The Wiley Handbook of Problem-Based Learning

Mahnaz Moallem, Woei Hung, Nada Dabbagh, Mahnaz Moallem, Woei Hung, Nada Dabbagh

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781119173236
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Higher Education

The first book to offer an in-depth exploration of the topic of problem-based learning with contributions from international experts

The Wiley Handbook of Problem-Based Learning is the first book of its kind to present a collection of original essays that integrate the research and practice of problem-based learning in one comprehensive volume. With contributions from an international panel of leading scholars, researchers, practitioners and educational and training communities, the handbook is an authoritative, definitive, and contemporary volume that clearly demonstrates the impact and scope of research-based practice in problem-based learning (PBL).

After many years of its successful implementation in medical education curricula, problem-based learning is now being emphasized and practiced more widely in K-12, higher education, and other professional fields. The handbook provides timely and stimulating advice and reflection on the theory, research, and practice of PBL. Throughout the book the contributors address the skills needed to implement PBL in the classroom and the need for creating learning environments that are active, collaborative, experiential, motivating and engaging. This important resource:

• Addresses the need for a comprehensive resource to problem-based learning research and implementation
• Contains contributions from an international panel of experts on the topic
• Offers a rich collection of scholarly writings that challenge readers to refresh their knowledge and rethink their assumptions
• Takes an inclusive approach that addresses the theory, design, and practice of problem-based learning
• Includes guidelines for instructional designers, and implementation and assessment strategies for practitioners

Written for academics, students, and practitioners in education, The Wiley Handbook of Problem-Based Learning offers a key resource to the most recent information on the research and practice of problem-based learning.

Section III
Instructional Design of PBL

Introduction

Section III of the handbook provides a comprehensive analysis and application of instructional design principles and processes that guide the design and implementation of problem‐based learning (PBL). Bridging research and practice, the chapters in this section provide an integrated and grounded view of the pedagogical processes, instructional strategies, techniques, and assessment strategies required for the successful design and implementation of PBL. The chapters are sequenced to provide a structured view of PBL design, covering problem and process design, designing for facilitation and scaffolding, effective group process, self‐directed learning (SDL), assessment, and technology applications that support PBL unit design, facilitation, and participation.

Starting with Chapter 11 “Problem Design in PBL,” Hung describes the criticality of problems in PBL by stating that problems are not just a trigger to start the learning process, rather, they are a significant component for effective student learning throughout the PBL process, and therefore it is imperative to ensure the effectiveness of the problems used in a PBL implementation. Hung discusses how the design and quality of PBL problems could have an impact on various aspects of student learning during the PBL process and provides a model for systematically designing effective PBL problems.

Next, in Chapter 12 “The Problem‐Based Learning Process: An Overview of Different Models,” Wijnia, Loyens, and Rikers discuss the types of process models that prescribe how learning in PBL should be structured. The authors describe how process models vary based on the type of knowledge students are expected to obtain and the types of problems and learning activities that are most suitable for achieving the learning objectives. A distinction is made between process models that emphasize procedural knowledge acquisition and process models that emphasize declarative knowledge acquisition. Examples of how these process models have been implemented in higher education contexts are presented.

The third chapter in this section, Chapter 13 “Facilitating Problem‐Based Learning,” starts with a review of the epistemology underlying PBL and its facilitation, the goals of PBL facilitation, and characteristics of good facilitators. More specifically, Hmelo, Bridges, and McKeown describe nine strategies for facilitation and provide examples of implementation. The importance of professional development in supporting facilitation for a wide range of teachers' experience levels is also discussed. The authors also examine the role of new technologies in facilitating PBL and how such technologies can be used across the PBL cycle.

In Chapter 14 “Scaffolding in PBL Environments: Structuring and Problematizing Relevant Task Features,” Ertmer and Glazewski provide a review of how scaffolding has been conceptualized and used in PBL, and emphasize that scaffolds should be designed and activated with intentionality based on a detailed understanding of the learners and context in which they are used. The authors discuss the primary functions of scaffolding in PBL and the major types of scaffolds used in PBL, noting the importance of anticipating both hard and soft scaffolding needs prior to PBL implementation. The evolution of scaffolding models from the use of human tutors to distributed and blended models that incorporate human and nonhuman artifacts or agents is also described.

In Chapter 15 “Designing for Effective Group Process in PBL Using a Learner‐Centered Teaching Approach,” Blumberg discusses how to design for effective group process in PBL using a learner‐centered teaching approach. The author emphasizes that the PBL process uses iterative group methods by design, where students progressively integrate more knowledge to solve problems. The steps of the PBL iterative group process are presented and then mapped onto the learner‐centered teaching paradigm. The chapter also describes the roles and responsibilities of instructors and students within the PBL group process to show how they are congruent with the learner‐centered teaching approach.

Chapter 16 “The Role of Self‐Directed Learning in PBL: Implications for Learners and Scaffolding Design,” by Ge and Chua, describes the role of SDL in PBL. The chapter discusses the various demands placed on learners' SDL in PBL and explores strategies for designing effective scaffolds to cultivate learners' positive epistemic beliefs for PBL, motivate learners for SDL, and foster their cognition and metacognition. Guiding questions are provided for PBL instructors to help learners develop SDL skills, and the role of learning technologies in nurturing SDL learners is discussed.

In Chapter 17 “Types and Design of Assessment in PBL,”, Albanese and Hinman discuss assessment in PBL and how it should encompass curricula and courses, the evaluators, the students, and peers. The authors caution that the goal of assessment in PBL should be inclusive of larger goals such as promoting teamwork and developing problem‐solving skills, and not only focused on assessment of learning. The chapter provides examples of how to design formative assessment that can be incorporated to facilitate student learning, and summative assessment to determine whether students have achieved the competencies desired.

The final chapter in this section, Chapter 18, focuses on “Technology Applications to Support Teachers' Design and Facilitation of, and Students' Participation in PBL.” In this chapter, Belland describes the challenges that emerged in the design and facilitation of PBL units as PBL spread to contexts outside of medical education, and how technology‐based tools and processes are central to student and teacher success in PBL. The chapter reviews theories of learning and motivation that inform PBL, and emphasizes the role of these theories in the design of tools and processes to support PBL in nonmedical contexts.

11
Problem Design in PBL

Woei Hung

Introduction

Barrows (1996) once explained that “the curricular linchpin in PBL … is the collection of problems in any given course or curriculum with each problem designed to stimulate student learning in areas relevant to the curriculum” (p. 8). Indeed, learning in PBL is driven, structured, and inspired by problems. In PBL, problems situate students in an environment where they develop and practice their problem‐solving skills. Problems serve as a vehicle to afford the content knowledge to be studied. Problems contextualize abstract content knowledge to practical, meaningful working knowledge. Problems provide a real‐time workspace for students to immediately practice applying the content knowledge. Also, problems challenge and therefore motivate students to learn. Problems are not just a trigger to start the learning at the beginning of the PBL process. Rather, they are a critical and significant component of the instruction in student learning throughout the PBL process. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure the quality of the problems used in a PBL implementation, as they are the critical essence in a student's learning process an...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Notes on Contributors
• Preface
• Section I: Understanding PBL: Historical and Theoretical Foundations
• Section II: Research in PBL
• Section III: Instructional Design of PBL
• Section IV: PBL in Practice: Case Studies
• Section V: New Developments and Emerging Trends in PBL
• Index
• End User License Agreement