What Do We Know About Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Small Group Tutorials in Problem-Based Learning?

Abstract

Students collaborating in small groups is a characteristic of problem-based learning (PBL) that is receiving increased consideration in the literature. In this paper findings from studies in this area are synthesized and discussed. A distinction is made between studies focusing on cognitive effects of group learning and studies focusing on motivational effects of group learning. Studies concentrating on the cognitive effects of small-group PBL seem to demonstrate that activation of prior knowledge, recall of information, causal reasoning or theory building, cognitive conflicts leading to conceptual change and collaborative learning construction take place in the tutorial group. Studies focusing on the motivational effects of PBL demonstrate that group discussion positively influences students' intrinsic interest in the subject matter under discussion. The studies also demonstrate that a haphazard discussion in the tutorial group or a discussion that just scratches the surface, probably caused by students being less motivated, inhibits student learning. Several studies are reported providing suggestions on how to optimize group work in PBL. Although the studies demonstrate that group learning in PBL may have positive effects, much more research is needed to obtain more evidence and deeper insight in the cognitive and emotional effects of small group learning in PBL.

“I Know This is Supposed to be More Like the Real World, But . . .”: Student Perceptions of a PBL Implementation in an Undergraduate Materials Science Course

“…While working in groups is not unique to PBL, the challenges of mastering group dynamics are often a cause of concern for students in PBL implementations (Chiriac, 2008;Dolmans & Schmidt, 2006;Ochoa & Robinson, 2005). Participants cited disorganization in their group's process, superficiality in their group's study of the problem, and too-dominant group members as the top three hindrances to learning in one study of group dynamics in PBL (Hendry, Ryan, & Harris, 2003).…”

The relationship between students’ small group activities, time spent on self-study, and achievement

“…In others words, these causal models do not differentiate, by indicating which student activities in the tutorial group are of central importance. Although the functioning of the tutorial group seems to steer learning, it remains unclear which student activities are crucial for good learning achievements (Dolmans and Schmidt 2006;Hak and Maguire 2000). Hak and Maguire (2000, p. 1) refer to it as ''the black box of studies on PBL''.…”

Evaluation of an Interprofessional Problem-based Learning Module on Care of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

“…Some researchers have indicated that PBL fosters a motivational environment that enhances the attainment of disciplinary knowledge and facilitates collegial group work [17,18]. Others argue, however, that the effectiveness and sustainability of students' retained knowledge using a PBL approach compared to a conventional curricula have not been sufficiently tested and no firm conclusions can yet be drawn [19,20].…”