Principles, theories, and models

Artifact: EDTEC 550 Problem-based Learning Research Paper

My work in the healthcare field began in 2001, 3 years before my first EDTEC class. At the time, two models were gaining lots of attention among academic and practicing physicians alike: evidence-based medicine, and problem-based learning. The former is a model for clinical practice; the latter is a model for clinical learning. Problem-based learning  (PBL) is an instructional strategy developed at Canada’s McMaster University and revolves around student-centered small group learning as the core of medical school, rather than the traditional didactic lecture and lab experience. The theory behind PBL is that students will learn and retain more when given real-world problems to solve along with the resources needed to solve them. Instructors become tutors or facilitators whose role is to answer questions, provide context, and shepherd learning rather than dispense it. Problem-based learning is considered a form of minimally-guided instruction.

The spread of PBL

Problem-based learning spread from medicine to other fields, and even within medicine it was used in ways not originally intended – such as in distance education. In EDTEC 550 we were asked to research some aspect of distance education by using the literature to answer our questions, and I knew that I wanted to take a close look at PBL and its use at a distance. Specifically, I reviewed learner satisfaction, acquisition and retention of knowledge, and best practices in synchronous or asynchronous PBL as compared to face-to-face PBL.

I found that performing a systematic or narrative review is difficult when the studies in question have varying study designs and measure different endpoints. None of the eight studies I used had the same design or outcomes (which was frustrating, but probably not unusual). This research exercise helped me see the importance of building on existing studies when trying to prove a theory or demonstrate some component of a model. Research is only as important as the context in which it can be placed. I also thought it was interesting that the randomized controlled trial, considered the king of study designs in medicine, was not used in any of the studies about distance PBL in medicine.

The fact that each study was so different from the others forced me to think about PBL as a model, and whether changing small aspects of the model creates a new model, or just an adaption of one. For instance, PBL as originally developed requires learners to work in groups. If a distance-based PBL workshop allows learners to work independently, is that still PBL? This is a question I wrestled with while writing the paper and about which I still feel some uncertainty today.