Problem-based Learning Project Research Articles

Implementing Problem-based Learning to Secondary School EFL learners at the International School of China for Developing Communicative Competence

As the global demand for complex talent increases, the purpose of teaching and learning is no longer simply to transmit knowledge, but also to develop students’ ability to ask questions, analyze problems and solve them (Reed et al, 2021). The traditional teacher-centered, passive learning approach no longer meets the teaching context of social development and strong international competitiveness (Ting et al., 2021). PBL (Problem-based learning) is a form of self-directed learning and group discussion that creates a genuine context for students to map out the real world, which contributes to diversifying, differentiating, and stimulating students learning (Almulla, 2020). PBL develops students’ practical skills, cultivates innovative and applied talents, and improves students’ confidence in learning (Ngadiso et al., 2021). PBL uses independent learning and group discussion to create a real-world situation for students, which can develop their learning autonomy, and improve their overall application skills, especially the listening and speaking skills (Quinn, 2019). This pedagogical report tries to design a complete PBL project for high school students in an international school of China to help students be able to use English correctly for intercultural communication by doing PBL tasks. Students can deeply appreciate the differences in word meanings, sentence meanings, associative meanings, metaphorical meanings, and other linguistic phenomena in the two different cultures of the East and the West, to understand culture from the inside and maintain their interest and enthusiasm in learning English. By PBL approach, teachers can help students to mobilize their enthusiasm and initiative for learning and cultivate students’ communicative competence to realize the co-growth of knowledge and competence (Larmer, 2016).

Evaluation of Problem-Based Learning Experiences Addressing Health Promotion in the Fourth Grade of Primary School.

The global issues of overweight and sedentary lifestyles require comprehensive responses from health systems. Despite this, health education remains fragmented and sporadic. This study aims to target primary school children to instil healthy habits using active learning strategies, with a specific focus on promoting a healthy diet and physical activity. This study employed problem-based learning (PBL) projects with fourth-grade primary students to encourage the acquisition of healthy habits. Conducted over four consecutive years at a two-line school, the study utilised an opportunity sample, evaluating intervention and control groups by comparing their corresponding scores. The control groups consisted of 54 students, while the intervention group included 159 students. Data collection involved pre-test and post-test questionnaires to measure outcomes. Differential evaluation scores revealed significantly higher results in the intervention groups compared to the control groups, with an average score increase of 3.62 points in control groups and 6.94 points in intervention groups, particularly in attitudinal competencies. The strategies employed facilitated the development of crucial skills such as information search, synthesis, representation, analysis, decision making, teamwork, and intrapersonal awareness. Additionally, they significantly broadened the knowledge acquired regarding healthy habits. The problem-based learning approach proved effective in helping children understand the importance of making healthy choices and encouraged the integration of such habits into their daily lives. These findings suggest that active learning strategies can significantly enhance health education and promote long-term healthy behaviours among primary school children.

The Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Strategies in the Creative Thinking Skills of Grade 12 Students in Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

This research study focused on examining the effectiveness of problem-based learning strategies in enhancing the creative thinking skills of Grade 12 students studying Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. The study was conducted at the Senior High School section of Dolores Macasaet National High School, situated in Brgy. Pahinga Norte, Candelaria, Quezon Province. The participants in the study consisted of three sections from each of the three Grade 12 strands, all of whom were taught using problem-based learning methods. To facilitate the implementation of problem-based learning, the researcher created five self-made semi-detailed lesson plans covering the first five weeks of the third grading period. The research design utilized in this study was a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design. For data analysis, frequency and percentage were employed, along with mean and standard deviation calculations. Additionally, the Paired Samples T-test was utilized to compare the pre-test and post-test results. In contrast to traditional teacher-centered instruction, the problem-based learning approach adopted in this study involved presenting the problem to students first, making it a more student-centered method. This approach fostered a classroom environment that encouraged group work and collaboration, providing opportunities for students to engage in problem-based learning projects. The findings of the study revealed significant differences in the pre-test and post-test performance of the participants in terms of creative thinking skills, particularly in fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration, following the implementation of problem-based learning strategies.

