The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal
Volume 18, Number 2, September 2018
Back to the future: The implications of service and problem-based learning in
the language, literacy, and cultural acquisition of ESOL students in the 21st
century
Margaret Aker
Concordia University, Chicago
Luis Javier Pentón Herrera
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Lynn Daniel
Concordia University, Chicago
ABSTRACT
Research has identified the essential proficiencies students should possess to be successful, but
they are often not incorporated in the ESOL classroom. As a result, many teachers lack access to
adequate instructional strategies to guide ELs to academic success. We argue in this article that,
to provide a strong foundation and a bright future for ESOL students, problem-based learning
and service-learning (PBSL) should be combined to activate the skills identified by the
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2011). For this, we reflect on the 21st century skills and the
implications for teaching today’s students—the Millennials and GenZs—keeping in mind the
professionals they will become tomorrow. Reflecting a student-centered approach, we
incorporate practice into the research process by illustrating a successful integration of PBSL
into an ESOL learning environment in higher education and then highlight additional curricular
opportunities for synthesizing PBSL at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
INTRODUCTION
“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better
than you found it” (Edelman, 1993, pp. 9-10).
Inspired by a call for research in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL) field (Wurr, 2013), we seek to contribute by proposing a model that guides the larger
discourse on service-learning, civic engagement, and language learning for minority students.
This article combines the instructional strategies of service-learning (Levkoe, Friendly &
Daniere, 2018; McDonough, Marks, & Harris, 2017; Morrissey, Beckett, Sherman, & Leininger,
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2017; Webb, 2017) with problem-based learning (Chung, Yeh, & Chen, 2016; Hung, Jonassen,
& Liu, 2008; Juskeviciene & Kurilovas, 2017; Li & Stylianides, 2018; Vandenhouten, Groessl,
& Levintova, 2017) to meet the needs of English learners (ELs) both now and in the future.
In this article, the authors offer a comprehensive guide to problem-based service-learning
(PBSL). First, we introduce problem-based service-learning and explain the PBSL model taking
into consideration the skills our students need today and will need in the future. We then focus
on meeting the needs of students in the 21st century and indicate the opportunities PBSL offers
for Millennials and Generation Zs. Similarly, we share relevant and current research pertaining
to the language, literacy, and cultural acquisition of ELs within the PBSL framework. Lastly, we
propose transformative practices, professional development opportunities for Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and activities guided by the PBSL model that can
be incorporated in the ESOL classrooms.
Problem-Based Service-Learning
Problem-based service-learning (PBSL) delivers a powerful instructional strategy to meet
the needs of English for Speakers to Other Languages (ESOL) students by integrating a solid
foundation of skills that provide curriculum support for students at all levels. The PBSL model
highlights collaboration, critical thinking, deep learning, teamwork, oral and written
communication, problem-solving, reflection, and the development of social skills (see Figure 1).
Similar skills identified by the World Economic Forum (2016) include: active learning, problemsolving, critical thinking, literacy, oral and written expression, coordinating with others, service
orientation and analysis.
Figure 1. Problem-Based Service-Learning Model
Influential organizations around the world are noticing the importance of addressing 21st
century skills in education. Two organizations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) focus on a wide range of issues including education. While the OECD concentrates
on data collection, analysis, and policy promotion, UNESCO emphasizes international
cooperation. More importantly, both organizations support active and service-learning strategies,
as well as 21st century skill development. For example, according to an OECD/Asia Society
(2018) report, “the more relevant learning is the better it is” (p. 8). The report highlights the
Singapore framework for 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes, which not only
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incorporates knowledge, but also values and social and emotional competences, including
“communications, collaboration and critical thinking” (p. 33). Similarly, UNESCO
recommended PBSL skills in their publication “Global Citizen Education” (2015a) and in their
working papers (Scott, 2015). UNESCO’s Education for all 2000-2015, EFA Global Monitoring
Report identified future education targets hoping to increase the number of youth and adults who
have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and
entrepreneurship by 2030 (UNESCO, 2015b). The UNESCO report (2015b) described the
anticipated foundational skills necessary for success in 2030 as literacy, numeracy, digital and
information communication technology (ICT). The core transferable skills comprised problemsolving, critical thinking, and communication while additional skills included analysis, creativity,
collaboration, leadership, and entrepreneurship which can be developed through a combination
of education and experience (UNESCO, 2015b).
