ENG 1 Introduction to Phenomenon-Based Learning_EK

PhenoBL

Phenomenon-Based Learning in Secondary Education: An Overview

GO!

Contents

3. How a phenomenon could be introduced?

1. What is our aim?

2. What is PhenoBL?

6. Bibliography

5. What did you learn?

4. Why bother with PhenoBL?

What is our aim?

By the end of this nugget, you should be able to:

1. Define Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhenoBL ).
2. Describe the characteristics of PhenoBL.
3. Identify the importance of PhenoBL in school settings.

What is Phenomenon-based Learning?

First, let's start with phenomena!

A phenomenon is...

“a fact or event of (scientific) interest, including a geographical feature, historical event, or notable person.”

- Donna Fields

What is Phenomenon-Based Learning?

Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhenoBL) is an instructional approach that shifts away from a purely subject-based, information-driven teaching model. It emphasizes the study of real-world phenomena as integrated topics that can be explored from multiple angles. The starting point is an apparent phenomenon, even if intangible (Lonka et al. 2015), and the learners are viewed as curious and dynamic participants in their learning.

to reflecting on various perspectives and actively contributing to the joint shaping of a better future.

Based on this approach, students move beyond merely being present in a learning situation or memorizing content...

Characteristics of Phenomenon Based-Learning & Teaching (1/2)

Characteristics of Phenomenon Based-Learning & Teaching (2/2)

Instructional goals are negotiated, not imposed, and evaluation serves as a self-analysis tool. Teaching is learner-centred, and theories to be learned by the students are connected to practical situations and phenomena. To address the study of phenomena in its holisticity, team teaching with different subject teachers is considered an important way of working (Silander, 2015b).

In the learning process, teachers are seen as facilitators of learning tasks, who use their expertise not necessarily to transmit facts but, more important, to encourage and guide students to deal with a problem students themselves have identified (Silander, 2015b).

Phenomenon-based teaching is embedded in a problem-solving environment, where the teacher starts by posing questions or problems and the students “build answers together to questions or problems posed concerning a phenomenon that interests them” (Silander, 2015a, p. 17).

Phenomenon Based-Teaching

Other characteristics of Phenomenon Based-Learning & Taeching

The role of the teacher

Where does it come from?

• The word "phenomenon" comes from the Greek "φαινόμενον" (fainómenon), meaning "the obvious" or "that which reveals itself" (Heidegger, 2006).
• Phenomenon-based teaching is rooted in constructivism, where learners are seen as active knowledge builders, and information is constructed through problem-solving and connected into a whole based on the context.
• Collaborative learning supports socio-constructivist and socio-cultural theories, where knowledge is shaped in a social context, rather than existing only as an internal element of the individual.
• In curricula, the phenomenon-based approach promotes inquiry learning, problem-based learning, and project and portfolio work in educational institutions (Silander, 2015a, p.19).

An example

How a phenomenon could be introduced?

PhenoBL & Enquiry questioning (1/4)

Characteristics of the technique

• PhenoBL starts with a compelling phenomenon or real-world issue that sparks curiosity and encourages investigation.
• Enquiry questions are broad and open-ended, inviting students to explore the phenomenon from multiple perspectives.
• 'What if...' questions (Fields, 2020) stimulate imagination and deeper thinking, opening up possibilities for exploration. This approach forms the foundation of Enquiry Questions.
• e.g. What if humans could reverse climate change in the next decade?
• What if World War II had ended differently?

• Enquiry Questions are hooks that draw students into uncertainty and discovery, motivating them to explore beyond finite answers.
• Well-crafted Enquiry Questions lead to expansive thinking with multiple possible conclusions, rather than simple, single answers.

Enquiry Questions (2/4)

''Class, what if...?''

Enquiry Questions (3/4)

Enquiry questions are powerful tools for stimulating cognitive processes that extend beyond simple recall or comprehension because they:

• Push learners to go beyond rote memorization and engage deeply with content.
• Encourage the exploration of ideas from multiple angles.
• Foster reasoning, analysis, and creativity to develop thoughtful responses.
• Equip learners with the skills needed to tackle real-world challenges.

Enquiry Questions (4/4)

Enquiry questions are specifically designed to engage higher-order thinking skills. In the button below, there are questions that have been revised to promote higher-order thinking, encouraging students to analyze, evaluate, and create rather than simply recall information.

Questions-examples

What a PhenoBL lesson looks like?

Why bother with PhenoBL?

Benefits of Phenomenon-Based Learning

• Future-Oriented: Prepares students for addressing complex, real-world problems (e.g., sustainability, urbanization, artificial intelligence).• Encourages Diverse Perspectives: Promotes understanding of complex issues like climate change and migration policies by confronting students with multiple and sometimes contradictory viewpoints. • Develops Critical Thinking: Requires students to navigate uncertainty, fostering skills to deal with ambiguity and complexity in 21st-century life. • Promotes Collaboration: Breaks down communication barriers by involving multiple disciplines and perspectives in problem-solving. • Encourages Acceptance of Diversity: Helps students see diversity and differing viewpoints as natural and integral to modern life.

Challenges with Phenomenon-Based Learning

• Difficulty in Unit Construction: Both teachers and students may struggle to transform a broad phenomenon into a focused and manageable interdisciplinary unit of inquiry.• Teacher Guidance Required: Educators need to support students in selecting problems that are broad enough for interdisciplinary analysis yet manageable within the scope of the curriculum.• Balancing Inquiry and Curriculum Goals: Challenges arise in aligning student-led inquiry with the need to meet and assess predefined curriculum outcomes.• Complementing Subject-Based Classes: PhenoBL does not replace traditional subject-based teaching but works alongside it, which requires careful integration into existing curricula.

Bibliography

References

Drew, C. (2020, March 3). What is Finland's Phenomenon-based Learning approach? Teacher Magazine. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/what-is-finlands-phenomenon-based-learning-approach Fields, D. L. (2020). What if...The Comprehensive Guide to Creating Phenomenon-Based Learning Projects, Volumes 1, 2, 3 & 4, (Caspian Publishing). Heidegger, M. (2006). Sein und Zeit (19th ed.). Walter de Gruyter. Lonka, K., Hietajärvi, L., Hohti, R., Nuorteva, M., Raunio, A. P., Sandström, N., Vaara, L., & Estling, S. K. (2015). Ilmiölähtöisesti kohti innostavaa oppimista [Phenomenon-based towards inspirational learning]. In H. Cantell (Ed.), Näin rakennat monialaisia oppimiskokonaisuuksia (pp. 46–76). PS-kustannus. Merleau-Ponty, M. (2014). Phenomenology of perception. Routledge. Silander, P. (2015a). Digital Pedagogy. In P. Mattila, & P. Silander (Eds.), How to create the school of the future: Revolutionary thinking and design from Finland (pp. 9-26). University of Oulu, Center for Internet Excellence. Silander, P. (2015b). Rubric for Phenomenon Based Learning. Retrieved October 5, 2016, from http://www.phenomenaleducation.info/phenomenon-based-learning.html. Smith, W. D. (2013). Phenomenology. In Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/. Symeonidis, V., & Schwarz, J. F. (2016). Phenomenon-based teaching and learning through the pedagogical lenses of phenomenology: The recent curriculum reform in Finland. Forum Oświatowe, 28, 2(56), 31-47).

Online resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS0hln090AU&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-43uDORysE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYs5XxmzwsA