The Art of Guiding Learning: PBL, PJBL, and Assessment

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT004 (Saturday)

Abstract

This study investigates how higher-education instructors who use Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Project-Based Learning (PjBL) make real-time facilitation and assessment decisions in diverse, often large classes. Guided by constructivist and situated learning perspectives, I employ a qualitative narrative approach using semi-structured interviews (with vignette prompts) to elicit instructors’ decision rules, informal assessment practices, and reflections. I anticipate identifying adaptable facilitation strategies, light-touch formative assessment tools that drive moment-to-moment pivots, and design choices that sustain student autonomy while maintaining clarity. Findings will offer a practical repertoire of strategies for implementing PBL/PjBL at scale and contribute to theory on instructor decision-making in inquiry-based higher-education contexts.

Author

• Portia Amoa-Danquah, Washington State University