Research on problem‐based learning: future challenges

Abstract

discourse about current thinking and future approaches and challenges to research in, and application of, problem-based learning (PBL) in the learning environment. Diana Dolmans:Many claims are made for problem-based learning (PBL), which has been implemented worldwide across many schools. But what are these claims and what evidence is available so far? Does PBL enhance domain-specific knowledge acquisition? Does PBL enhance the application and transfer of domain-specific knowledge? Does PBL enhance the development of generic lifelong learning competencies? Does PBL enhance deep learning? Under which conditions is PBL effective and for what kinds of students? What are the working ingredients of PBL and why does PBL work or not work? There are many questions to be answered about PBL. You have conducted several reviews that shed light on some of the issues raised here and therefore I wonder what your opinions are on some of the claims made for PBL and on how to advance research in this domain. David Gijbels:Thank you for inviting me to this discussion and for sharing your questions with me. In a contribution on student achievement in PBL, 1 we looked at the numerous reviews of research into PBL that have been conducted since the influential review by Albanese and Mitchell 2 and came to the same conclusion as Strobel and van Barneveld 3 in their meta-synthesis of meta-analyses comparing PBL with learning in conventional classrooms: (i) traditional learning approaches tend to produce better outcomes on assessments of basic science knowledge, but don't always do so, and (ii) PBL approaches tend to produce better outcomes in terms of clinical knowledge and skills. The more recent meta-analyses point to the important roles of several mediating variables such as the type of problem tasks 4 and the level of assessment 5 in explaining the effects of PBL. In my opinion, when implementing or investigating PBL, much more attention should be paid to the conditions under which the effects of PBL can be maximised. This also links to the question of what should be considered as PBL and what learning environments should be labelled otherwise. In other words: what kind of learning environment are we talking about when we use the PBL label? When writing reviews on PBL myself, I noted that although a learning environment may be labelled as PBL in a research paper, important information about the details of the learning environment is often lacking. (For example: what kinds of problems are used? How many students are enrolled in a group? What is the role of the tutor? How much time is allocated to discussion? How are students assessed?) Furthermore, individual differences in students are not taken into account enough in discussions of the effects of learning environments such as PBL. 6 To conclude, assessing a PBL versus a conventional lecture-based learning environment (or, more broadly, assessing whether the claims of PBL are justified) is probably less important than the following question: what kind of learning environment works ...

The Purpose and Value for Students of PBL Groups for Learning

“…It is known that students' perceptions of their study context influence their study behaviors in general (Biggs, 2003) and in PBL (Duke, Forbes, Hunter, & Prosser, 1998;Ellis, Goodyear, Brillant, & Prosser, 2008) and not necessarily in desirable ways (Dolmans & Gijbels, 2013;Winning et al, 2012). Such relational study behaviors among groups have also been demonstrated and referred to as avoider or engager groups, with avoider groups adopting approaches in avoiding group engagement similar to those used by the Australian groups in our study (Yan & Kember, 2004).…”

“…So that student groups can engage fully with the PBL process in health professional education from the commencement of their study program, care must be taken to ensure that curriculum design and assessment are constructively aligned with PBL goals (Biggs, 2003;Dolmans & Gijbels, 2013). Educators also need to address students' understandings of knowledge and learning.…”

Introduction

“…In particular PBL has gained huge interest in the 1980s onward, due to the developmental work done by its founder Howard Barrows from McMaster University in Canada and from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, which institution derived its entire identity to a large part from problem-based learning. Despite significant research efforts to establish the superiority of PBL curricula, the general outcomes have been somewhat less than expected (Dolmans and Gijbels 2013). However, many studies on a more detailed level have shown that components of PBL are effective.…”

Empathy, Self-Reflection, and Curriculum Choice

“…This study focused on the "kind of student" variables suggested by Dolmans and Gijbels (2013). Entering medical students are expected to be capable of empathy and self-reflection and to develop those abilities further during their education and practice.…”