Pedagogy - ONE DAY ONE PROBLEM

ONE DAY ONE PROBLEM

On each working day, students enrolled for regular modules gather in classes of not more than 25 students. A facilitator is assigned to each classroom and attends to the class proceedings for that day. Students work in teams of not more than 5 and focus on responding to an assigned “problem” for the day. There is a three-meeting separated by two-breakout regulated structure for each day.

THE FIRST MEETING (APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR)

The facilitator presents the students with a problem statement early in the first meeting. Students discuss the problem statement, draw out prior knowledge with reference to the issues raised, and devise initial pathways for developing a response, with the facilitator providing guidance. Students may use a heuristic of asking what they know, what they do not know or unsure of, and what they need to find out, in order for them to start working on their response to the problem. A “worksheet” designed by the problem-crafter to loosely direct students towards useful and related knowledge for the “problem” is normally made available to students. In some instances, there are additional “scaffolds” designed by the problem-crafter for students to interact with and experience a certain reality. The key outcome of the first meeting is students identifying learning issues via the “problem”. Well-designed problem statement, “worksheet” and “scaffolds” are therefore key to the quality of learning for the students.

STUDY PERIOD I (APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR)

Students are free to decide how work is allocated and collectively shared in their team during this learning time. They may carry out preliminary research to check the initial ideas generated in their first meeting. They may attempt the learning activities in the “worksheet” and the additional “scaffolds”. They may study any resources suggested by the problem-crafter as well as investigate other resources on their own. Team members may compare notes, and shortlist viable approaches to respond to the “problem”, from their initially developed pathways in the first meeting.

THE SECOND MEETING (APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR)

The students further elaborate on the issues raised, peer teach each other, and make any strategic re-alignments found appropriate for preparing a response to the “problem”. They may continue to engage with the learning activities in the “worksheet” and the additional “scaffolds”. Students may articulate their ideas, reasoning and proposals, with the facilitator guiding them through a greater awareness of their learning processes. The facilitator also checks on the progress of each team by finding out what strategies have been employed, what learning obstacles are encountered, and how teams are getting on in their collaborative work. The key emphasis of the second meeting is the process of reflective learning by engagement with others, the learning activities and materials.

STUDY PERIOD II (APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS)

Students in their teams use this time to reflect on what has happened between the two meetings, and how they intend to use the information and strategies to work towards a consolidated, reasoned response to the “problem”. They may conduct further research to refine their ideas and finalise plans on how they want to present their findings to their class. Teams finalise their responses to the problem and prepare their presentations.

THE THIRD MEETING (APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS)

Each student team is expected to present their response to the problem statement to their class. During these presentations, questions and clarifications are asked by their peers and the facilitator, with each team expected to provide explanations and defend its position on why or how it has adopted a specific approach or viewpoint. Through such intellectual exchanges, students demonstrate and share their understanding of the issues that underpinned the “problem”. The formal session for the day ends with a pre-prepared presentation by the facilitator addressing the established knowledge related to the “problem”. The facilitator may also close any gaps in the discussions of the day and address any important issues or ideas not tackled well in student presentations.

Students then take a short quiz that helps them review the key issues learnt in the day, and also fill up a self and peer evaluation form. Each student also submits a personal reflection on the day’s happenings or learning process by midnight. All these are submitted by students through a web-based learning management system, LEO (Learning Environment Online). The facilitator then assesses holistically the quality of the presentation, learning processes exhibited throughout the day, self and peer evaluation and reflection, to award a daily grade with accompanying written feedback for each student.

RATIONALE FOR THE ONE-DAY ONE-PROBLEM

A striking feature of RP to any casual observer is the absence of scheduled lectures, tutorials and 2- or 3-hour semester-end examinations. Instead, RP’s PBL, generally characterised in the unique One-Day One-Problem, scheme dominates the main educational engagements. On each working day the students enrolled for regular modules gather in classes of not more than 25 students. Each classroom is attended to by a facilitator assigned to be present in that class on that day. Students work in teams and focus on responding to an assigned “problem” for the day.

There is a three-meeting regulated structure for each day. The facilitator provides guidance, and in addition the students have access to a “worksheet” designed by the problem-crafter to loosely direct the students to useful and related knowledge for the problem at hand. In some instances there are additional “scaffolds” designed by the problem-crafter for students to interact with and experience a certain reality. These still leave room for students to opt for a mix of viable learning modes to achieve the objective of providing a response to the problem for the day. The day ends with a presentation, inclusive of a defence, by each team. The formal session for the day ends with a pre-prepared presentation by the facilitator addressing the established knowledge related to the problem. Each student is to submit a personal reflection on the day’s happenings by midnight. The class facilitator would provide daily feedback and a grade for the process skills displayed for each student. And this pattern repeats again the next day, with another “problem” and another facilitator.

Complementing this pedagogical practice at RP is its modular curriculum with a tiered architecture, in which a compulsory general education programme is a feature of the first year experience. The wireless infocomm platform on campus penetrates deeply into all educational engagements through a sophisticated suite of applications.

The academic grade awarded for each regular module is computed from 15 daily grades and results of 3 understanding tests, each of 45 to 90 minute duration conducted separately. To qualify for graduation, in addition to completing a set of regular modules that meets Graduation Criteria, each student is required to complete two projects, each of which would normally span a semester. Students are also required to complete two unique requirements known as Creative Engagement and Professional Profiling.

Despite the vast difference in its approach to education, the immediate functional objective of education at RP remains just the same as at any other polytechnic in Singapore. As such, the expectation is that those who have earned a diploma from RP would be just as capable as they would have been if they had earned a similar diploma from any other polytechnic. The difference in education received may manifest only over time, when changes bring surprises, a reasoned response matters, working as a team to address a problem becomes crucial, understanding about a reality holds sway, and in various other similar circumstances.