Implementing a Group- and Project/Problem-Based Learning in a College Algebra Course

Abstract

The idea of this paper originated from reading the interesting article written by Mohammad A. Alseweed in Studies in Literature and Language (2013). In the article, the author defined and analyzed traditional learning, blended/hybrid learning and virtual learning. The result favored blended/hybrid learning in test scores and students’ attitudes suggests that students are more receptive when instructors use different teaching approaches. In this paper we describe an innovative approach to project-based learning in a group setting environment. Traditional science instruction has tended to exclude students who need to learn from contexts that are real-world, graspable, and self-evidence meaningful (Kolodner et al., 2003). As emphasized by Blumenfeld, one way of encouraging student engagement and addressing the contextualization of students’ inquiry is through project-based instruction (Bumenfeld et al., 1991; Petrosino, 2004). The learning sciences community agrees that deep and effective learning is best promoted by situating learning in purposeful and engaging activity (Bransford et al., 1999; Collins et al., 1989; Kolodner et al., 2003). Our goal for developing this collaborative project/problem-based learning technique is to engage the students in deep learning by encouraging them to write and explain all the steps of their reasoning when yielding to the answers.