Using the 3C3R PBL model to develop students' functional literacy in programming by integrating science subjects

Research Question

What is the impact of using the 3C3R PBL model to develop students' functional programming literacy through science integration?

    The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of problem-based learning strategies on improving students' functional literacy in programming/coding through problem solving in science subjects. By adopting the 3C3R model, there was a notable improvement in students' critical thinking, planning, collaboration, and communication skills in programming subject.

Objective

The purpose of the lesson study is to use the 3C3R PBL model to develop students' functional literacy in programming through the integration of science subjects

Problem statement

-The research was motivated by an observation that students taking programming classes had insufficient research and problem-solving skills. This hindered them from fully expressing their programming ideas. From observing student tasks and through classroom engagement, it was evident that their task interpretation was superficial, with problem decomposition being a serious challenge.  -Similarly, based on the results of the external summative assessment of the 10th grade in the 2022-23 school year, only 54.5% of the students were able to fully answer the problem-solving tasks given. This motivated the researchers to seek interventions for the problem.         Hung (2009) alludes that ineffective PBL problems affect students' acquisition of sufficient domain knowledge, as well as properly directing their learning. Hung proposed a 3C3R PBL model which has been widely embraced by schools across the world adopting PBL pedagogical approach. 3C3R is a conceptual framework that provides a blueprint for designing effective and reliable problems for PBL.

    The model is made up of two components; the core and the processing components. The former comprises context, content, and connection, and the latter Research, reasoning, and reflection.

    The core component “relates to the content or concept of learning that will be processed by the 3R processing component that supports the cognitive process of problem-solving and thinking skills possessed by students” (Malik, et al. 2020).

    The core components are primarily concerned with issues of appropriateness and sufficiency of content knowledge, content contextualization, and knowledge integration. Content provides a clear definition of the problem statement. It gives breadth and knowledge. Context on the other hand is responsible for the authenticity of the identified problem hence it should be made valid for instructional goals and should seek to evaluate context based on the future setting. For learners to fully embrace it, context should be made as relevant as possible. Connection fosters learners in creating links between sources and knowledge and being able to cross-reference topics.

    The processing components are designed to facilitate mindful and meaningful engagement in the PBL process. They address the learners’ cognitive processes and problem-solving skills. Processing components guide the learner to the core components. Researching helps the learner to understand the problem and ensure that the learner is researching the necessary information for a given domain by using the goal and context to ensure the research is backed by content and connection. Reasoning entails analyzing the aspects and nature of all variables and underlying systems of the problem along with the relationships between them. Learners process and integrate new knowledge into meaningful knowledge. HOT skills are used during researching and reasoning stages which are not naturally part of their cognitive base hence practice and training help the learners to master these skills throughout their academic life and beyond. Reflection allows learners to organize and integrate their knowledge into a more conceptual framework.

    The study has shown that adopting the 3C3R model has the potential to boost students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Methodology Scope The research was conducted among year 11 students. A representative sample of 26 students was used for the study. The study was conducted in term 3 (between the months of January and March 2023) for a period of five 80-minute lessons. The topics involved were Data Structures and functions in Python programming language for the 11 grade Programming subject program. Pre-test (programming task from previous unit and baseline survey) and post–test (programming tasks from the above-mentioned topics) were used. In each lesson, students were presented with the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) template to follow in each task. Baseline assessment Prior to commencing the research, the participants were subjected to a baseline survey to gauge their levels in programming in general and Python programming specifically. Design The 3C3R model was adopted in all lessons. Content provides a clear definition of the problem statement. It gives breadth and knowledge. Context is responsible for the authenticity of the identified problem. Connection fosters learners in creating links between sources and knowledge and being able to cross-reference topics The researchers collaboratively participated in the planning session (Designing tasks of varying ability levels, collecting learning resources to reinforce PBL in the lesson, and creating a lesson plan). In this study, the tasks used by the students were designed in order of complexity and addressed real-life problems. Students were required to: Define the problem Generate a set of ideas to solve the problem and later on to Choose an elaborate/refine the best idea for solving the identified problem. In each lesson, students were presented with the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) template to follow in each task. Creative Problem Solving (CPS) and Means-End analysis (MEA) are key PBL strategies that have received a lot of spotlight from different authors in this field. CPS strategy was adopted in most cases due to its straightforwardness and ease of interpretation. CPS thinking-frame i. Define the problem ii. Generate as many solutions as possible iii. Choose a solution that seems the best iv. Elaborate and refine By approaching each task according to the CPS framework, the students engaged with the steps to a Problem-Based Learning Approach. The researchers collaboratively participated in the planning session (Designing tasks of varying ability levels, collecting learning resources to reinforce PBL in the lesson, and creating a lesson plan).

This study unmasked the existing potential for the acquisition of programming skills by learners as they build on the key skills of critical and innovative thinking. The use of PBL’s 3C3R model has proved to be an effective tool in improving their research and thinking skills. By engaging with the model, the learners exhibited problem-decomposition skills and analytical and problem-solving skills. This helped students to gradually apply the knowledge acquired, stretch their ability by learning the next level of knowledge and thus move into and across their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to advance their skills. The effectiveness of the model is attributed to the careful planning of learning activities. The facilitator must ensure that the tasks are designed to challenge and stretch the learners thinking and that the tasks allow the learner to create connections between the problem and real life. Finally, the facilitator must ensure adherence to the model, especially at the onset. Result The t-test analysis of the pre-test and post-test produced a p-value of 0.001662, which is < 0.005 hence Problem Based Learning’s 3C3R strategy has a statistical significance in improving students’ research skills in programming. Improvements in learners’ critical thinking and planning skills By practicing with tasks of varied complexity and adhering to the CPS thinking frame, lea Learners' critical thinking was cultivated. After engaging in the 3C3R model, it was observed that learners demonstrated improved thought organization around a given challenge. 3) Improvements in learners’ Collaboration and communication skills Although the task descriptor was silent on whether the task was an individual or group task, learners were given the flexibility to consult their peers in the lesson. This allowed them to collaborate, comparing their approaches and trying to find the most optimal approach to solving the task.

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