Share Paper: The Promise of Design Based Research for Online STEM Professional Development
Abstract: Problem-based learning is growing in popularity in STEM education contexts. PBL is grounded in four learning principles: constructive, self-directed, collaborative, and contextual. These four learning principles are especially difficult in an online environment. Design-based research was used to better understand how the challenges and opportunities these principles presented in development of an online professional development module focused on problem-based learning. Through the use of the design-based research model of design, implementation, evaluation, and improvement, results demonstrate the process by which the design team was able to support the four learning principles of problem-based learning through course structure, learning activities, and ...