PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
Overview of Problem-based Learning (PBL)
PBL is rooted in experienced-based education. Through this approach students challenge to learn through engagement in a real problem. Students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies (Savery & Duffy, 1995 ). They engage with the problem, generate ideas and possible solution, determine their knowledge which they know or do not know, establish learning goals, conduct research to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to develop a viable solution to the problem, reflect on the problem utilizing the new information, and reflect on their problem-solving process (Savery & Duffy, 1995). Silver & Cindy (2004) describe PBL as follows:
The Origins of PBL
PBL is a curriculum development and delivery system that recognizes the need to develop problem solving skills as well as the necessity of helping students to acquire necessary knowledge and skills.
Original Characteristics of PBL
Barrows (1996) lists the six original characteristics for PBL model employed in the medical school as follows:
Implications for Instructional Design
Gallagher (1997) elaborate on how to apply PBL effectively:
Affordances of PBL
Research in educational psychology has found that traditional educational approaches (e.g., lectures) do not lead to a high rate of knowledge retention.
Challenges of PBL
PBL is not effective for any types of knowledge learning. A meta-analysis of medical students in PBL curricula and traditional curricula (Norman & Schmidt, 1993) indicates that the retention of knowledge over a long period was increased and the transfer of concepts into clinical situations was enhanced for the PBL students. In addition self-directed study skills improved for the PBL students. However in the same study traditional methods of education produced higher scores on knowledge of basic sciences than problem-based learning methods.
Another argument against PBL is that it can be very difficult to change to PBL when most of the students or staff are products of didactic teaching methods (Walton & Mathews, 1989). Trigger and Prosser (1996) compared approaches to teaching and conceptions of teaching in their 24 teachers of courses in first year chemistry and physics. They found that teachers who had a particular conception of teaching tended to adopt a commensurate approach to teaching. The teachers with a student-centered and learning-oriented conception of teaching tended to adopt a commensurate approach to teaching. So the argument is that if you want teachers to adopt a student-focused approach to teaching PBL, you need to ensure that they have a commensurate conception of teaching.
Example: A Case in Biology (Retrieved form http://capewest.ca/pbl.html)
A 58-year-old woman experienced attacks of confusion: she would repeat the same question 30 times even though it was answered for her each time. [New England Journal of Medicine 315:1209-19.]
This is a good introductory case, as the students are able to generate a wide range of ideas: Alzheimer's Disease, trauma, alcohol abuse, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, hypotension, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, hypocalcemia, emphysema, dehydration, hypoglcemia, stroke, etc. The students perceive that the class as a whole is a credible learning resource, and the instructor can help the class reflect upon the biological implications of each suggestion.
Eventually the students will ask the circumstances of the woman's attacks (e.g., "Following alcohol consumption?") When the students learn that the attacks occurred in the late afternoon, they will likely focus on diet and blood sugar. The instructor might at this point present a short talk on carbohydrate function and blood sugar regulation. This can be done using a transparency, with copies available to the students. It is important in a PBL environment to minimize the time required for note-taking.
The students will ask for information on the woman's blood glucose level (1.6 mmol/L) and urine glucose level (zero). The student groups can now brainstorm and investigate possible causes of the low blood glucose: glucagon deficiency, insulin poisoning, anorexia nervosa, extreme exercise, etc. They may ask for an x-ray image of her abdomen, which the instructor can display as a transparency copied from the article. The students can be assisted in identifying the anatomy, including an abnormal mass in the pancreas (an insulin-secreting tumour). Additional discussion and learning opportunities can be generated by displaying copies of the ultrasonogram, angiogram, histopathology, etc.The students in each group may then collaborate in writing a brief report that explains the biology of the case.
Example of Virtual World Design: A Case in Second Life
PREVIEW-Psych & PREVIEW-Sustain Info Area, Derby University http://previewpsych.org/?page_id=178
Important Seminal Works
Barrows, H. S. (1996). Problem‐based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview. New directions for teaching and learning, 1996(68), 3-12. PDF
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266. PDF
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Barrows, H. S. (2006). Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 4. PDF
Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational technology, 35(5), 31-38. LINK
Web Resources
Problem-Based Learning-Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning
Problem-Based Learning-Study guide and strategy http://www.studygs.net/pbl.htm
Problem-Based Learning http://www.pbl.uci.edu/whatispbl.html
Problem-Based Learning description http://online.sfsu.edu/rpurser/revised/pages/problem.htm
What is problem-based learning? http://www.aishe.org/readings/2005-1/barrett What_is_Problem_B_L.html
Problem-Based Learning http://www.ed.psu.edu/NASA/probtxt.html
Problem-Based Learning projects http://www.pblprojects.org
Problem-Based Learning Powerpoint
References
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.