Introducing a Problem Analysis Tool Implies Increasement in Understanding the Problem Analysis Among Students

Problem-based learning (PBL) is the through-going didactics at Aalborg University, but literature shows how integrating PBL into project work is challenging for students. Studies indicate that students especially struggle with the problem analysis section, i.e., what it consists of, how the structure of the analysis should be, etc. Moreover, literature shows that ignorance among students leads to conflicts among group members. The aim of the study was to evaluate the consequences of introducing a problem analysis tool to master students working with a PBL project. Data analysis showed an increase (with significant p values) in the following 5 topics: 1) the problem analysis term, 2) problem analysis structure, 3) scientific argumentation, 4) learn to analyze instead of explaining, and 5) using literature to argue for a scientific problem. Significant results showed that students believed that they had increased their understanding of the term problem analysis after being introduced to the problem analysis tool.

Developing 21st-century skills through PBL in a public university

This study aimed to examine the beliefs of students in a public university about the benefits of problem-based learning (PBL) projects in developing 21st-century skills in the EFL classroom. A mixed methodology was applied to a sample of 62 A2 level students in a public university who worked on small PBL projects during the semester, with the teacher as a facilitator. The study aimed to analyze the effects of PBL on students’ process and learning outcomes, specifically in terms of attitudes towards collaborative and critical learning in problem-solving. Data was collected through direct observations, surveys, open-ended questionnaires, and semi-structured personal interviews. The study concluded that PBL projects have a positive impact on the process and learning outcomes of students.

Research on the Subject Teaching Construction and Countermeasures of Creative Writing based on Employment Orientation

Creative writing is important because it allows individuals to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a unique and imaginative way. It promotes self-expression and helps to develop writing skills, as well as stimulates the imagination and encourages critical thinking. Additionally, creative writing can serve as a form of therapy and provide a means of exploring and understanding emotions. Therefore, it is important to identify these factors that affect creative writing. The purpose of this study was to investigate a teaching method that teaches construction and countermeasures in creative writing by combining problem-based learning, project-based learning, and the support of technology. Data was collected from 425 students of colleges and universities in China with the help of a structured questionnaire. SmartPLS 4 and SPSS were utilized for data analysis. The findings of the study showed that Problem-based learning, Problem-based blended learning teaching construction and project base learning orientation has a significant positive impact on creative writing. Furthermore, the finding shows that technical support to develop writing skills significantly moderates this relationship. The study provided valuable insights into the current state of creative writing education and the strategies that can be used to improve it. The results can be used by teachers, educational administrators, and policymakers to design better programs and initiatives that support the development of creative writing skills and prepare students for careers in this field.

Reflecting on Training to Facilitate Collaborative Online International Learning Courses

The purpose of this reflective practice was to explore an unexpected revelation that Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses are an engaging and equitable way to enhance my students’ intercultural communication skills. This discovery happened after participating in a COIL training designed to mimic a virtual global exchange course. In this training, I learned to work collaboratively with an international teaching partner to design a course that would include a problem-based learning project with students from the United States and Brazil. Through the reflective process, my views about online learning were transformed, and I discovered that virtual learning could be collaborative and engaging. I also realized that COIL is a cost-effective alternative to study abroad programs where students can learn about various cultures. This reflective manuscript details my experience as I participated in training to facilitate COIL courses. A subsequent manuscript will elaborate on the reflective practice of my experience teaching a COIL class.

Problem-Based Learning Impacts Students’ Reported Learning and Confidence in an Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Course

Recent advances in teaching, many of which incorporate elements of active learning, seek to provide students with learning experiences indicative of real-world problem solving. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one form of active learning that challenges students to address open-ended problems. In this work, we evaluate the efficacy of PBL in achieving the various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, compared to the traditional teaching methods of lecture, in-class problems, and homework. In this two-year study of undergraduates at a mid-sized research university, students report their perceived rating of various teaching methods in mastering the educational goals on each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, from which a cumulative linked mixed model was formed. Students also evaluated their preparedness and increases in skill and confidence for a range of specific tasks associated with completing a PBL project. PBL was the only teaching method to preferentially activate high levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students also reported increases in their skills and confidence (p < 0.01), with more time spent on high-level tasks, compared to low-level tasks. Qualitative survey responses indicate a plurality of students found PBL engaging and rewarding, with additional benefits to their development of professional skills. Though PBL is not comprehensively better at addressing all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy compared to other teaching methods, this work has shown it is far superior at addressing the highest Bloom’s Taxonomy levels of Evaluate and Create. Time spent in PBL improves students’ self-efficacy in high-level tasks, preparing them for difficult and ill-defined tasks they may expect to see in future professional and academic environments.