PBSL: Meeting the needs of students in the 21st Century
Rainie and Anderson (2017) noted, due to rapid changes causing disruption in
workplaces attributed to automation, including robots and artificial intelligence, new education
and skills programs need to be built to meet new requirements. According to Adams Becker,
Pasquini, and Zentner (2017), employers in 2020 will be seeking individuals possessing the
following skills to meet the needs of the changing workplace: (1) complex problem-solving, (2)
critical thinking, (3) creativity, (4) people management, and (5) coordination with others.
However, current learners do not seem to be ready for the challenge and there is currently a need
to institute new methods to equip students for the 21st century knowledge society (Häkkinen,
Järvelä, Näykki, & Valtonen, 2017). It is becoming increasingly apparent that the skills needed
in the future are the skills machines and robots are incapable of doing, the skills that can be
strengthened and updated through education.
Fortunately, the instructional strategy of problem-based learning can successfully
expedite learning the crucial 21st century skills (Barber & King, 2016). According to Lopez
Brown (2017) “Problem-Based Learning… aligned to contemporary research findings... suggests
that 21st Century Learning Skills are critical for accomplishing transformation in educational
delivery and student achievement” (p. 540). Similarly, O'Connor, Lynch, and Owen (2011)
stated, “student learning through community engagement is rooted in problem-based, reflective,
‘deep learning’ pedagogies of empowerment, transformation, critical thinking and social
participation” (p. 106). Figure 2 represents the PBSL model with the addition of 21st century
skills.
Millennial and Generation Z Students
Today in the 21st century, the students in our K-12 classrooms are comprised of
Generation Z (GenZ) while in higher education the millennials are well represented. The
millennial generation was born from 1982 to 1995 (Lancaster & Stillman, 2009); GenZs
represents the generation born between 1996 and 2011 (Lanier, 2017).
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Figure 2. Problem-Based Service-Learning skills and the 21st Century Skill Core
Millennials. According to the Pew Research Center (2016), millennials became the
largest generation in April 2016 in the United States. Many people describe millennials as selfconfident, optimistic, and team-oriented (Borges, Manuel, Elam & Jones, 2006). With a penchant
to live online, millennials usually prefer social media for communication and socialization. They
thrive as team members, preferring online professional development, conferences, webinars, and
seminars (Gibson, Greenwood, & Murphy, 2009). Millennials who do not have a strong offline
presence favor working together, being mentored, and change. Work for millennials is not at the
center of their lives; they see jobs as a contractual arrangement, working only to subsist
(Crampton & Hodge, 2007).
Many relevant research findings concerning millennials impact education. Desy, Reed,
and Wolanskyj (2017) noted millennials generally appreciate working in groups, flexibility,
feedback, personalized learning, mentoring, and integrated technology. Lovely (2005) identified
seven of the best instructional practices popular with millennials: (1) communication, (2)
cooperation, (3) active learning, (4) prompt feedback, (5) time on task, (6) high expectations, and
(7) respecting diversity. Coincidentally, some effective instructional practices identified for
millennials also resonate with a younger generation (Generation Z), including collaborative
learning, active learning, feedback, high expectations, and respecting diversity.
Generation Z. Generation Z (GenZ) represents 23 million individuals in the United
States (Salleh, Mahbob, & Baharudin, 2017). The digital universe surrounds GenZs; technology
is considered their best friend (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005). The generation is highly reliant on
the internet and social media, preferring fast-erasing social media platforms (Glum, 2015) such
as Snapchat. For instructional purposes, they desire to learn visually utilizing interactive
techniques (Cilliers, 2017) and often demand instant-gratification (Crappell, 2013). Successful
instructional strategies when teaching GenZs include adapting a learning center approach
comprising visual and creative components (Cilliers, 2017); collaborating by utilizing group
activities combined with the Internet; supporting chunks of text with YouTube videos
(Jaleniauskiene & Juceviciene, 2015); and combining instruction with practical experience
(Williams, 2015). The key to reaching GenZ students appears to be mixing online with onsite
activities (Vander Ark, 2011).
