PLAT 15(2) 2016: Introduction to the Special Issue on Problem-Based Learning and Psychology

Abstract

Welcome to the Psychology Learning and Teaching special issue on problem-based learning (PBL) and psychology. The aims of this special issue are twofold: (1) to inspire the further use of PBL in psychology higher education teaching and (2) to call for a greater application of psychological research to PBL teaching practice. As a small group of academics, we came together through a collective interest in this area. As tutors, we have seen first-hand the value of PBL in psychology classrooms, of the benefits it can bring to student engagement, learning outcomes, and employability. As researchers, we have also seen the potential of psychological approaches for PBL research; there are few other learning approaches that rely so heavily on student interaction and group dynamics. Psychology as a broad and vibrant discipline has much to offer PBL as a learning approach. At a time of change in the higher education landscape, with growing numbers of students from non-traditional backgrounds and an increasing marketization of university education, there is a move toward greater emphasis on skills development and employability. Students are more likely to perceive their psychology degree as preparation for dealing with real world problems in a range of situations rather than the acquisition of a body of academic knowledge, which is, in any case, rapidly changing. PBL originated in the context of medical education based on the need for flexible knowledge applicable to a wide range of situations combined with an ability to search for and select appropriate information. It is therefore timely to consider how teaching and learning in psychology can benefit from pedagogical approaches aimed at developing independent and critical thinking and particularly how self-directed learning in a social context can support the development of a wide range of graduate skills. The special issue comprises five papers: one review of PBL and psychology teaching practice, three research articles demonstrating the application of psychology approaches to PBL issues, and one report illustrating the use of online PBL as understood through the lens of a psychological theory. Most of these papers focus on the issue of group workwith how it is understood by students or how group work plays out in practice in PBL settings-which is arguably one of the aspects of PBL that is often a concern to students and tutors. Indeed, one could argue that group work is a common concern for other learning approaches too. In PBL, however, this is the primary vehicle for learning. Both the Christensen and Hendry et al. papers, for example, deal with the delicate issue of how students engage with their fellow group members: with how the ''us'' of the group is managed in order to learn effectively.