“Rather than provide direct instruction on a particular method that students should use and then having students solve the problem with that method, problem-based learning involves starting with the problem first and having students develop their own solution pathways. Problem-based learning tasks require students to define the question, find the relevant information necessary to solve the problem, decide which tools are needed, evaluate possible approaches, solve the problem, share their findings, and compare their reasoning to others. These sessions will draw upon my recent work on task development and implementation with students as well as adult learners.

“During these sessions, participants will engage in a variety of problem-based learning activities including three-act math tasks, open-middle problems, and open-ended tasks. We will explore how these tasks can be used to support student learning and for staff development. Participants will learn protocols for creating rich tasks, explore rubrics for task analysis, and learn effective instructional strategies when implementing a problem-based learning approach.

“Participants will leave with a variety of resources to support teachers including: Links to hundreds of tasks, planning guides, templates, articles, and access to an online repository of problem-based learning resources.”