The Concept of Self-Directed Learning: Implications for Practice in the Undergraduate Curriculum

Self-directed learning (SDL) is a modality where learners are expected to take responsibility for their own learning, diagnose gaps in their learning, frame their own goals and resources for learning, implement appropriate learning strategies and evaluate learning outcomes. Flexibility and creativity in designing assignments for students to work individually or collaboratively are the keys to promoting SDL. The recent competency-based curriculum document from the National Medical Commission does not elaborate the concept or implementation of SDL, leaving it open to individual interpretation. We, herein, discuss the concept of SDL, address common misconceptions surrounding SDL, and elucidate strategies by which SDL skills can be inculcated in medical students using pre-existing opportunities in the curriculum. Flipped classrooms, reciprocal teaching, technology-enhanced methods, problem-based learning, and group projects are excellent ways of promoting SDL. SDL requires efforts and policies both at the teachers' level and at the institutional level; and is an important input to achieve the goal of being a lifelong learner by the Indian medical graduate.

Reflections and Prospects; Problem-based Learning and Co-op Education in Undergraduate Engineering Programs focusing on Incongruity between Student’s Major and Company’s Field of Activity

While some failures or inadequate operations have been pointed out for a final research project done by senior students of undergraduate engineering education, the possibility of PBL (problem-based learning) programs in the curricula set in HEI has attracted prospects to nurture problem-solving skill and attitude among future engineers. The authors have been in charge of directing college students to tackle PBL projects as a regular and obligatory subject in the newly implemented program. At the opening of the curriculum, it was considered that differences between the technological or scientific fields of collaborating firms or organizations and the students’ majors or interests could be of the biggest barrier to successful PBL, however, we observed some cases the students rather acquired problem-solving skill based on the interdisciplinary point of view so effectively even with these gaps as a result. This paper compares PBL cases with the “well-matched goal” and the “ill-defined problem” of the project presented to the student, and shows the hopeful perspective of PBL in undergraduate engineering programs reflecting on problem-set research projects that might not raise students’ independency and/or interdisciplinarity.

Meeting athleisure end-user needs through problem-based learning

ABSTRACT Today, athleisure is one of the key trends in the fashion industry combining both casual style with health enthusiastic appeal creating a billion-dollar industry. Athleisure is the combining of activewear into women’s daily lives and their participation in physical activities. The problem-based learning (PBL) projects focused on athleisure apparel for various types of target market segmentations: 1) student selected customer target segmentation, 2) individual end-user, or 3) end-users of a specific company. Target market groups provided three unique PBL projects designed to improve students understanding of female athleisure consumer needs. Professional experts guided the students in the functional, expressive, and aesthetic considerations of athleisure apparel as defined in the FEA Consumer Needs Model (Lamb & Kallal 1992). A conceptual framework for apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(2), 42–47) for each of the PBL projects. The unstructured PBL process allowed the students to develop questions and solutions under real-world situational paradigm.

Moodle and Problem-Based Learning: Pedagogical Designs and Contradictions in the Activity System

This paper presents an empirical study and related activity system analysis regarding the implementation and use of Moodle specifically, and learning management systems in general, in problem-based learning. The research involved an exploration of the characteristics that defined use of Moodle at a Danish university, the reasons why Moodle was or was not used in specific contexts and the way in which Moodle use was perceived by students. Some of the obstacles and challenges identified through this study highlighted the need for a deeper analysis of the elements that characterised the activity system(s) and their contradictions in this contextual setting, leading to a consideration of possible implications for change processes. The investigation consisted of a literature review, a survey of 345 students regarding their experiences with Moodle in conjunction with a nomination for the best Moodle course, an analysis of the 178 nominated courses and interviews with four university teachers about their use of Moodle. This examination revealed that many existing Moodle activities at Aalborg University focus more on sharing information and teaching materials and less on the students’ problem-based learning activities and projects. This finding is intriguing, as use of Moodle does not reflect that problem-based learning comprises the pedagogical foundation of Aalborg University’s academic programme. The investigation uncovered several reasons for the lack of focus on problem-based learning in Moodle structures and content and explored them through the contradictions identified within the activity systems and between the double contextual frame surrounding the interacting activity system.

