learning Viewed as
in a Hermeneutic Perspective on Best Teaching Practices .......................... 161
Margaret E. Bérci
Part IV Case Studies and Current Practice
Design for Media: Nurturing the Transition of Media Arts Students
from Consumers to Producers Through Deliberate Practice ..................... 187
Charlotte Belland
Genetic Literacy and Problem-Based Learning ........................................... 197
Rick Voithofer
Correlating Problems Throughout an Interdisciplinary Curriculum ....... 215
Samuel B. Fee and Amanda M. Holland-Minkley
Ethical Angles on Service Learning .............................................................. 231
Nick Eastmond and Jonathan M. Thomas
Conclusion: Building on the Strengths of Interdisciplinarity ..................... 245
Brian R. Belland and Samuel B. Fee
About the Editors ............................................................................................ 249
About the Authors ........................................................................................... 251
Index ................................................................................................................. 255
Understanding Criticism and Problem-Based
Learning: An Introduction
Samuel B. Fee and Brian R. Belland
In 1991, Denis Hlynka and John Belland released P aradigms Regained , a text that
proposed criticism as a mode of research in educational technology (Hlynka &
Belland, 1 991 ) . Our efforts involve updating some of those ideas initially proposed
in Paradigms Regained , and extending the conversation into the contemporary dis-
course regarding problem-based learning (PBL), a pedagogical approach that is
enjoying considerable interest among educators in various fi elds right now. This text
will relate criticism and PBL to current trends in educational research, thus making
it helpful for practitioners in the fi eld of educational technology.
The Role of Criticism in Understanding Problem Solving re fl ects upon how
learners engage in the processes of problem solving and critical thinking by explor-
ing the critical theories that undergird these processes. It is important to note the
distinction between criticism, which is a practice involving interrogation, analysis,
and response, and critical theory, which is the body of knowledge that undergirds
criticism. Critical theory explains the various impulses and positions that shape edu-
cational practices.
The theoretical approach informing this book re fl ects the ideas of post-structuralist
thinkers like Foucault and Derrida, who rejected structuralist assertions that all
social constructs re fl ect certain sets of universal ideas (or structures). Instead, they
posited self-perception as central to meaning making. According to post-structuralism,
the world is a construct of one’s own meaning making, and not a world of preexisting
objective structures.
S. B. Fee (*)
Washington & Jefferson College , Washington , PA , USA
e-mail: [email protected]
B. R. Belland (*)
Utah State University , Logan , UT , USA
e-mail: [email protected]
S.B. Fee and B.R. Belland (eds.), The Role of Criticism in Understanding Problem Solving, 1
Explorations in the Learning Sciences, Instructional Systems and Performance Technologies 5,
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-3540-2_1, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
2 S.B. Fee and B.R. Belland
Central to a discussion of post-structuralism is the idea of epistemology, or the
origins of knowledge. If the world is a construct of one’s own meaning making, and
not a universal set of ideas, then students should learn about the world by making
meaning through authentic experiences with the world (Matthews, 2 003 ) . In short,
they should construct knowledge through learning opportunities that are experiential,
active, and collaborative and that also develop problem-solving skills (Jonassen, 2 000 ) .
The goal for the learner is not to passively absorb and reproduce information, but
rather to actively engage with content, work through it with others, and effectively
solve problems. The ultimate goals of such learning experiences are content mastery
and the development of problem-solving and other critical-thinking abilities.
Problem-Based Learning
PBL is a pedagogical approac h in which student learning is centered around authentic,
ill-structured problems. Ill-structured problems differ from the story problems tradi-
tionally used in education in that the former have multiple possible solutions and
solution paths (Jonassen, 2 000) . In PBL, students also need to learn content to enable
problem solving. PBL orients students “toward meaning making over fact collect-
ing” (Rhem, 1 998) . This of course means that the student is an active participant in
the learning process (Bonwell & Eison, 1991) . The result is a necessary relaxing of
the more traditional classroom structure (with an authoritative instructor) so that stu-
dents can pursue ideas in a fashion that makes sense to them individually, rather than
the specifi c prescribed approach that the teacher may have in mind. Indeed, many
approaches could be relevant for attaining the knowledge developed by the intellec-
tual task at hand. Therefore, students need to be free to develop those knowledge
constructions in their own way. This does not mean that there is no structure to the
process as some might suggest (Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2 006 ) . Rather, a looser
structure governs the endeavor and allows the student to maneuver in several differ-
ent directions under the guidance of an engaged instructor. Of course, there are
numerous pedagogical approaches that enable a constructivist way of knowing.
From its origin in medical education (Barrows, 1996 ) , PBL has since spread to
many subjects and grade levels ranging from middle school science (Belland, 2 010 )
to university statistics (Mercier & Frederiksen, 2 007 ) . For an in-depth discussion,
the inaugural issue of T he Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning
contains a particularly useful introduction that lays out the essential elements of
PBL (Savery, 2006 ) .
Elements to Bear in Mind
The process of PBL is by no means easy—developing good problems for students to
solve is a very challenging and critical step in providing effective instruction (Duch,