Buus, L. (2012). Scaffolding teachers integrate social media into a problem-based learning approach? The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 10(1), 13–22. Retrieved from http://www.ejel.org/issue/download.html?idArticle=175
The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers could integrate web 2.0 activities into a PBL approach to learning, and what scaffolding instructors required to successfully accomplish this goal. The study followed seven instructors from the Aalborg University Social Sciences department participated in a workshop designed to promote awareness of web 2.0 activities and facilitate the adoption of these activities into their PBL projects. Findings demonstrated that instructors needed a significant amount of technical assistance to complete the setup of their activities. Additionally, while a lot of time was required to set up the activities, instructors considered the educational payoff for students worthwhile. The study also found that instructors required additional guidance on how to stimulate discussion among their students in the activities developed. Implications identified that teachers are unaware of the possibilities for activities available through web 2.0 activities and the technological difficulties associated with integrating these activities into their current practice. Teachers required scaffolding at the design, development and implementation phases of integration and a follow-up to the workshop indicating the results of the implementation.
Dalsgaard, C. & Godsk, M. (2007). Transforming traditional lectures into problem‐based blended learning: challenges and experiences. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 22:1, 29-42. doi:10.1080/02680510601100143
The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a learning module transferred from a lecture format to a blended-learning model using problem-based learning. Twenty-one university students at a Danish university participated in the 2006 study. Findings revealed that students were equally if not more successful using the blended learning module than the traditional lecture model. Of note, students used content from the blended-learning module more often in final examination answers than in previous semesters under traditional instruction. Results indicated that rethinking and reworking the content delivery to use the social constructivist framework of the blended environment allowed for a compressed lecture and greater understanding of the content through personal engagement than through the previous long lecture. In addition, providing access to materials used in the lecture and others in addition resulted in self-directed repetition of the material, demonstrating access to resources was an integral part of the problem-solving process. Blended learning also provided opportunity for differentiation, where students used the available resources to solve the problem in different ways and to different ends. In the future, teachers will need to refine and expand the materials available to students dependent on the course and its goals.
Lu, J., Lajoie, S. P., & Wiseman, J. (2010). Scaffolding problem-based learning with CSCL tools. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 5(3), 283–298. doi:10.1007/s11412-010-9092-6. Retrieved from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11412-010-9092-6?LI=true
The purpose of this study was to determine how the use of interactive whiteboards affected instructor scaffolding in collaborative problem solving activities versus the traditional whiteboard in a medical PBL activity. The participants were two groups of volunteer third-year medical students during their Internal Medicine rotation in a large urban teaching hospital. The study found that students using the interactive white board required less teacher assistance as the technology allowed them to collaborate on the dynamic problem as it emerged. In the group with the interactive whiteboard, the teacher spent less time administering the parameters of the activity, and more time modifying the complexity of the problem. Finally, the students using the interactive whiteboard had a greater tendency to use more adaptive problem-solving behaviour than those with the traditional whiteboard. Three implications rise from the results of this study. First, scaffolding is most effective when teachers are competent in both the content and good pedagogy. Second, the context of the activity is authentic and scaffolding accounts for students’ cognitive needs. Third, technology design should use the basic principles of learning.
Mayer, C., Musser, D., & Remidez, H. (2002). Description of a web-driven, problem-based learning environment and study of the efficacy of implementation in educational leader preparation. Computers in the Schools, 18(1), 249–265.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effect moving PBL to a web-based delivery format had on the efficiency and efficacy of higher education instruction. Ten instructors and 100 students participated in this study. The study found that moving to a web-based platform for delivery of the problem-based curriculum required a shift in how instructors and students thought the education process. The roles for both instructor and learner changed significantly with this new medium, requiring a conscious buy-in by both instructors and students for success. The study also found familiarity with the technology was a key to success. The web-based delivery was sufficiently flexible and comprehensive for the delivery of both university courses and professional development programs. This success was also true for the delivery of stand-alone sub-disciplinary instruction and programs integrating these sub-disciplines. The researchers believe this web-based delivery may suit to serve both content-centered delivery and more cooperative, learner-driven models of problem solving. Moving to a web-based PBL environment can benefit not only educational leaders, but also anyone who solves problems in their line of work. This safe environment allows for professionals to practice authentically working with real problems and finding solutions before entering the workforce.
McLinden, M., McCall, S., Hinton, D., & Weston, A. (2006). Participation in online problem‐based learning: Insights from postgraduate teachers studying through open and distance education. Distance Education, 27(3), 331–353. doi:10.1080/01587910600940422
This study is was the second phase of a pilot study to design, develop and evaluate online PBL resources for a post-graduate program for teachers of children with visual impairment. Thirty-four students at the University of Birmingham in the 2004-6-distance education program in Mandatory Qualification for Teachers of Children with Visual Impairment participated. The study found evidence for the use of PBL for professional development through open and distance education provided the design and use of learning technologies is appropriate. Additionally, the findings supported previous studies that determined that PBL can provide the appropriate context for technology to support collaboration, authentic tasks, reflection and dialogue among learners. The study also revealed some potential barriers to online PBL, including student awareness of the requirements and how participation would be determined, learner misunderstanding of the technological requirements, unfamiliarity with the ICT interface causing students to feel overwhelmed, student difficulties in self-managing their time, student non-participation, and technical difficulties. Implications of these findings are to be cautious when approaching new design and delivery of content to ensure they are based on sound pedagogy and include adequate support to maximize learner engagement.
