Abstract
Innovative educational adaptations have been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Against the backdrop of school closures in Hong Kong resulting from unrest and COVID-19, this study proposed using problem-based learning (PBL) in online courses and empirically examined the influence of the PBL learning methodology on online learners’ sense of classroom belonging and academic performance. A total of 44 sophomores pursuing electrical and electronic engineering majors and taking “Practical Chinese for engineering students” as a compulsory course at the University of Hong Kong participated in the study. They were divided evenly between the experimental group C1 and the control group C2 (22 in each). We implemented online PBL learning for the experimental group, C1, and traditional online learning for the control group, C2. Quantitative data were collected via an achievement test and a scale on sense of classroom community. Qualitative data were obtained through a semi-structured focus group discussion. The quantitative results showed that the students who received the PBL learning method scored higher on tests, experienced a stronger sense of classroom belonging, and had closer connections with each other. A content analysis of student interviews revealed that implementation of the PBL learning method in online teaching could strengthen students’ classroom interactions and that the enhancement of their mutual connections could stimulate learning and improve learning efficiency. Overall, this study finds that the PBL learning method is effective in promoting students’ deep active learning and sense of community in the online environment.
Highlights
The 2019–2020 academic year was challenging for all universities in Hong Kong
We implemented online problem-based learning (PBL) learning for the experimental group, and traditional online teaching for the control group
Innovative educational adaptations have been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
September 2019, the 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill movement triggered widespread unrest Protesters scaled up their resistance by launching the “Dawn Operation” campaign that included constructing road obstructions, reinitiating the three suspensions (of work, classes, and markets) and other protest activities. The conflict at Hong Kong Polytechnic University was serious; one thousand people—mostly students—were trapped on campus for several days. The PBL approach to learning does not require students to have mastered a body of knowledge before they complete a project (as in typical undergraduate or master’s thesis), but instead allows students’ understanding and problem-solving abilities to evolve together. According to Hansen [9], the goals of PBL are to help students: (a) think critically, analyze, and solve complex real-world problems; (b) find, evaluate, and use learning resources; (c) work cooperatively in teams; (d) demonstrate effective communication skills; and (e) use content knowledge and intellectual skills to become continual learners. Compared with the traditional PBL learning method, the online PBL learning method allows students to be flexible in adjusting their learning schedules, so that they feel more motivated to learn
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