PBL Journal Entry #3

# Entry 3: Problem solving is challenging work. What have you noticed about yourself during this process regarding each of these characteristics? Rate yourself from 1 to 10, 1 being "not at all"; 10 being "very much" and explain your rating.

* Persistence: "I keep on trying to find the answers or the solutions, even when the questions are hard or confusing."

I rate myself a 7 because the question is so unclear that there are many different possible answers. It is different for every person, so studies vary, but I keep looking for more information.

* Accuracy: "My work is careful, exact, and without errors."

I would rate myself a 8. I am a mathematical person and am very exact and careful. I try to be this way in my work, especially with the numerical assignment!

* Open-mindedness (unbiased): "I am open to the opinions or ideas of others. My views can be changed when I learn more facts about an issue."

I would rate myself a 9 for this because I went into the topic not particularly caring what the result would be. I think I've been open to all ideas and results.

* Talk about your experiences developing a PBL project: is this the first time you developed a PBL project? If not, how many times have you developed one before? Have you used technology with your previous PBL implementations? If so, how?

This is the first time that I have done (either created or executed) a PBL project. It has been difficult and time consuming, but splitting it up within the group has helped. I do not feel that doing something like this alone would be beneficial. The stress would outweigh anything I learned!

* Report on your group members' experiences while you were constructing the PBL project; were the group members' skills and roles in the process different? If so, how? Rate your response to the learning value to the project from 1 to 10, one being not at all and 10 being very valuable. Explain your rating.

All of our group members roles were very important. As team leader, I did much of the organization and everyone volunteered on what they wanted to do and split it up evenly accordingly. Overall, I would say that our roles pretty much intertwined and were not much different. All of us have our strengths. I did a lot of the numerical organization, while Peter and Nancy did a lot of research and editing.

The learning value of this project would be about a 7. Although I feel that I now know how to create a PBL project, it has been so stressful along with the other major projects in the course. It would have been such a meaningful project without the stress of the other project. My view on these courses is one major project, with the writing assignment, and the readings. Two major projects running with the other things in the course just create too much stress to get much out of either of them. I am just rushing through everything and feel like if I could concentrate on one, it would be more beneficial.