Excuse my language. In local SG speak, “What the Fish?!” is a milder take on another more offensive word. The modified phrase still does its job to show cheerful exclamation.
In a previous blog post, I shared that I signed up for a ONL course. To prepare for it, I had to restart blogging as well as relearn about Problem-based learning (PBL). This is because the ONL course structure is taught using the PBL model.
What is PBL and Why is it so intriguing?
This concise article from University of Illinois gives a nice summary of PBL. The main points I want to highlight are the perceived benefits from PBL problems. If done well, PBL can motivate learners to gain a deeper understanding of concepts, able to link prior knowledge so as to make reasoned decisions and defend them. All in an attempt to solve the underlying (hopefully real world) problem.
PBL to TBL
Back when I was at TTSH, I was privileged to see some team-based (TBL) in action at LKC SoM. It was quite fascinating to see how they used digital “scratch cards” to do Readiness Assurance Process. The medical students vigorously prepare for debates in classes to defend their decisions on how they tackle certain problems. There is a peer review system that keeps everyone in check. What was also fascinating was that their findings showed that a team with 1 or 2 brilliant minds does not necessarily outperform another team that does not have any superstars. In fact, the team that is more responsive and committed usually comes out with the best answer. No free rider.
The only “drawback” is that the faculty has to do much more to prepare their lessons for this TBL approach, which is like a PBL but customised for a team-based approach, similar to what Duke NUS does with their pedagogical approach (thanks to Frank Starmer for introducing that to me many years ago). How and why TTSH did not implement TBL in our training / L&D approach is for a different blog post for another time.
Why the FISh model?
The course organizers of ONL deliberately selected a simplified version of PBL to allow learners to follow a simple model (how do you forget an acronym like “FISh”?) from which team members can use repeatedly for each different topic. Rinse and repeat. Repeated practice will drill this concept into the learners. By the end of the course, we will see everything as a FISh, and even smell like one! Jokes aside, this deliberate design helps structure our learning process.
In a nutshell, just remember that a PBL-fish has 3 body parts. Namely:
Head = Focus
Body = Investigate
Tail = Share
When all the parts combine, we get... yes, a whole FISh.
Referencing directly from ONL website, FISh has been broken down into the following 3 steps:
1. Focus | 2. Investigate | 3. Share |
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At the end of ONL222, I may redraw this fish diagram with different proportions. I.e. If my experience with the team (hello PBL team 4!) concentrated a lot on “Focus”, with little on “Investigate” & “Share”, then I would probably draw a very big headed fish. If instead, we spent an inordinately large amount of time & effort on “Investigate”, then I would have a very obese looking fish... you get the idea.
Check back again to see how PBL team 4’s FISh will look like around December!
PS+ If PBL intrigues you, here are 2 readings recommended from my ONL course.
Beginner read this: Savin-Baden, M., (2014) Problem-based learning: New constellations for the 21stCentury. Journal of Excellence in College Teaching 25 (3/4) 197-219. (direct download)
Intermediate (know something about PBL already) read this: Kek, M. & Huijser, H. (2015). 21st century skills: problem based learning and the University of the Future. Paper Third 21st Century Academic Forum Conference, Harvard, Boston, USA.
Benedict Chia
24 Sep 2022
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