Teen Challenges: Problem-based Learning Health Education
This project is a great way to introduce project-based learning health education to middle school or high-school students. This project can be adjusted to elementary students as well by adding a few more scaffolds to support their student-led PBL project.
Project-based learning health education should include an element of social-emotional Learning. In this project, students work together and address issues or challenges that teens face today. In this PBL health education project encourage students to cooperatively address issues that matter.
ROADMAP
Stage 1 - Topic Brainstorming
Your goal for this problem-based learning experience is to develop a comprehensive plan to solve a 21st-century teen problem. The topic for this experience is the specific problem that teens are facing today. Examples include depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, body image, and forced displacement, among others. Use this stage to help you determine a teen challenge to solve for this problem-based learning experience.
Pathway 1 - Explore teen challenges/problems
Your group will choose a specific problem that inflicts teenagers today. Brainstorm project topics by reading articles, reviewing polls and data, browsing current events related to teens, or reflecting on your own struggles as a teenager. Brainstorm teen challenges using a brainstorming medium of your choice. Another option is to discuss the issues that teens are facing today with teens themselves. Use the empathy map included here to determine some of those problems. Consider using the problems that come up in conversation as the focus of this problem-based learning experience.
Choose a topic identified in the brainstorming exercise above and add it here. Try to be specific. For example, instead of "teen depression" you might focus on the "stigma of teen depression" as the problem. Your plan to solve the problem can be more focused if your topic is specific.
Stage 2 - Examine the Problem
To be able to solve a problem you first have to understand the problem. Issues, including teen-specific issues, are multi-layered. There are typically many factors that contribute to any given problem, and to effectively solve the problem you have to understand all of the factors that are at play. Use this research guide to learn more about the teen issue that you are examining.
Pathway 2 - Research the issue
Research your chosen teen issue using the following questions: 1) When did the problem begin? 2) Have any specific or significant events amplified the problem? 3) What are some cited contributors to the problem? 4) How is this teen problem currently impacting the local community? 5) How is the problem impacting the global community? Research these questions and add your findings here.
Write a minimum of three additional questions about the teen problem that you are examining. Add those questions here and brainstorm how to find the information that you're looking for using the mind map attached.
Stage 3 - Brainstorm Solutions
Now that you have a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the problem itself you can begin to brainstorm solutions to the problem. Look at the problem from a variety of angles. Solutions might lie in direct action by community members, policy changes, technological engineering, education, raising awareness, or something else you're not even aware is an option at this point. The comprehensive solution to the problem lies in a combination of these approaches. That is the goal of this experience - a comprehensive plan to solve the problem. This is the phase where you brainstorm and research possible solutions to include in this comprehensive plan.
Pathway 3 - Explore solutions to the teen challenge
Brainstorm all possible solutions to the problem. Research solutions that are already in place and find out if those solutions have been effective. Research solutions that are being developed but may not yet be in place. Consider the potential that those solutions have to solve the problem. Finally, brainstorm novel solutions. Make sure to keep the sources of the problem in mind as you brainstorm and research solutions. Feel free to use the brainstorming map included or choose a different brainstorming medium.
Stage 4 - Analyze Solutions
You have now brainstormed a variety of solution options to add to your comprehensive plan. However, not all solutions are created equal and not all solutions should be included in your plan. Some solutions are more effective than others, and the costs of some solutions might outweigh the benefits. This is the point where you determine which solutions are logical, practical, affordable, ethical, safe, etc.
Pathway 4 - Weigh solution costs and benefits
Weigh the costs and benefits of each solution using a medium of your choice. A chart is a great option. Research the pros, cons, and implementation challenges of EACH solution that you brainstormed in the previous step. Consider factors such as safety, ecological health, financial cost, ethics, legalities, logistics, etc.
Stage 5 - Develop Proposal
Analyze the pros and cons identified from the previous exercise to determine which solutions you will include in your comprehensive plan. Now that you have solutions in mind you will develop a proposal that includes each solution and a justification for each.
Pathway 5 - Comprehensive solution proposal
Outline Comprehensive Plan: Create an outline of your proposal using a medium of your choice.
Develop Proposal: Create a proposal that convinces your audience to approve or refuse your comprehensive plan to solve the teen challenge in question. Your proposal can be assembled into a Powerpoint, Google Slides, booklet, or another medium of your choice. Your proposal should include a description of each solution in your plan and a justification for including each solution. Include data, charts, case studies, and any other evidence to support the choice to include the solutions that you did. Attach or upload your proposal here.
Stage 6 - Share
Propose the comprehensive plan to your class or another relevant audience using the presentation proposal that you created in the previous stage.
Pathway 6 - Propose your plan
Share your proposal with your class or another relevant audience. Summarize the experience and provide evidence of the presentation here.
Stage 7 - Reflect
Reflect on this problem-based learning experience as a whole. You can write a reflection in essay format, create a video or audio reflection, or even reflect verbally with a peer, your instructor, and/or community experts. You choose.
Pathway 7 - Problem-based learning reflection
Reflect on the experience using a medium of your choice (ex: essay, video, audio, etc). What challenges did you face in this experience and how did you overcome the challenges? What strengths did you bring to this experience? Did your team work well together? If so, suggest why that might be so. If not, what could your team have done differently? If you could choose just one solution to employ from your comprehensive plan, which one would it be and why? What can you do moving forward that would contribute to solving the teen problem?
Stage 8 - Extend
What more could be done to continue your work? How could you build upon the experience, learn more, gain more skills? Browse the extension option/suggestion provided here.
Pathway 8 - Action plan
Ideate: Choose one solution from your comprehensive plan that you can personally act upon. The solutions in your plan are hypothetical. Turn one of those solutions into reality. Brainstorm actions that you can take to solve the problem and develop a plan for doing so.
Final Product: Add evidence of your action project here (ex: photos, slides, video).
Reflection: Summarize and reflect on the experience. What went well? What challenges did you face? What was the most important takeaway from the experience? How did this experience impact your community?
You can access, customize and share this problem-based learning health education project with your students by signing up for a Spinndle account.