It seems like some folks will take a swipe at CBL at every opportunity. A portion of the skepticism and criticism is no doubt valid, but more than a tad is motivated by those who just want it to go away because it calls for changing old ways.
On the one hand, this frustrates me because it is hard to discuss the issues with CBL that I see, without opening a discussion up to the slings and arrows of those who resent anything related to our professional development efforts. I hear myself becoming a booster rather than a problem solver.
However, my greater frustration comes from biting my tongue about seeing an elephant in the room when CBL is subjected to criticism: Why is CBL subject to special scrutiny? People want proof that it works and and assurance that it will not cut into more valuable activities. I want to ask them to prove that those other activities work. Can they show me that the students have attained mastery by all those homework assignments, lectures, and discussions? Assessment is essential, but across the board.
I think I have fashioned a constructive way to address this issue of assessing CBL. That will be the subject of my next post.
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Flickr CC Photo by woody1778a
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