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In the future, GenZs plan to become educated and begin working earlier; they understand
education and training will be a constant. Williams (2015) found more than 40% of GenZs
expect to work for themselves. According to Manpower Incorporated (2017), 65% of the jobs
GenZ will perform do not exist yet. To relate to the generations in the future, Waterhouse (2005)
stressed educators should contemplate student-centered learning, critical thinking, and
collaboration.
Language, Literacy, and Cultural Acquisition of ESOL Students
Research on second language acquisition has long recognized languages are best learned
through natural and contextualized use, that is, when language is used to perform authentic tasks
(Abdullah & Hoon, 2008). With the shift to communicative language teaching in the 1970s, there
has been a growing emphasis on using language to convey messages and connect with other
people. As a result, increasing attention has been given to the use of tasks and problem-solving
skills in the language classrooms (Nation & Macalister, 2010). Coincidentally, PBSL and the
communicative approach to language teaching align with the constructivist view of learning.
Constructivism assumes effective learning, and effective language learning, take place in “a
student-centered setting that focuses on integrated, collaborative, and problem-based learning,
[where] teachers become facilitators of the learning process rather than owners of the
information” (Toledo-López & Pentón Herrera, 2015, p. 26).
When learning, developing, and expanding language and literacy skills, it is necessary for
ELs to understand how they learn, comprehend, and process knowledge. Notably, “problembased learning purposefully combines cognitive and metacognitive teaching and learning. “It is
an approach that has been around since the late 1960s and engages language students in learning
how to learn while they also learn language and content” (Mathews-Aydinli, 2007, p. 1). In a
PBSL learning environment, students work collaboratively to generate possible solutions to a
problem by exploring knowns and unknowns. Throughout this process, ELs can reflect on the
information they are learning, on their own abilities to consume and produce relevant
information, and on their meaningful contributions to the team. Using PBSL engages ELs in
inquiry-based learning environments where multiple forms of literacy are explored, analyzed,
and applied to find a meaningful solution using today’s literacy skills and abilities.
The concept of culture, cultural appreciation, and inclusion is just as relevant as literacy
and language learning in the educational landscape of the 21st century. As explained by Rapport
and Overing (2000), culture refers to a “shared and stable system of beliefs, knowledge, values,
or sets of practices” (p. 94). For ELs, migrating to a new country with new customs and language
is a culturally shocking experience that may influence their participation and motivation in
educational matters. Hence, providing a culturally safe, welcoming, inclusive, and responsive
learning environment is fundamental to ensuring students’ engagement and attendance. As a
flexible learning and teaching framework, PBSL can be easily modified to incorporate diverse
environments, cultural contexts, and settings worldwide (Frambach, Driessen, Chan, & van der
Vleuten, 2012). Through PBSL, students’ cultures become the center of focus because the
learning environment revolves around student-centered experiences, knowledge, and systems of
beliefs. By incorporating PBSL, ELs are immersed in a favorable educational setting where their
cultures, beliefs, and ways of learning contribute to the collaborative dialogue and become part
of the solution.
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PBSL EXAMPLE: AMERICORPS
PBSL affords students authentic engagement with the community. The PBSL example
shared in this section highlights an AmeriCorps program in higher education designed and taught
by one of the authors. The plan was to develop a problem-based service-learning community
block program focused on reading, writing, math and computers at the college level. A consistent
finding among PBSL researchers is the value of extending the classroom to interactively connect
with the real-world.
The class began like most college classes, with introductions, ice breakers, a challenge,
and previewing the syllabus. Elaborated in the syllabus, the course foundations were trust,
respect, and integrity. The focus of the course was collaboration; the learning was unlimited.
High expectations were expressed for all students. Together, two faculty members taught thirty
students one twelve-hour day each week for a year. One instructor was responsible for teaching
English, critical reading, logic, writing and team-taught computers; the other taught computers,
math, ran the learning lab and also taught English. The students were selected from across the
southwestern United States by AmeriCorps. They were provided living expenses, employment
for four days a week and participation in the learning community. Eighteen students were ELs.