Critical Literacy Practices Within Problem-Based Learning Projects in Science

Digital technologies are part of many children’s everyday lives. They use them for entertainment, information seeking and connecting with friends on social media. These shifts in children’s literacy practices have impacted the ways in which they learn. As more children are engaged with digital technologies, critical literacy practices are vital, particularly in our current “fake news” and misinformation era. This paper describes a case study that examined a class of elementary grade students’ engagement with critical literacy practices during their problem-based learning (PBL) projects in science classrooms. A group of English language learners (ELLs) in this classroom have attracted our attention throughout our study, particularly the unique ways they engage with critical literacy practices. Our findings suggest that students are using their critical literacy skills for evaluating the validity of online information and sources during their problem-based learning projects. We conclude with suggestions to support elementary science teachers who are interested in integrating critical literacy practices within a problem-based learning approach.

A Cognitive Approach to Assessing the Materials in Problem-Based Learning Environments

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a debiasing-based approach to assessing the learning materials in problem-based learning (PBL) environments. Background: Research in cognitive debiasing suggests nine debiasing strategies improve decision-making. Given the large number of decisions made in semester-long, problem-based learning projects, multiple tools and techniques help students make decisions. However, instructors may struggle to identify the specific tools or techniques that could be modified to best improve students’ decision-making in the project. Furthermore, a structured approach for identifying these modifications is lacking. Such an approach would match the debiasing strategies with the tools and techniques. Methodology: This debiasing framework for the PBL environment is developed through a study of debiasing literature and applied within an e-commerce course using the Model for Improvement, continuous improvement process, as an illustrative case to show its potential. In addition, a survey of the students, archival information, and participant observation provided feedback on the debiasing framework and its ability to assess the tools and techniques within the PBL environment. Contribution: This paper demonstrates how debiasing theory can be used within a continuous improvement process for PBL courses. By focusing on a cognitive debiasing-based approach, this debiasing framework helps instructors 1) identify what tools and techniques to change in an PBL environment, and 2) assess which tools and techniques failed to debias the students adequately, providing potential changes for future cycles. Findings: Using the debiasing framework in an e-commerce course with significant PBL elements provides evidence that this framework can be used within IS courses and more broadly. In this particular case, the change identified in a prior cycle proved effective and additional issues were identified for improvement. Recommendations for Practitioners: With the growing usage of semester-long PBL projects in business schools, instructors need to ensure that their design of the projects incorporates techniques that improve student learning and decision making. This approach provides a means for assessing the quality of that design. Recommendation for Researchers: This study uses debiasing theory to improve course techniques. Researchers interested in assessment, course improvement, and program improvement should incorporate debiasing theory within PBL environments or other types of decision-making scenarios. Impact on Society: Increased awareness of cognitive biases can help instructors, students, and professionals make better decisions and recommendations. By developing a framework for evaluating cognitive debiasing strategies, we help instructors improve projects that prepare students for complex and multifaceted real-world projects. Future Research: The approach could be applied to multiple contexts, within other courses, and more widely within information systems to extend this research. The framework might also be refined to make it more concise, integrated with assessment, or usable in more contexts.

What’s in the Box: Design of an Open Didactic Robot Environment

We present a realization of a didactic robot environment for robot PUMA 560 for educational and research purposes. Robot PUMA 560 is probably the mathematically best-described robot, and therefore it is frequently used for research and educational purposes. A developed control environment consists of a robot controller and teach pendant. The advantage of using a personally developed solution is its open structure, which allows various tests and measurements to be performed, and that is highly convenient for educational and research purposes. The motivation behind the design of this personal didactic robot control environment arose from a survey for students after the first Summer School on Mechatronic Systems. The student questionnaire revealed severe discrepancies between theory and practice in education. Even though the primary purpose of the new control environment for robot PUMA 560 was research, it was established that it is a viable lab resource that allows for the connection between theoretical and industrial robotics. It was used for the duration of four Summer Schools and university courses. Since then, it has been fully integrated into International Burch University’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering curriculum through several courses on the bachelor and master levels for multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) projects.

