ProblemBased Learning in Peruvian Higher Education:

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Problem-Based Learning inPeruvian Higher
Education
Quality Science and Math Education for Future
Public School Teachers
Luis Bretel and Patricia Morales
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Deborah Allen and George Watson
University of Delaware
PBL2004, Cancun
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Delaware, USA
www.udel.edu
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Lima, Perú
www.pucp.edu.pe
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Funding Opportunities

• ALO Association Liaison Office for University
  Cooperation in Development
• USAID United States Agency for International
  Development
• Promoting Higher Education Partnerships
  forGlobal Development

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ALO/USAID

• The Institutional Partnership Program links the
  technical and human capacity-building strengths
  of higher ed institutions in the U.S. with
  counterparts abroad to address these goals
• to encourage broad-based economic growth and
  agricultural development
• to strengthen democracy and good government
• to build human capacity through education and
  training
• to stabilize world population and to protect
  human health
• to protect the worlds environment for
  long-term sustainability
• to reduce suffering associated with natural or
  man-made disasters and to re-establish conditions
  necessary for political and/or economic
  development.

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Objectives of our Project

• Obtain greater achievement in math and science by
  Perúvian children.
• Develop pre-service teachers trained with best
  curricular materials and pedagogical methods
  available, in particular PBL.
• Train math and science educators at universities
  and pedagogical institutes to use these methods.

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Overview of Project Activities
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Barriers to Change to PBLIdentified by UD Faculty

• Lack of formal education in teaching and learning
• Lack of PBL problems in the discipline
• Classroom configuration
• Time/Resources
• Support of traditional colleagues in their
  disciplines
• Lack of institutional/professional rewards for
  teaching

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Institute for TransformingUndergraduate Education
ITUE was created in 1997 to promote reform of
undergraduate education through faculty
development and course design and to infuse the
institution with a successful model of
instruction. Institute Fellows receive hands-on
experience in employing active learning
strategies and effective use of technology in
their classrooms.
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Features of ITUE
Faculty mentoring faculty Leaders mentoring new
Fellows Experienced Fellows mentoring new
Fellows Experienced Leaders mentoring new
Leaders New Fellows working in groups Faculty-led
training and interactions Week-long
experiential workshop Special follow-up
sessions Review and sharing sessions Brown-bag
lunches
A safe and collegial environment for learning
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Week-Long Sessions
Education Reform and Active/Group Learning Use of
Technology Experience It Yourself Problem-Based
Learning Getting Started The Syllabus The
Internet as a Learning Resource Getting Started
with Groups
Problems and Cases Writing Material for Your
Course Internet Resources for Your
Course Assessment in a Student-Centered
Classroom Building a Web Site for Your
Course Models of PBL for Large Classes
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Transfer of ITUE to PUCP Project Activities
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Timeline of the Project

• Preliminary activitiesMay 2001 initial visit of
  PUCP to UDApril 2002 readiness assessment
  visit of UD to PUCPOct 2002 PBL training of
  six PUCP professors at UD

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PUCP Faculty Visit UD to Plan Workshops
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Timeline of the Project

• Activities accomplished in year 1Nov
  2002 Design PBL workshop for PUCPJan
  2003 Deliver PBL workshop at PUCP
• (80 professors)
• Feb-current Implement redesigned coursesAug
  2003 Evaluate PUCP experiences

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Location and Workshop Team for First Year
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Workshop Delivery and Workshop Activities
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Sharing, Reflection, and More Planning
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Timeline of the Project

• Activities in year 2Feb 2004 External workshop
  for five pedagogical institutes
• and others (85 participants)Mar-Jul 04 Implem
  ent redesigned coursesAug 2004 Evaluation of
  ProjectSept 2004 Publication Plan future
  steps?

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Development of PBL at PUCP
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PBL implementation in Science and Engineering
courses
Some of the courses that implemented PBL are
Science courses Math 1 Physics 1 Chemistry 1
and 2 Valence and Structure Chemical Technology
Engineering courses Drawing in
Engineering Simulation of Systems Electronic
Design 1 Foundations of Programming Information
Systems 2 Industrial Maintenance Ethical
Professional in Civil Eng.
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Some Examples...
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The collapse of The Scorpion
Course Physics 1 General Science
Studies ProfessorsP. Pereyra, J. Phan, C.
Pizarro y J. Quiroz Topic covered Hydrostatic
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The collapse of The Scorpion
Scenario abstract

• In may 22, 1968 the Navy of the United States
  lost a nuclear submarine in the Atlantic Ocean.
  At the moment of its disappearance its position
  was ignored, but it was known that it was sailing
  from Azores islands towards its base in the
  United States. Three hypotheses were handled on
  the causes of the collapse
• - it had been sunk by the Russians
• - there was a mechanical problem in the submarine
  
• one of the submarine torpedo exploted
• The students must find out what happened, as well
  as to determine if the crew died drowned or
  squashed by the pressure of the water.