Problem-based component
The foundation of the course was the collaborative, student-centered approach of problem-based
service-learning. In class, the instructors assumed the roles of facilitators and worked with the
students to learn the skills they needed to acquire. The students learned English, while learning
how to read and think critically, how to write reflectively, and problem-solve logically. The
students chose the problems they wanted to study from a list of suggestions; as an alternative,
they could write their own problem. Some examples included prehistoric tribes indigenous to the
Southwest, the Hohokam and Anasazi; the legal system of Arizona; and Spanish water law. Six
groups of five students were formed reflecting problem preferences; roles for group members,
including leader, researcher, service, writer, and presenter, were assigned by members of the
group. To learn about the problems, the students conducted in-depth research which ranged from
visiting archives and libraries to conducting interviews. Progress was noted when two of the
students mentioned they had driven to northern Arizona over a weekend to visit Montezuma’s
Well, a National Historic site, to learn more about the Anasazi. Photos of the Anasazi cliff
dwellings were included in their PBSL writing and reflection journals, which were utilized as a
group collaboration tool. While working on their problems, each PBSL group was challenged to
think about who in the community would be interested in the information.
Service-learning component
The PBSL course provided service to the community. During our class the students took
responsibility for their own learning and were responsible for all aspects of the service
component of the course. One individual from each of the PBSL groups worked on serving the
community; it was their responsibility to transform their problem to service for their community.
To facilitate the process, the six service group members or service team, met regularly to discuss
and share ideas. As active community members, the instructors offered suggestions and shared
their community contacts when requested. The service team visited with community, business,
and school district leaders, including the local chamber of commerce and service organizations,
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to explain the PBSL process and their desire to provide service to the community. The service
team left a flyer and questionnaire after each community visit. The response from the
community was overwhelming. Each group subsequently matched their problem with a need in
the community identified by the returned questionnaires. The groups presented workshops to
local schools highlighting their problems including the Hohokam, Anasazi, the deserts of the
Southwest, or Spanish water laws. Additionally, each session taught one component skill of
critical thinking, problem-solving, writing, reflection, or group collaboration. The group
presentations actively engaged the elementary and middle school students. The strategic steps
enumerated by Perren (2013) applied to the AmeriCorps PBSL learning community (see Table
1). Also, see Table 2 for a list of skills demonstrated in the community and in the classroom.
Table 1. Seven strategic steps (Perren, 2013, pp. 497-503) aligned to the AmeriCorps example.
Strategic Steps to
Successful ServiceLearning
(Perren, 2013)
Step
1
Planning and
logistics
Step
2
Obtaining
materials and
developing
background
Preparing for
field experiences
Step
3
Step
4
Step
5
Implementing
field experience
and civic
engagement
Reflecting and
connecting
Step
6
Diversifying and
repeating
AmeriCorps Learning Community
The year-long course was planned before the course began and
modified as needed throughout the year. An information tri-fold
brochure highlighting PBSL was distributed to local businesses,
service organizations and school districts. The instructors and
service team met with administrators and school boards to explain
PBSL.
A budget for materials was developed with the dean of instruction
with monthly reports submitted. The syllabus and course looseleaf notebook were distributed during the first-class meeting.
The PBSL student service team worked together to prepare for the
service-learning field experience workshops. Before the servicelearning experience, participating teachers were invited to an
informal dinner to get to know the AmeriCorps students.
A map and directions to the location were given to the
AmeriCorps students. A handout concerning district rules and
guest badges were provided by the district
After each PBSL workshop the students met informally in groups
to reflect upon the activity; one student took notes. After the
culmination of the PBSL service project, some of the groups
desired to become more involved with the district students;
arrangements were made for interested PBSL groups to tutor
students before school.
Other districts requested information about the PBSL program and
the possibility of arranging for PBSL groups to visit their schools.
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Step
7
Expressing
gratitude and
evaluating
A party was held at the end of the PBSL workshop service
activities; a local pizza restaurant donated pizzas and drinks. The
PBSL groups met and reflected about the entirely of the
experience. The PBSL students assessed themselves and their
contribution to the group; a second assessment was submitted as a
group. Additionally, a survey was created and distributed by the
facilitators.
