What is Perspective-Based Learning?

Perspective-based learning is an approach to instruction that empowers students to speak and write from multiple perspectives using academic language. PBL is based on three principles:

The goal of PBL is argumentative literacy (Schmoker, 2006) for every student.  Teachers who are trained in the model learn to create structured scenarios in which students actively use key low frequency and content area vocabulary while forming arguments and constructing explanations from various perspectives.  

Who uses Perspective-Based Learning?

Teachers in all content areas and all grade levels are using perspective-based approaches. Bilingual and ESL teachers use the approach to enhance students’ oral and written academic and functional language development.  Social studies and science teachers use the model to empower students to look at issues, events and natural processes from a variety of points of view.  Math teachers use the approach to enable students to better visualize and verbalize mathematical reasoning.

How do teachers learn to apply Perspective-Based approaches?

Teachers trained in PBL begin by focusing on ways to structure whole-class interactions so that all students participate in class discussions.  Teachers provide structured support for students as they learn the habit of expressing themselves in complete sentences while they intentionally integrate academic language.   Teachers then discover ways to integrate spoken and written academic language into student-student interactions.  Teachers become skilled at creating scenarios that enable students to interact using the very language they find on state assessments.

  

Why use Perspective-Based Learning?

In an age of accountability, teachers are searching for effective and engaging ways to improve achievement. Perspective-Based strategies engage all students because the activities are fun and focused.  Students internalize the content at a deeper level as they become comfortable speaking academically from a variety of viewpoints.  Bilingual/ESL teachers are able to use the structured sentence frames as effective tools to support recent arrivals.  The interaction welcomes all students as part of the school culture.

 

Are the strategies involved in Perspective-Based Learning research-based?

Yes.  The core strategies of PBL have a strong research basis.  These include: engaging all students in classroom discussions (Cohen & Lotan, 1995), dramatization  (Nuthall, 1999), constructing arguments (Marzano, Pickering, Pollock, 2001), student-centered analysis of similarities and differences (Marzano, Pickering, Pollock, 2001), cooperative learning (Johnson & Johnson, 1999), frequent opportunities for student/student and teacher/student interaction and elaboration (Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2001; Goldenberg, 1992-93), direct contextualized vocabulary instruction (Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986).  

 

References

 

Cohen, E. G., & Lotan, R. A. (1995). Producing equal-status interaction in the heterogeneous classroom. American Educational Research Journal, 32(1), 99-121.

Echevarria, J. (1995b). Interactive reading instruction: A comparison of proximal and distal effects of instructional conversations.  Exceptional Children, 61 (6) 536-552.

Echevarria J., Vogt, M & Short, D. (2001)  The SIOP model: Making content comprehensible for english learners. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.  (102-106)

Goldenberg C.  (1992-93). Instructional conversations: Promoting comprehension through discussion.  The Reading Teacher, 46 (4), 316-326.

Johnson, D., W, & Johnson, R.T. (1999).  Learning together and learning alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning.  Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Marzano, Pickering & Pollock (2001).  Classroom instruction that works.  Denvers MA: ASCD.

Nuthall, G. (1999).  The way students learn.  Acquiring knowledge from an integrated science and social studies unit.  Elementary School Journal 99(4), 303-341

Schmoker, Mike (2006).  Results now: how we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. MA: ASCD

Stahl & Fairbainks (1996).  The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-based meta analysis.  Review of Educational Research, (56 (1) 72-110.