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Who killed Jane Wilson?
Course Chemistry 1 General Science
Studies ProfessorP. Morales Topic covered
Introduction to Organic And Biological Chemistry
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Who killed Jane Wilson?
Scenario abstract
Jane Wilson was a scientific worker in a
pharmaceutical company. One night she was found
death in her apartment. There were enough
evidences to suspect that it was a murder.
Students were presented to the crime scene, the
proofs the police gathered and the testimony of
the witnesses. The main suspects were the
housekeeper, Janes boyfriend, a rival
pharmaceutical company, or perhaps simply it was
a suicide. The students must elaborate a
hypothesis about the solution of the crime and
indicate a possible murderer, if one was to be
found.
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A Nuclear Power Plant in Mosokllacta
Course Chemistry 2 General Science
Studies ProfessorsP. Morales, J. Sánez Topics
covered Chemical Energy Resources and
Environmental Chemistry
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A Nuclear Power Plant in Mosokllacta
Scenario abstract
Mosokllacta was a calm and colorful town until
the government decides to install a plant of
nuclear energy in the zone. The authorities
decide to make a referendum to know the
population opinion. A group of civil associations
decides to make an informative campaign about the
advantages and disadvantages of the different
chemical power plants. Soon, a forum will be made
that will analyze the environmental problems
involved with these power plants and finally the
referendum will be carried out. In different
stages, the students must assume the play of the
informative campaign organizers, the participants
of the forum and the population that participates
in the referendum.
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The automatic door
Course Introduction to Electronic Engineering
General Science Studies ProfessorM.
Cataño Topic covered DC electrical circuits and
basic circuits with electronic devices
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The automatic door
Scenario abstract

• The Bolivar hall of the Local Museum of Barranca
  Province has had many problems of security
  lately. The Director of the museum has sent an
  invitation to the coordinator of the section
  Electricity and Electronics of the PUCP so that
  the students present proposals of an automatic
  door design. The door must open to the passage of
  the people and activate an alarm in case somebody
  tries to force it in schedule closed to the
  public. The costs of the design must be the
  lowest possible.
• The students must present a proposal at the end
  of the semester. The best design will be chosen.

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Unanticipated Results or Impacts

• Into PUCP
• In Peru
• Out of Peru

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Within PUCP

• Translation into Spanish and publication of the
  Power of Problem Based Learning(A book about
  Delaware experiences).
• Over 100 non-science or non-engineering
  professors participated in six PBL workshops
  conducted for MAGISPUCP in the two last years.
• The current preparation of a new book that
  presents PUCP PBL experiences and researches in
  several departments (among science and
  engineering).

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Within PUCP

• Success of international conference in Aug 2003
  led to the decision to propose a conference site
  of PBL2006 in Lima.
• The continuous increase of number of professors
  who now are discussing and reflecting about
  teaching and learning.
• Two engineering departments (Electronic and
  Mechanical), are transforming their curriculum
  into a PBL format (like hybrid curriculum of
  Queens University of Canada), etc.

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Outside PUCP, within Peru

• Many private and public institutions (schools and
  universities) are interested in our PBL
  experiences and want to participate in PBL
  training.
• Our trained professors have conducted workshops
  for high school teachers
• Fe y Alegria, San Agustin, Trener, Inmaculada,
  Antonio Raymondi.
• And in higher education
• Universidad Privada del Norte, Universidad
  Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad
  Nacional de Ingeniería, Universidad Agraria del
  Centro, Instituto Nuestra Señora del Rosario.

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Outside Peru

• George Watson provided two-day PBL workshops in
  Guayaquil, Ecuador, (ESPOL, Oct 2003) and in
  Santa Cruz, Bolivia, (UTEPSA, March 2004).
• Professors from Mexico, Cuba, Chile and Colombia
  have participated in our past PBL workshops.

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Outside Peru

• PUCP Professors provided PBL workshops in other
  countries
• Chile (Universidad del Bio Bio and Universidad
  Católica del Norte (Chile)), México (Universidad
  de Colima) and Colombia (Corporación
  Universitaria Autónoma de Cali).
• Professors from Chile, Colombia and Mexico
  visited (in last 2 years) PUCP, to know directly
  our PBL experiences.

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Future Steps?

• PUCP/UD satellite efforts in other cities of Peru
  with Lima as hub.
• Expanded in-service efforts in working with
  primary and secondary teachers.
• Network of PBL materials and other pedagogical
  developments translated into Spanish.