After a full calendar year the class ended. The instructors met with each participant to
advise them concerning future educational opportunities. There was a celebration; the
AmeriCorps class had one last meal together. Each participant and instructor brought food and
shared stories about their learning journey. This type of personal relationship and investment
between teachers and students is thought of as a precursor to academic learning (Fullan, 2016).
According to Kumar and Meenakshi (2009) “relationships grow over time through an expression
of shared values and a common purpose” (p. 19). Developing personal relationships with
students not only enhanced academic learning, but also changed the instructors forever.
Table 2. Skill reinforcement in the community and classroom
PBSL Skills
Critical Thinking
Deep Learning
Problem Solving
Collaboration
Demonstrated in the Demonstrated in the
Classroom
Community
PBSL groups
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
PBSL groups
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
PBSL groups
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
PBSL groups
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
Teamwork
PBSL groups
Social Skills
PBSL groups
Reflection
PBSL group
reflection following
each class
PBSL groups—group
assigned individual
tasks
Self-Directed
Learning
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
PBSL service team;
after PBSL
workshops
PBSL group—group
assigned individual
tasks for workshops
References
Kress (1985); Zwiers
(2006)
Leach (2015)
Grace and Lee (2014)
Little (2009); Peyton,
Moore, and Young
(2010); Pratt, Davies,
and Connor (2011)
Verplaetse, L. S., and
Migliacci, N. (2008)
Bailey (2007)
Cunningham (1987);
Zwahlen (2017)
Hendry, Wiggins and
Anderson (2016);
Matusovich, Jones,
Paretti, Moore and
Hunter (2011)
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Written
Communication
as assigned by PBSL
group; individual
PBSL reflection
journal
PBSL service team;
after PBSL
workshops
Oral Communication
as assigned by PBSL
group; PBSL
presentation
PBSL service team;
PBSL workshops
Abdullah and Hoon
(2008); Christie
(2002); Cunningham
(1987); Othman and
Ahamad Shah (2013);
Verplaetse, and
Migliacci (2008)
Christie (2002);
Williams and
Sugumaran (2015);
Wright (2016)
Teamwork and collaboration were the foundation of the PBSL AmeriCorps process.
Additionally, the students integrated their problem-solving and critical thinking and deep
learning skills both in the classroom and in the community. Technology was reinforced during
the research component of the process and when communicating with the community. It was the
cultures of the students that enriched the classroom and the community PBSL workshops; culture
provided a depth and richness to the whole experience, greatly maximizing the learning
outcomes of all PBSL students.
In conclusion, it was not how the students entered the class, but how they left—what they
took with them. It was all about the takeaways. In the case of the AmeriCorps class, the
takeaways were deep relationships with their cohort and instructors built on trust, respect, and
integrity. The progression of becoming self-directed learners was all about skill development—
English, critical thinking, problem-solving, oral and written language, and collaboration. During
the PBSL process, the AmeriCorps students not only honed their skills concentrating on realworld problem solving, but also developed lifelong learning skills and personal relationships.
PBSL GRADE LEVEL ACTIVITIES
Elementary School Activity
Problem-based component. During the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years, an
elementary school district in Phoenix, Arizona, participated in the district-wide STEM Math
Science Partnership grant training. One elementary school in the district reportedly used PBSL
frameworks to organize a recycling club to address the issue of waste and littering. The effort
helped teachers and students reduce the problem of wasted paper products and campus littering.
The recycling club helped students accomplish important school improvement goals, deepen
student engagement and inquiry, build collaboration skills, and increase concept integration. The
recycling effort organized students and teachers around an initiative that was important to the
school community. At the end, teachers and students reflected on their experiences and
contributions to the community.
Service-based component. The same team proposed ways to help students extend the
original recycling club beyond the school campus into the neighborhood. The recycling team
surveyed the community with a student-developed questionnaire to determine recycling needs
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while other group members surveyed local businesses and families via email or electronic
services like Remind.com or Google Forms. Teams used electronic maps to establish a recycling
collection methodology, collection and distribution routes, and collection calendar. Teachers
helped students with contacting local recycling centers to establish a plan to handle recyclables.
