Group students and provide resources
Teachers should group students carefully to increase their
language learning opportunities in a problem-based activity.
In a multilevel class, problem-based learning provides
an opportunity to have students of different proficiency
levels work together. If possible, teachers should group
students from different language backgrounds together to
guarantee that students communicate in English.
Teachers should make available a variety of resources to
help students work on the given problem. In the sample
problem above, for example, information about local
schools can be collected from the schools themselves as
well as from Internet sites that rank public schools across
the United States (e.g., www.greatschools.net). Classified
ads on the Internet and in local newspapers can be searched
for housing possibilities. Bus schedules and maps can usually
be obtained from transportation agencies or tourist
information centers, and local government offices and
public libraries are good sources for information—often
free—about local services and facilities. When providing
students with resources, teachers should make sure the
students understand how to use them and how these
resources may help in finding a solution to the problem.