Forming, storming, norming, and performing: Using a semester-long problem-based learning project to apply small-group communication principles

In a small-group communication course, students participate in a semester-long project to observe an organization while applying many group communication principles, including conflict resolution, group dynamics, teambuilding, leadership, and diversity. In groups of five, the students select any organization, agency, or department on campus or in the community to observe. After observing the organization, the students explore the greatest challenges facing the organization and determine a problem they will examine and analyze. Once they have defined the parameters of the problem, the students will select a potential solution and project that can have an immediate short-term impact. In their final paper and presentation, the students elaborate on long-term solutions and ways to improve the organization's process, policies, procedures, and plans. The project is very effective in teaching small-group communication principles and group development because of the immersive impact on the learning process. Course Small-group communication. Learning Objectives Students will be able to: apply relevant theories, principles, and terms to evaluate and analyze the process of group meetings; express an understanding of the necessary commitments and ethical responsibilities essential to successful collaboration in task-oriented small groups; demonstrate the ability to fulfill the necessary leadership and participant responsibilities appropriate to group settings; and implement problem-solving tools to create an initiative to improve organizational dynamics.

Reflective Consensus Building on Wicked Problems with the Reflect! Platform.

Wicked problems-that is, problems that can be framed in a number of different ways, depending on who is looking at them-pose ethical challenges for professionals that have scarcely been recognized as such. Even though wicked problems are all around us, they are rarely addressed in education. A reason for this failure might be that wicked problems pose almost insurmountable challenges in educational settings. This contribution shows how students can learn to cope with wicked problems in problem-based learning projects that are structured by the Reflect! platform.

Comparing grounded theory and phenomenology as methods to understand lived experience of engineering educators implementing problem-based learning

ABSTRACTConvincing teachers to implement pedagogical innovations is notoriously hard. This research project investigated the shift in pedagogical approach among a small group of faculty as they replaced traditional lecture-based methods with problem-based learning projects. Interviews were conducted with eight drivers of this change, around the question: What was it like to be part of a learning group focused on tangible change toward student-centred learning? Objectives were to understand how pedagogical change happened in an electrical engineering programme at a post-secondary institution in Ireland; analyse data using two different research methods; describe the processes, results, and findings, determining: To what extents do the research methods of grounded theory and phenomenology fit our data and yield relevant and useful findings? Results of this multiple-methods approach indicate enjoyment, camaraderie, and grassroots ownership were essential to driving transformation. With this specific dataset, grounded theory produced valuable findings (including a graphic model of change). Phenomenological methodologies seeking to understanding raw, pre-reflective experience were not as effective, because interviews occurred two years after the events and thus interview comments were inherently reflective. This report should be of particular use to teachers and administrators strategising change and engineering education researchers assessing the applicability of various methods.

Problem-Based Learning Strategy for CAD Software Using Free-Choice and Open-Ended Group Projects

Abstract This paper presents the implementation a pedagogical method based on problem-based learning (PBL) for undergraduate students enrolled in engineering programs. It aims to demonstrate improved student learning outcomes and increased student participation using free-choice open-ended PBL projects, as compared to projects with pre-defined topics and established specifications. The authors believe this method of teaching can increase student satisfaction while learning commercial CAD/CAM software widely used in automotive industry.

Problem-based learning: student perceptions of its value in developing professional skills for engineering practice

ABSTRACTThis study explores students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) design project, taken as part of a first-year engineering module, in developing professional skills needed for engineering practice. Students completed surveys before and after the PBL group project, and produced personal reflections on the process. The closed survey questions were analysed quantitatively and the main themes from the reflections outlined using General Inductive Analysis. Students rated themselves as having improved across a range of professional skills as a result of the project, with particular emphasis on teamwork, communication skills, understanding of the design process and self-directed learning. In addition, they highlighted improved confidence, as well as new friendships they developed, an important element of a module like this as they transition from secondary to higher education. They were particularly positive about the scaffolded approach taken within the PBL project in terms of its contribution to their learning.