Finally, students collected, tallied, and donated to the community all collected funds that were
payment for bulk recyclables. Teachers and students used problem-solving simulation tools such
as Causal Mapper (Baumgartner, 2004) and Structural Thinking and Experiential Learning
Laboratory, with Animation (STELLA) (Eskrootchi & Oskrochi, 2010) to demonstrate students’
thinking processes and causal relationships of recycling and neighborhoods.
Middle School Activity
While some middle schools use Project Lead the Way to teach their students STEM
problem-solving concepts, one middle school in Arizona uses Engineering Projects in
Community Service (EPICS) to facilitate middle school students with problem-based service
learning. The teachers leading the project were looking for methods to improve collaboration and
problem-solving skills of 7th and 8th grade students. In these middle school activities, both teams
examined collaboration around community issues of adaptability, vacant lot use, and
neighborhood littering.
Problem-based component. One middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, surveyed their
faculty and staff to identify needs on the campus and proposed solutions concerning campus
accessibility for students with special needs. Using Google Forms’ online surveys and campus
walks, the students learned that primary-level students needed step stools to reach water
fountains. Some areas on campus required adaptive features such as lifts or ramps to make the
areas more accessible to special needs students during events such as award ceremonies. The 7th
and 8th graders used their problem-solving skills to plan and build ramps for wheelchair
accessibility based on an article they read demonstrating how students’ projects impacted their
communities. One of the leading teachers read a juried article about how students used EPICS
protocols to build adaptive prototypes for their physically disabled peers. In the article, students
had used EPICS protocols to “develop computer-controlled toys for children with physical
disabilities and design classroom furniture for physically handicapped … students” (Coyle,
Jamieson, & Oakes, 2005, p. 5). Because the juried article was beyond students’ comprehension
levels, a similar text written in the students’ readability range was located on www.Newsela.com.
Service-based component. In 2015, a science teacher’s 8th grade science students used
PBSL strategies to develop an indigenous desert garden on the school’s campus for student
learning and beautification. A grant provided funds to purchase desert plants previously studied
by students in class. The school principal approved the garden and provided a space on campus
for it. By 2016, a fence was installed, plants arrived, and the students began planting. To provide
sustained care for the garden, plants were labeled. By 2017, the garden had grown and required
extra care. By that time, the school district had scheduled a Love Our Schools Day, a day when
community members, school employees, students, and school service groups volunteered time to
beautify school campuses across the district. Volunteers were treated to refreshments and student
volunteers received community service credit for their service.
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To extend the Love Our Schools project beyond the school campus, it was proposed that
teachers help students with surveying their neighborhoods to determine possible service projects,
for instance, uses for vacant lots. A team of teachers and students surveyed the community with a
student-developed needs/wants questionnaire, including local businesses and families via email
or electronic services like Remind.com or Google Forms. Teachers guided students’ use of
electronic maps to identify vacant lots. The process included students collaborating to develop
purposeful uses for the vacant lots; students contacting local businesses for donations of tools,
seeds, and other materials to convert the vacant lots into gardens (or other functional areas based
on the neighborhood needs assessments); students organizing crews and developing work
schedules for teams to clear the lots for use; and students collecting, tallying, and donating to the
community any remaining monies generated from the vacant lot project. Teachers and students
used problem solving simulation tools such as Causal Mapper (Baumgartner, 2004) and
Structural Thinking and Experiential Learning Laboratory, with Animation (STELLA)
(Eskrootchi & Oskrochi, 2010) to demonstrate students’ thinking processes and causal
relationships between their actions of collaboration and community involvement with
maintenance of the vacant lots.
High School Activity
For the high school activity, the authors of this article decided to address a relevant and
heartbreaking topic that continues to affect schools across the nation, school shootings. It is
difficult and shocking for all students to have to learn about school shootings and not know that
they have a voice to speak up and contribute to the American society’s improvement. We
propose the topic of school shootings as a PBSL service-learning activity high school learners
can engage in to find solutions, become involved in their communities, and support one another
as they mentally and physically fight through this horrifying reality. At the same time, this PBSL
learning activity gives educators the opportunity to teach their students that they are not victims
and that they can use their intelligence to improve their society.
