Problem-based learning

Peer Support for Teaching – group report 2011-2012

Simon O’Keefe (convener), Susan Stepney, Chris Power, Chris Crispin-Bailey, Ian Benest, Jason Reich,

Jose Calderon

Introduction ‘Problem Based Learning’ is an approach to learning that has been used successfully for teaching

medicine for a number of years. It emphasises the development of study and learning skills, the

integration of knowledge by the student, and the development of the practitioner. The objective of

the PST group was to find out more about PBL, and to determine whether there was scope to use

PBL for teaching Computer Science.

Problem based learning has been used in a number of contexts. The focus on problems fits well with

the skills required for the practice of medicine, where the starting point is often a problem

presented by a patient. Perhaps the most prevalent use in the UK is in medical schools, including

HYMS, but it is also used by other bodies including the York Law School. There are a number of

science and engineering oriented programmes at universities around the world that use (or claim to

use) PBL, but precise detail of the approach used in practice, and how the science curriculum (for

example) is broken down into PBL blocks, is not readily available.

Problem based learning starts with the presentation of a problem to the students. Typically

problems are based on real-world problems which have been edited to address specific educational

objectives. The problem serves as the basis for discussion, for students to formula questions about

the scenario, which the students then turn into learning objectives for the learning block. The focus

is on understanding the problems, and motivation to learn and comprehend as a result of the

problem analysis, rather than on actually generating a solution to the problem posed (which in fact

need not have a solution). The use of the problem scenario as the basis for learning means PBL is

particularly suited to an integrative approach to learning

HYMS, along with many other institutions, uses the seven step method developed by the University

of Maastricht to help students structure the learning process:

1. clarify the concepts;

2. define the problem;

3. analyse the problem;

4. find the explanation;

5. formulate the learning objective;

6. search for further information; and

7. report and test new information.

Observation There were two elements of observation conducted by the group. We also invited Janine Henderson,

Director of PBL at HYMS, to talk to the group about how HYMS uses PBL. This was extremely

informative, and was followed up with a visit to HYMS (see below).

A survey was taken of the use of ‘problem oriented’ approaches to teaching currently in Computer

Science. Survey forms were distributed to all academics in Computer Science. Four responses were

received. From this limited feedback, the picture seems to be that whilst we have a problem

orientation in a lot of modules, on the whole the drivers for learning in all modules are still the

information presented in lectures. PBL is fundamentally different as the driver for learning should be

the students understanding of a problem as revealing what is not yet known or understood, and the

necessity of acquiring that knowing and understanding it in the context not only of this particular

problem but problems more generally.

Subsequently, a number of members of the group observed PBL sessions running in HYMS. The

sessions were stage 2 students, so they were already familiar with PBL. In HYMS the PBL learning is

structured in one week blocks, with the start of the process on Friday. The student PBL groups meet

to discuss the problem scenarios and formulate learning outcomes – essentially stages 1-5 of the

Maastricht model. The session is run by a student chair and recorded by a student scribe. They are

guided in reaching the learning outcomes that are required (as medicine is tightly controlled) by a

facilitator, not necessarily an academic or subject expert. The remainder of the block contains

teaching sessions (lectures, practicals, seminars) to help the students achieve their learning

objectives. The block ends with a reflection and feedback session, in which any of the students may

be asked to present on any of the agreed learning outcomes. An example of a typical HYMS teaching

block is appended to this report.

The main observation was that the students seems very much in control of the session, very

motivated to determine learning outcomes, and extremely mature in their approach to group

working. Anecdotal evidence from HYMS tutors is that this maturing sometimes takes a little while

to develop.

Practice To further understand how PBL works in practice, some members of the group (SOK, SS)

participated in a PBL session facilitated by Ben Fitzpatrick from the Law School, as part of the YCCSA

away-day in September 2012. The session was extremely illuminating, as the tendency (for

academics in particular) is to focus on trying to solve the problem, rather than on trying to

understand the problem and identify possible learning outcomes. Good facilitation is essential for

PBL to function with inexperienced students.

The strong guidance from both the Law School and HYMS was that PBL works best when the whole

programme is designed from scratch around PBL. Nonetheless, in order to determine whether PBL is

feasible in a Computer Science, a PBL element has been added to two modules, SKIL (stage 1) and

NSCT (stage 3).

In SKIL, the PBL orientation is explicit as the module is structured around tutorial sessions, which

operate in a similar way to the HYMS PBL sessions. Rather than report back in a session, students

write a short blog post on their learning. The feedback on each others’ learning and reflection on a

block occurs in the first half of the tutorial session, and then students move on to the next problem

block in the second half. Blocks run over two or three weeks, accompanied by one or two plenary

sessions on material related to the block.

In NSCT, the PBL aspect is in the seminars, with content supplied by conventional lecture and

practical sessions. Throughout the year, there are six seminars, each lasting two hours. The

students are split into four groups of 10—11 students, each with a facilitator. In the first hour they

discuss a problem scenario (eg, “how does the spaghetti sorting algorithm scale with the number of

items to sort?”), with the facilitators guiding them to focus on the problems that need investigation.

Each group discusses a different scenario. The groups then have a week to investigate the issues

raised, and prepare a short (8—10 minute) presentation on their scenario. The second hour the

groups present their findings, followed by a Q&A session.

SKIL and NSTC have each been running for a term. The approach seems to be successful so far, but

there are definitely teething issues, particularly with SKIL, where the scenarios might need to be

more technical. We will monitor progress, and revise the delivery in light of observations.

Continuation We intend to make further observation of PBL in HYMS, and possibly to observe PBL in the Law

School. In particular, we would like to observe a PBL session early in stage 1, to contrast with the

previous observation of a cohort late in stage 2. It would also be useful to observe in the Law School,

as the difference in problems, and the approach to generating learning outcomes, would be

informative.

It would also be instructive to have experienced PBL practitioners from HYMS and the Law School

observe PBL sessions in Computer Science.

The SKIL and NSCT modules are running for the first time this year. We should take care to elicit

feedback on the students’ experience of the modules. SKIL is stage 1 – how do students without

prior direct experience of tertiary education view this problem based learning element of the

programme? NSCT is stage 3 – are students with two years’ experience of tertiary education in a

better position to appreciate the benefits of the PBL approach? Is there a difference in the

experience of students who have taken a placement (and potentially been exposed to a problem-

drive business environment)?

There is the potential to use PBL is other modules. Chris Power may change REQE or UCDE to use

PBL (next year).

The development by YCCSA of a new programme, the proposed Interdisciplinary Science MRes, may

give another opportunity to put PBL principles into practice. Both HYMS and the Law School have

emphasised the value of integration of PBL into the design of a curriculum from the earliest stages.

Currently this MRes design is to have a team based element for teaching, rather than PBL, but PBL

may be a possibility.

Should the PBL group continue as PST, then an interesting exercise would be to develop in outline a

PBL Computer Science curriculum – starting from the identification of learning outcomes at the

programme and stage levels, through the identification of case studies that will allow the learning

outcomes to be addressed, to the teaching required to support the learning.