Schmidt, H. G., Rotgans, J. I., & Yew, E. H. (2011). The process of problem‐based learning: what works and why. Medical education, 45(8), 792-806.
Hung, W. (2011). Theory to reality: a few issues in implementing problem-based learning. Educational
Technology Research and Development, 59(4), 529-552.
Garfield, J. B. (1994). Beyond testing and grading: Using assessment to improve student learning. Journal of Statistics Education, 2(1), 1-11.
Gallagher, S. A. (1997). Problem-based learning. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 20(4), 332-62.
Kwan, A. (2009). Problem-based learning. The Routledge International Handbook of Higher Education,91-107.
Problem-based learning. Retrieved Feb.15, 2014 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/wxh139/PBL.htm
Woods, D. R., & Learning, P. B. (2000). Helping your students gain the most from PBL. Problem-based learning: Educational innovation across disciplines. Singapore: Temasek Centre for Problem-based Learning.
Sweller, J. (2006). The worked example effect and human cognition. Learning and Instruction, 16(2),165-169.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257-285.
Walton, H. and M. Mathews (1989). Essentials of problem-based learning. Medical Education 23, 542-558.
Norman, G. and H. Schmidt (1993). Does problem-based learning work? A meta-analysis of evaluative research. Academic Medicine (68), 557-565.
Trigger, K. and M. Prosser (1996). Congruence between intention and strategy in university science teachers’ approaches to teaching. Higher Education 32, 77-87.
PBL is rooted in experienced-based education. Through this approach students challenge to learn through engagement in a real problem. Students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies (Savery & Duffy, 1995 ). They engage with the problem, generate ideas and possible solution, determine their knowledge which they know or do not know, establish learning goals, conduct research to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to develop a viable solution to the problem, reflect on the problem utilizing the new information, and reflect on their problem-solving process (Savery & Duffy, 1995). Silver & Cindy (2004) describe PBL as follows:
- PBL is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of problem solving.
- PBL is a constructivist approach to instruction. It emphasizes collaborative and self-directed learning.
- PBL makes a fundamental shift--from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning.
The Origins of PBL
PBL is a curriculum development and delivery system that recognizes the need to develop problem solving skills as well as the necessity of helping students to acquire necessary knowledge and skills.
- PBL originated from a curriculum reform by medical faculty at Case Western Reserve University in the late 1950s.
- PBL has diffused into many other professional fields including law, economics, architecture, mechanical and civil engineering, as well as in K-12 curricula.
Original Characteristics of PBL
Barrows (1996) lists the six original characteristics for PBL model employed in the medical school as follows:
- Learning is student centered.
- Learning occurs in small student groups.
- Teachers are facilitators or guiders.
- Problems form the original focus and stimulus for learning.
- Problems are a vehicle for the development of clinical problem solving skills.
- New information is acquired through self-directed learning.
Implications for Instructional Design
Gallagher (1997) elaborate on how to apply PBL effectively:
- Use problems at the beginning, not the end.
- Use ill-structured problems.
- Relate all learning to the problem.
- Make students apprentices.
- Give students responsibility for problem definition and plan of action.
- Have student defend their solution.
- Learners are presented with a problem and through discussion to activate their prior knowledge.
- Learners develop possible theories to explain the problem in their group.
- Facilitators provide scaffold to help students construct knowledge to the problem.
- After the initial team work, students work independently in self-directed study to research the identified issues.
- Students re-group to discuss their findings and refine their initial explanations.
- Assessment is not separate from instruction. Rather, assessment is integral to learning, it is a continuous process that drives instruction.
- Students will learn to evaluate the work of their peers, as well as their own.
- Students will play an active role in developing criteria and setting standards.
Affordances of PBL
Research in educational psychology has found that traditional educational approaches (e.g., lectures) do not lead to a high rate of knowledge retention.
- PBL is a challenging for students because they are motivated to learn by a need to understand and solve real managerial problems.
- The relevance of information is readily apparent for students.
Challenges of PBL
PBL is not effective for any types of knowledge learning. A meta-analysis of medical students in PBL curricula and traditional curricula (Norman & Schmidt, 1993) indicates that the retention of knowledge over a long period was increased and the transfer of concepts into clinical situations was enhanced for the PBL students. In addition self-directed study skills improved for the PBL students. However in the same study traditional methods of education produced higher scores on knowledge of basic sciences than problem-based learning methods.