Park, S. H., & Ertmer, P. A. (2008). Examining barriers in technology-enhanced problem-based learning: Using a performance support systems approach. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(4), 631–643. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00858.x
This study examined the attitudes of stakeholders toward the barriers to planning and implementing PBL in middle school classrooms using a human performance systems approach. Twenty-one teachers and seven non-teaching participants took part in the study. The study had two research questions. The first examined the differences in performance for expert and typical PBL teachers. The study found that there were significant differences in adoption of best practices for the implementation of PBL. The second question examined how stakeholders perceived the barriers to PBL implementation in their classrooms, and how important each barrier was. The results in descending order of importance were: vision-sharing, feedback and expectations, knowledge and skills, motivation, rewards and incentives, and tools and environment, although there was some dissent on this order. While teachers emphasized pedagogical changes by using PBL, administrators focused on the technology use, which caused confusion for teachers as to their goals and weak support for technology-enhanced PBL. A lack of feedback and expectations also created a barrier to the design and implementation of PBL units. The implications of these results are that when implementing technology-enhanced PBL, development of a shared vision, detailed expectations and feedback to support teachers during implementation may be effective.
Ronteltap, F., & Eurelings, A. (2002). Activity and interaction of students in an electronic learning environment for problem-based learning. Distance Education, 23(1), 11–22. doi:10.1080/0158791
The purpose of this study was to determine which types of learning issues would generate the greatest interactions between students in an asynchronous environment, and which would generate the highest level of information processing. Sixteen students, nine from the Medical School and seven from the Law School, participated in separate experiments in the study. Findings indicated that practical learning issues were better than theoretical learning issues for generating in-depth information processing. In addition, student reports on these practical issues resulted in a greater number of follow-up responses in the virtual learning environment (VLE). The combination of the VLE with the existing face-to-face meeting structure had a significant impact on the students’ collaborative learning, with the writing aspect of the information processing potentially playing a role in the deeper information processing over conventional tutorial groups. The students saw the writing process itself as more than a personal representation of what was studied, but they also served as the input for deeper learning. The VLE also allowed for a greater number of interactions and feedback than in face-to-face meetings only. The findings imply that practical activities are advisable where cognitive activity and interaction are desired learning outcomes.
Samsonov, P., Pedersen, S., & Christine, L. (2006). Using problem-based learning software with at-risk students. Computers in the Schools, 23(1-2), 111–124.
This study sought to determine how at-risk students would perform in PBL activities. Four research questions guided the study, examining student behaviour during the computer-based PBL activity, which at-risk factors are most related to student performance, how well does the PBL activity work with the group of students studied, and what recommendations can be made for using PBL with at-risk students. Twenty-nine students from grades 5-11 at a charter school in Texas participated. The study found that one third of students found difficulty with the activity, while several saw it as a mere series of tasks. Several obstacles to collaboration between students appeared, although there were indications that where collaboration did occur it was beneficial. The greatest predictor of success in the PBL activity was prior academic performance, while behaviour was neutral. Findings also revealed that while PBL activities may be most appropriate for students with above-average academics, they could still assist at-risk students paired appropriately with higher-achieving students. The results implied that students with poor academic histories, who were largely passive in the study, could benefit from greater active involvement in the PBL activities. At-risk students may also need additional scaffolding toward effective collaboration with other students.
Shen, P., Lee, T., & Tsai, C. (2007). Applying web-enabled problem-based learning and self-regulated learning to enhance computing skills of Taiwan’s vocational students : A quasi-experimental study of a short-term module. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 5(2), 147–156. Retrieved from: http://www.ejel.org/issue/download.html?idArticle=46
This study explored how the redesign of a module for web-based deployment using PBL and self-regulated learning (SRL) affected the development of vocational students’ computing skills. The participants were 106 first-year students at a science and technology university in Taiwan. The findings revealed 1) how teachers can ask students to regulate their learning through PBL and SRL methodologies in a web-based learning environment; 2) that a short-term module can have a positive effect on vocational students’ computing skills; 3) that learning based on combining PBL, SRL and web-based learning can have a positive effect even in a short module. The results showed a strong correlation between improvements in students’ computing skills and PBL. SRL also significantly and positively impacted learners in the web-based environment. In combination, PBL and SRL were more effective than no treatment, but not significantly better than either PBL or SRL alone. The quasi-experimental nature of the study design limits its broader applicability and does not rule out other factors that may have influenced educational outcomes of individual students. At a minimum, however, design of web-based delivery of instruction should consider the use of PBL and/or SRL to encourage the best possible outcomes.
Zumbach, J., & Spraul, P. (2007). The role of expert and novice tutors in computer mediated and face-to-face problem-based learning. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 02(02), 161–187. doi:10.1142/S1793206807000336
The study examined whether tutors should use their expertise to facilitate small group discussions of a problem in face-to-face and synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC). Forty-eight students at the University of Heidelberg participated in the study; 34 psychology students and 14 from other majors. The study found tutor facilitation to be important for both the face-to-face and CMC. The findings did not support the hypothesis that CMC would have disadvantages around turn taking. Tutors adjusted their mediation styles to the medium for similar levels of success. In support of earlier, controlled experiments, the findings supported the claim that students with expert tutors had greater educational gains than those with non-expert tutors as a result of restructuring information and giving feedback rather than adding any additional content over the individual learning resources. Students without expert tutors, however, had greater confidence in their knowledge over those with expert tutors, for reasons not revealed in this study. Students with expert tutors, however, had greater satisfaction. Overall, the findings indicate that a change in medium from face-to-face to CMC learning can be achieved without detriment provided adequate tutoring is provided. Beginning learners may have a greater benefit from an expert tutor than more advanced learners.
