Title: First Line Here Second Line Here

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Karen Thomson Head of Learning, Teaching
Quality School of Life Sciences
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Stand and Deliver (Adam Ant, 1981)
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What is PBL?

• Problem-based learning is a philosophy and method
  of teaching and learning which has been adopted
  by many, predominantly health related, degrees
  world-wide.
• Students are presented with an issue (scenario)
  and have to identify their own learning needs,
  rather than having learning predetermined for
  them.
• Problem-based learning places the responsibility
  for learning in the hands of the students.

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Student-centred
Teacher-centred
Students are passive give answers work as
individuals
Students are active ask questions work in groups
Teachers are experts focus on content are
autonomous
Teachers are facilitators focus on
process cooperate
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Why use PBL?

• Encourages deep-learning
• Encourages life-long learning
• Increases student retention of knowledge
• Increases self-directed learning skills
• Increases motivation for learning
• Increases student confidence
• Increases presentation communication skills
• Prevents boredom (students less likely to fall
  asleep)

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The History of PBL

• McMasters University, Ontario Canada (1960s)
• Maastricht University, Netherlands (1976)
• Several Australian PAM Schools (1980s)
• Glasgow Medical School (1995/6)
• School of Nursing Midwifery, Dundee (1997)
• Department of NCH, GCU (2001)
• The last 8 years has seen a number of Psychology
  academics introduce a varying degree of PBL
  methods into modules/courses but few examples of
  pure PBL (Sally Wiggins at Strathclyde)

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A PBL Group

• Each tutorial group has-
• several (???) group members
• a discussion leader (student)
• a scribe
• a facilitator/tutor (lecturer/post-grad/honours
  student)

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The Role of the Facilitator/Tutor

• Create the correct atmosphere
• Ensure students work on the problem
• Stimulate discussion - asking open ended
  questions when necessary
• Ensuring relevance, depth applicability of
  subject matter
• Pick up on missed topics
• Ensure discussion leader is doing his/her job
• As a last resort - providing information
• Providing feedback (to students and module leader)

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The Seven Step Approach

• clarifying concepts
• defining the problem
• brainstorming
• problem analysis/systematic classification
• formulating learning objectives
• self study
• reporting

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Designing a Problem

• What learning outcomes and transferable skill do
  the students need to know
• Prior knowledge
• References to relevant literature
• The scenario/problem (a short story a
  description of phenomena or events)
• Title
• Self assessment questions
• Be creative

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Introductory Psychology Module XXPink - XY
Blue

• Shortly after the birth of the dizygotic twins,
  Jimmy and Betty, Jimmy slept in a bright blue
  crib in the form of a race car and Betty slept in
  a soft pink crib with a canopy. At the age of
  12, Jimmy could read maps and manipulate objects
  in two -dimensional space better than Betty just
  as may other boys, his visual-spatial orientation
  was better than of his sister and her girlfriends.

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Assessment

• Students first priority in any module is to
  consider assessment requirements
• Academics priority is to reduce assessment
  preparation and marking time
• PBL encourages...
• regular study rather than last minute learning
• deep understanding rather than rote learning

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Practical Implications

• Students complain about working in groups
• Social loafing
• Student attendance
• Lecturers being less active/more passive
• Academics flexibility!?!
• What should be in lecture(s)?
• When should students stop learning?

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Implementing PBL

• There is no single model
• When PBL programmes have been integrated slowly
  they seem to be more successful
• Staff must be supportive
• Students must understand the process
• Start by swapping seminar and lecture time around

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Criticisms of PBL

• Resourcing
• Library
• Staff
• Accommodation
• Staff training
• Staff motivation
• Level of implementation (University/department/pro
  gramme/module)
• Too much beaurocracy
• Learning experience depends on group

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How could you implement PBL?

• ..if you decided you wanted to!!
• Encourage group work in levels 1 and 2
• Reduce lecture and increase seminar time
• Discuss topics in seminar before lecture material
  is presented

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and finally PBL research

• is very descriptive
• difficult to generalise
• is usually very positive (biased)
• very few UK studies
• but
• students evaluate PBL very positively
• lower attrition rates