Another argument against PBL is that it can be very difficult to change to PBL when most of the students or staff are products of didactic teaching methods (Walton & Mathews, 1989). Trigger and Prosser (1996) compared approaches to teaching and conceptions of teaching in their 24 teachers of courses in first year chemistry and physics. They found that teachers who had a particular conception of teaching tended to adopt a commensurate approach to teaching. The teachers with a student-centered and learning-oriented conception of teaching tended to adopt a commensurate approach to teaching. So the argument is that if you want teachers to adopt a student-focused approach to teaching PBL, you need to ensure that they have a commensurate conception of teaching.
Example: A Case in Biology (Retrieved form http://capewest.ca/pbl.html)
A 58-year-old woman experienced attacks of confusion: she would repeat the same question 30 times even though it was answered for her each time. [New England Journal of Medicine 315:1209-19.]
This is a good introductory case, as the students are able to generate a wide range of ideas: Alzheimer's Disease, trauma, alcohol abuse, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, hypotension, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, hypocalcemia, emphysema, dehydration, hypoglcemia, stroke, etc. The students perceive that the class as a whole is a credible learning resource, and the instructor can help the class reflect upon the biological implications of each suggestion.
Eventually the students will ask the circumstances of the woman's attacks (e.g., "Following alcohol consumption?") When the students learn that the attacks occurred in the late afternoon, they will likely focus on diet and blood sugar. The instructor might at this point present a short talk on carbohydrate function and blood sugar regulation. This can be done using a transparency, with copies available to the students. It is important in a PBL environment to minimize the time required for note-taking.
The students will ask for information on the woman's blood glucose level (1.6 mmol/L) and urine glucose level (zero). The student groups can now brainstorm and investigate possible causes of the low blood glucose: glucagon deficiency, insulin poisoning, anorexia nervosa, extreme exercise, etc. They may ask for an x-ray image of her abdomen, which the instructor can display as a transparency copied from the article. The students can be assisted in identifying the anatomy, including an abnormal mass in the pancreas (an insulin-secreting tumour). Additional discussion and learning opportunities can be generated by displaying copies of the ultrasonogram, angiogram, histopathology, etc.The students in each group may then collaborate in writing a brief report that explains the biology of the case.
Example of Virtual World Design: A Case in Second Life
PREVIEW-Psych & PREVIEW-Sustain Info Area, Derby University http://previewpsych.org/?page_id=178
Important Seminal Works
Barrows, H. S. (1996). Problem‐based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview. New directions for teaching and learning, 1996(68), 3-12. PDF
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266. PDF
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Barrows, H. S. (2006). Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 4. PDF
Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational technology, 35(5), 31-38. LINK
Web Resources
Problem-Based Learning-Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning
Problem-Based Learning-Study guide and strategy http://www.studygs.net/pbl.htm
Problem-Based Learning http://www.pbl.uci.edu/whatispbl.html
Problem-Based Learning description http://online.sfsu.edu/rpurser/revised/pages/problem.htm
What is problem-based learning? http://www.aishe.org/readings/2005-1/barrett What_is_Problem_B_L.html
Problem-Based Learning http://www.ed.psu.edu/NASA/probtxt.html
Problem-Based Learning projects http://www.pblprojects.org
Problem-Based Learning Powerpoint
References
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.
Schmidt, H. G., Rotgans, J. I., & Yew, E. H. (2011). The process of problem‐based learning: what works and why. Medical education, 45(8), 792-806.
Hung, W. (2011). Theory to reality: a few issues in implementing problem-based learning. Educational
Technology Research and Development, 59(4), 529-552.
Garfield, J. B. (1994). Beyond testing and grading: Using assessment to improve student learning. Journal of Statistics Education, 2(1), 1-11.
Gallagher, S. A. (1997). Problem-based learning. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 20(4), 332-62.
Kwan, A. (2009). Problem-based learning. The Routledge International Handbook of Higher Education,91-107.
Problem-based learning. Retrieved Feb.15, 2014 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/wxh139/PBL.htm
Woods, D. R., & Learning, P. B. (2000). Helping your students gain the most from PBL. Problem-based learning: Educational innovation across disciplines. Singapore: Temasek Centre for Problem-based Learning.
Sweller, J. (2006). The worked example effect and human cognition. Learning and Instruction, 16(2),165-169.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257-285.
Walton, H. and M. Mathews (1989). Essentials of problem-based learning. Medical Education 23, 542-558.
Norman, G. and H. Schmidt (1993). Does problem-based learning work? A meta-analysis of evaluative research. Academic Medicine (68), 557-565.
Trigger, K. and M. Prosser (1996). Congruence between intention and strategy in university science teachers’ approaches to teaching. Higher Education 32, 77-87.
Yan Wang 03/10/2014