The Jasper Project is based on problem-based learning. Short videos are presented which teach math and science concepts and then present a problem using the lesson. Specific skills are taught, exemplified, and then tested. Videos accompany the problems, creating a visual for the students to identify with. As a visual learner, I appreciate the videos that accompany the problems as well as the options for problems solving. People face these real-life problems on a daily basis. These videos attempt to answer the frequent student question of “When am I ever going to use this?”
I see the value in presenting a lesson on concepts that assist the students in completing the problems, as any good constructivist learning should do.
The videos help a student visualize the “real-word” problem and allows for further and tangent questioning. For example, the video of Lindbergh raises some history curiosity and may invoke students to research more on their own about Lindbergh’s flight, plane, ideas and technology of the time.
Unfortunately, some of the videos seem to solve the problems right in front of the viewer, which is sometimes useful, but it does not allow the viewer to solve the problems for themselves. The theory seems to be learning by viewing (passive) instead of learning by doing (active). I believe widespread television use has created this learn by viewing attitude which is a blessing and curse. It allows us to see what others are doing all around the world as well as the many things that are out there without leaving the confines of our homes. On the other hand, it may not give us the entire picture of what is really happening as much of the footage we see on T.V. is staged. A television cannot replace real experiences with real places and real people.
As a course designer, I would want to figure out how to use real-world experiences meaningful to students to assist them in solving problems. How would I create these experiences so they can have similar ones in their learning? Computers have made great strides in effective teaching as they can now provide instant feedback and interaction with the user and between users. How can we use this technology to help students understand concepts and then experiment with them in a technology-enhanced learning experience?