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Title:
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DOES PROBLEM BASED LEARNING DELIVER THE GOODS? |
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Author(s):
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Steve Benson |
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ISBN:
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978-972-8939-38-0 |
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Editors:
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Miguel Baptista Nunes and Pedro Isaías |
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Year:
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2011 |
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Edition:
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Volume II |
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Keywords:
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Problem based learning, constructivism, student outcomes. |
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Type:
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Short Paper |
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First Page:
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135 |
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Last Page:
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139 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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Much of university teaching is grounded in a traditional or semi-traditional mode, that is it is lecturer centric and at least partly didactic. There are numerous reasons for this which include: a reluctance to change on the part of academics; the changing nature of the student demographic; an increasing emphasis on education as a service; risk averse behavior on the part of academics; academic managers fearing adverse student feedback and the financial imperatives which require the maximization of student progress and retention). Safe, traditional approaches to pedagogy do not prepare students for the world of work, by contrast, problem based learning (PBL) exposes students to realistic scenarios which are often ill defined. The methods students use to solve problems are often as important as the answers, and in many cases there are no right answers. PBL is grounded in constructivism and student centred learning. However it seems that there is uncertainty about what PBL comprises and, for reasons hinted at above, some reluctance to implement it. This paper gives an introduction to PBL, critically discusses its relative merits and the barriers to its introduction. The author concludes that PBL is worthwhile but notes that many of the benefits do not relate to academic outcomes. |
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