Problem-based component. Students are given the problem of school shootings and are
tasked on finding possible solutions. As a problem-based activity, teachers are only expected to
provide the problem and ensure learners understand the goals, objectives, and expectations
(Archbald, 2013). It is ultimately up to the students to determine how the problem can be solved
and what is the best solution to this problem.
Service-learning component. In this component, students are expected to take the
solution found for the problem to the next step. In service-learning, learners build relationships
outside of their educational institutions, become advocates, and find ways to connect with and
serve their community (Ryan, 2012). In this activity, students will engage in service-learning by
adding a component to their solution that involves going out to their community to advocate for,
volunteer at, or serve in a community organization that is looking for solutions to the problem of
school shootings. To bridge the classroom-community divide, one idea is to encourage students
to write a letter to the editor of their local newspaper, write an article for a magazine, or write a
letter to their state or federal legislators.
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CONCLUSION
“It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.
No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it
is, but the world as it will be” (Asimov, 1981, p. 19).
Learning must become personalized and individualized for each student to achieve their
own goals. This is certainly true for ELs, who migrate to English-speaking countries from
various walks of life, with diverse formal educational backgrounds and divergent academic
learning experiences that make them unique learners. Suitably, Dr. Helen Soulé, the executive
director of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), stated “education systems need to
provide students with hands-on learning that mirrors real-world problems and work opportunities
in an interdisciplinary way. These new types of skills cannot be taught in isolation but must
instead be suffused throughout the curriculum” (as cited in The Economist Intelligence Unit ,
2015, p. 12). Additionally, students must be able to collaborate, analyze, evaluate, and take
responsibility for their own learning. Conversely, teachers are expected to take on new didactic
roles focusing on guiding students to work effectively and embracing 21st century skills
themselves.
The authors of this article propose the PBSL model with the vision of contributing to the
larger discourse on service-learning, civic engagement, literacy, language learning, STEM, and
21st century pedagogy. As advocates for quality education for underserved students, it is our
belief much of the impact of 21st century educational change rests with educators. Fortuitously,
teachers have the perspectives of knowledge and experience; they know how much their students
will have to learn in order to embrace the future. The onus is on teachers. Working in
collaboration, teachers will have to modify and adapt the 21st century skills and develop new
instructional strategies to meet the needs of their students. The problem we are addressing is not
a problem yet for most educators; it is looming on the horizon. The value of this article is that we
are looking and projecting forward. As professional literacy and language educators, we must
keep our eyes open; our students are counting on us to guide them to the future. As scientist
Louis Pasteur once stated, “chance favors only the prepared mind” (as cited in Geison, 2014, p.
40).
Margaret Aker is an adjunct professor at Concordia University Chicago. She completed a
doctoral program in reading at Arizona State University and is a doctoral candidate in
Educational Leadership at CUC. She is certified in problem-based learning, grant writing,
proposal management, and capture management. Her research interests include problembased learning, collaborative clouds, non-linear learning, adult education, and proposal
management.
E-mail: msaliteracy@gmail.com
Luis Javier Pentón Herrera is an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher in
a public high school and an adjunct professor in TESOL at University of Maryland, Baltimore
County (UMBC) and Spanish at University of Maryland University College (UMUC).
Presently, he is serving on the Maryland Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages
177
(MD TESOL) Board of Directors as its President (2018-2019). His research focuses on
bilingual education, Spanish, ESL/ESOL, literacy studies, and Hispanic pedagogues.
E-mail: luis.penton@gmail.com
Lynn Daniel is currently a doctoral candidate at Concordia University Chicago and a middle
school English Language Arts teacher who specializes in middle school pedagogy and
literacy. Lynn has taught English Language Arts and Special Reading for over three decades
at a middle school in Missouri and currently teaches English Language Arts, Structured
English Immersion, and Problem-Based Learning to 7th and 8th graders in Phoenix, Arizona.
E-mail: lynnrdaniel@gmail.com
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