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///Humor In Action! |
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The cases listed above are mostly from classes offered at Although these cases are under development, they still can be used to stimulate and encourage creative thinking. Cases can be used in the following ways: 1) As short projects for individuals or small groups, 2) As an in-class discussion activity and 3) As a starting place for more in-depth study of humor and creativity. From time to time new cases will be added and some case will be updated or deleted. This learning approach is a part of the problem based learning (PBL) concept. Before using the cases, the following description of PBL is suggested. Problem based Learning -- A Brief Introduction What is problem-based learning? Briefly, problem-based learning rests on six principles. These principles and related program features differentiate this approach from other methods of administrative training. 1. Educational objectives and activities should be based on the knowledge and skills needed to address problems encountered in the field, rather than on discrete competencies. The content of managerial training should deal with major problems administrators face. For each problem, subject matter and skills that are relevant to dealing with these problems are identified. By using these problems as the focal point for learning, education should become more meaningful and relevant since the content is potentially useful in solving problems faced by school leaders. Participants will be more likely to draw on their training since the content is stored in memory in relation to the problems for which they are applicable. The ability to transfer knowledge and skills is enhanced by the opportunity to apply training and to receive feedback on efforts. 2. Teaching should be collaborative. Instructional resources should include clinicians as well as experts drawn from a variety of disciplines. This increases the ability to simultaneously address knowledge derived from research and theory and knowledge derived from practice. 3. Learning should be largely self-directed by the learner. Learners, not instructors, should assume major responsibility for guiding and directing their own learning. In the fast-paced world of schools, administrators seldom have all of the necessary resources for solving the problems that arise. The effective leader is able to identify, obtain and use relevant human and material resources to solve problems. The instructional staff creates each problem-centered learning module and directs students to some of the available resources that may be used in addressing the problem. A block of time is set aside for each module; participants then make most of the decisions that arise in relation to dealing with the problem. This includes identification, management and use of resources. Most decision-making is done in task groups led by group members. Initiative, resourcefulness, and practice in making informed decisions are skills that we hope participants will develop through their experience with PBL. 4. Development experiences should emphasize cooperation and teamwork. The essence of managerial work is being able to accomplish results through people. This is even truer as schools move increasingly towards site-based management and increased teacher involvement in decision-making. All PBL modules require participants to work in task groups. On some occasions, the group's work will culminate in a group product; on other occasions, participants will draw on the resources of the group to assist in completing individual products. Leadership of task groups is rotated among members. It is hoped that each participant will have an opportunity to lead a task group for at least a portion of a module. As group leader the participant is responsible for organizing and scheduling its work and for solving problems that arise in relation to group functioning and accomplishment of tasks. Given the scope of work associated with each problem, the group will have to develop a division of labor and rely on its members to fulfill their obligations. 5. Training experiences should emphasize implementation as well as analysis and reflection. Traditional case approaches ask participants to describe what they would do if they faced a particular problematic situation. In PBL scenarios you are asked to develop a plan for responding to the situation and, to the extent possible, to execute the plan. 6. Evaluation of students should emphasize diagnostic feedback. Administrators are often physically isolated from subordinate and peers. This limits the amount of feedback that they typically receive on their performance. Therefore, administrators must develop the capacity to make reasonable self-assessments on-the-job. Traditional training emphasizes summative evaluation (i.e., assessment for the purpose of assigning a score) from one external source -- the instructor. Assessment in PBL emphasizes diagnostic feedback from multiple sources: peers, the instructor and at times, practitioners. Videotaped simulations and reflective writing exercises are often used to assist participants in developing the ability to assess and diagnose their own performance. (This introduction was adapted from a The first exercise is designed to introduce the students to the field of humor and is used as a starter exercise to create a fun, but demanding learning environment. |