The Design, Development and Evaluation of a Problem-based Learning Module: Implications for Teaching Digital Technology Skills to Middle School Students

With the call for a change in the way students are prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century, new teaching methods are under investigation. Problem-based learning is one such method believed to encourage the skills students need to succeed. The purpose of this study is to outline the implications for using this approach to teach digital technology skills. Through this developmental study, a learning module was designed and developed for instruction in an eighth grade technology class. The research study also included an expert review and evaluation of the module through implementation in a middle school in southern New Jersey. The findings are presented and implications include the need for a shift in several aspects of education; a shift in how students are taught, a shift in the role teachers assume through this approach, and a shift in how teachers are trained to implement this teaching approach. Finally, recommendations are made for instructional designers seeking to develop a model for instruction in a problem-based learning environment.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Department dc:contributor.department

Curriculum and Instruction

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Combs, Liesl Michele

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Brill, Jennifer M.
• Lockee, Barbara B.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Potter, Kenneth R.
• Burton, John K.

• middle school
• technology skills
• teaching methods
• instructional design
• problem-based learning

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04022008-131855

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/26598