Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning

Book Review: The Practice of Problem-Based Learning: A Guide to Implementing PBL in the College Classroom

Sandra Williamson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:08 PDT

Problem-Oriented Approaches in the Context of Health Care Education: Perspectives and Lessons

Weiqun Courtney Kang — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:07 PDT

The current study aimed to explore and articulate some of the key issues in problem-oriented learning (POL), in the context of health care education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculties representing four different health care disciplines around common issues identified in a prior survey study. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that POL practice among health care educators includes both problem-based learning (PBL) in the strict sense, and a much broader integration of PBL components into discipline-specific curricula. In both cases, expertise was recognized as an important requirement for an effective tutor, although the range of necessary expertise was context-dependent. Tutor guidance and feedback, as well as sufficient autonomy for students, are crucial to maximize learning in POL. In conclusion, POL was shown to have broadened the instructional technique defined by PBL. Although addressing the same underlying principles, POL may represent a more flexible and inclusive approach to achieve the benefits claimed by PBL.

Targeting Transfer in a STELLAR PBL Course for Pre-Service Teachers

Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:05 PDT

Helping students in the professions apply conceptual ideas to the problems of practice is a key goal of problem-based learning (PBL). Because PBL is organized around small, collaborative groups, scaling up PBL to large, heterogeneous classes poses significant challenges for implementation. This study presents a hybrid model that mixes online and face-to-face PBL. The STELLAR system was developed to support online and hybrid PBL courses for pre-service teachers. It allows PBL to be implemented in larger classes because its scaffolding capabilities allow a small number of facilitators to distribute their attention among multiple small groups. In a quasi-experimental study, we found that students who participated in a hybrid PBL course using STELLAR (n= 33) learned more about targeted course concepts than students in a traditional comparison course (n=37). In addition, we present qualitative data that helps explain these outcomes by demonstrating how students engaged with these concepts during the hybrid PBL course. These results suggest that a hybrid computer-supported collaborative learning approach can be used to scaffold problem-based learning and foster deep understanding.

Storytelling as an Instructional Method: Definitions and Research Questions

Dee H. Andrews — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:04 PDT

The goal of this paper is to discuss the theoretical and empirical foundations of the use of storytelling in instruction. The definition of a "story" is given and four instructional methods are identified related to storytelling: case-based, narrative-based, scenario-based and problem-based instruction. The article puts forth descriptions of the four instructional methods above, describes several research issues, some foundational work and theories, and proposes a research agenda.

Editor's Introduction

Peg Ertmer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:03 PDT

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:02 PDT

Book Review: A Practical Guide to Problem-Based Learning Online

Jennifer C. Richardson — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:51:13 PDT

Validity and Problem-Based Learning Research: A Review of Instruments Used to Assess Intended Learning Outcomes

Brian R. Belland — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:51:11 PDT

Problem-based learning (PBL) spread from the medical school to other university and K-12 contexts due, in part, to the stated promise that PBL produces the target outcomes of deep content learning, increased problem-solving ability, and increased self-directed learning (Hmelo-Silver, 2004). However, research results have been unclear. This paper examines how the three target outcomes were measured in 33 empirical studies. Results indicate that few studies included (a) theoretical frameworks for the assessed variables/constructs, (b) rationales for how chosen assessments matched the constructs measured, or (c) other information required for readers to assess the validity of authors' interpretations. Implications for future research are discussed.

When is PBL More Effective? A Meta-synthesis of Meta-analyses Comparing PBL to Conventional Classrooms

Johannes Strobel — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:51:08 PDT

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been utilized for over 40 years in a variety of different disciplines. Although extensively researched, there is heated debate about the effectiveness of PBL. Several meta-analyses were conducted that provided a synthesis of the effects of PBL in comparison to traditional forms of instruction. This study used a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to compare and contrast the assumptions and findings of the meta-analytical research on the effectiveness of PBL. Findings indicated that PBL was superior when it comes to long-term retention, skill development and satisfaction of students and teachers, while traditional approaches were more effective for short-term retention as measured by standardized board exams. Implications are discussed.

A Problem Based Learning Meta Analysis: Differences Across Problem Types, Implementation Types, Disciplines, and Assessment Levels

Andrew Walker — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:51:06 PDT

Problem based learning (PBL) in its most current form originated in Medical Education but has since been used in a variety of disciplines (Savery & Duffy, 1995) at a variety of educational levels (Savery, 2006). Although recent meta analyses have been conducted (Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, & Gijbels, 2003; Gijbels, Dochy, Van den Bossche, & Segers, 2005) that attempted to go beyond medical education, they found only one study in economics and were unable to explain large portions of the variance across results. This work builds upon their efforts as a meta-analysis that crosses disciplines as well as categorizes the types of problems used (Jonassen, 2000), the PBL approach employed (Barrows, 1986), and the level of assessment (Gijbels et al., 2005; Sugrue, 1993, 1995). Across 82 studies and 201 outcomes the findings favor PBL (d = 0.13, +/- .025) with a lack of homogeneity (Q = 954.27) that warrants a closer examination of moderating factors.