³ Introduction to PBL

 Problem-Based learning (PBL) is a teaching pedagogical strategy that has been

widely used in medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, and pharmacy.
 MICET starts to introduce the PBL approach aiming at enhancing students’
cognitive skills and students’ soft skills such as communication, leadership,
teamwork, problem solving and lifelong learning skills. 
 The PBL approach requires students to work in small groups (8 to 10 students)
to discuss cases, identify the problems in the trigger, generate hypotheses,
collect new information by asking open-ended questions, make priorities
between their hypotheses on the basis of the new information, provide
justification for their answers, and identify areas of deficiency in their knowledge
or learning needs. 
 The whole process is student-centred and the role of the lecturer is to facilitate
discussion, encourage students’ contribution, keep the group focused on their
discussion, ask questions when needed, and provide feedback to the group to
enhance their performance. 
 However, many students find it difficult to change their learning style, work with
others in small groups or use the educational opportunities provided in PBL in
an effective ways.  
 Other challenges include how to identify their learning needs, research different
resources for answers, and construct the new knowledge.

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³ General role of student:

 Actively participate in group discussions and contribute to the learning process

in a manner that allows for the balanced participation of everyone in the group.
 Attend every PBL sessions on time.
 Develop learning issues at each session, phrase them as full-sentence
questions, and write them on the whiteboard.
 Consider biological, population, behaviour/mental health issues/explanations
and questions of professional attitudes, values, and ethics related to the
patient’s problem(s) described in the case.
 Go to the whiteboard to diagram, outline, draw, etc. in explanation of
mechanisms related to hypotheses.
 Debate evidence related to the case and avoids personal attacks on others.
 Comply with ground rules with regard to how the group will function and how its
members treat one another.
 Participate in end-of-session reflection and assessment by giving and receiving
constructive criticism regarding self and group performance.

PBL groups function most effectively and harmoniously when members of the group
demonstrate the following:

 Taking responsibility for self and others’ learning

 Task orientation
 Time management
 Balanced participation
 Effective interpersonal skills
 Conflict management
 Constructive feedback
 Adherence to ground rules

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³ Evaluation of PBL

1. Soft skills such as leadership, communication, problem solving and life-long

learning skills will be evaluated during the first and second sessions of each
PBL trigger. Student abilities and performance will be developed and improved
over time.
2. Students will be evaluated individually by the facilitator using PBL rubric
(Appendix 1).
3. PBL rubric will contribute 10% of continuous assessment.

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³ The PBL Process

One PBL trigger comprises of two (2) sessions. The trigger has to be completed within one (1) week.

Session 1: Introduction to Trigger Approximate time: 2 hours

1. Introduction 15 minutes
The group will choose their chairperson and scribe to help them keep track of the discussion.

2. Clarification of terms 15 minutes

To understand the trigger and make sure that everyone understands the meaning of words,
terms and phrases.
Notes:
 At this stage you are looking only for a basic understanding or simple definitions to make
communication easier amongst yourselves. You may want to reach a deeper understanding
or meaning of particular terms by discussing or explaining them (conceptual analysis). Keep
that for the step relating to generation of hypotheses.
 Be sure to raise each and every item that needs clarification in this first step. It will assist the
group more if you ask basic questions of clarification now and not in later stages when the
group should be engaged in deeper analysis and explanation.

3. Facts and ideas (Cue recognition/identification of problems) 40 minutes

To recognize the cues and key points.
To promote thinking ability and a problem-solving approach.
Decide on and record the ‘key issues’ arising from the specific case. Motivate briefly why
something should be regarded as key if there is not initial agreement.
Look for and describe connections between the different points. Suggest and explore
explanations. Groups should consider possible causative, associative, hierarchical connections.
Prioritise by deciding what is most important to pursue, focusing on limitations that you have
identified in your knowledge.
Notes:
 The motivation should relate to the case under consideration and be kept brief. Your group
needs to reach general agreement about what to identify as key issues.
 Try to be as specific as possible, for example, if the case is about pregnancy at 6 weeks,
specify the stage of pregnancy and not just pregnancy.
 A mind map can be helpful here. This can be used again when you elaborate on your prior
knowledge and look for connections.
(‘Key issues’ are the issues that you identify as being important to understanding the case.)

4. Brainstorming (Generation of hypotheses) 40 minutes

To understand the problem and to generate /analyze the ideas.
Put forward/table ideas, views, concepts acquired previously that you consider relevant to the
key issues and concepts identified in this context. Examine and probe what has been put
forward.
This stage helps in activating existing knowledge to understand the phenomenon and promotes
reasoning skills in generating explanation (hypothesis). It involves active discussion and
exchange of knowledge and information. It is important to ensure that all members of the group
feel free and uninhibited to express themselves.
Notes:
 It is not enough to say that you know something. You need to clearly state the content
of that knowledge.
 Draw on your existing body of ideas, information and views to select what is relevant for
the case.
 Remember that at this stage, your prior learning may be untested. You are putting it
forward so that others can consider it.

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  Deal with each key issue in turn. Record prior learning, then discuss, explore and
evaluate for validity in relation to other members` knowledge. Challenge what has been
put forward.

Remember:
 You only really know what you know, or for that matter, what you may be uncertain
about or have misunderstood when you hear other people’s reactions to your thinking
and ideas.
 It is therefore important for all members of the group to state what it is they do know in
order that the group as a whole and the facilitator have the opportunity to constructively
and critically examine what each member says they know.

5. Learning needs (Learning outcomes) 10 minutes

To identify key deficits in the understanding of the problem.
To outline the depth and extent of the knowledge and understanding required for each learning
need.
List the limitations in your knowledge that you have identified during the previous steps. Identify
any additional limitations from your discussions. Formulate tasks that you must perform to deal
with each limitation. These are Learning Outcomes (LOs). Check that the LOs relate to the case.

Notes:
 Formulate Learning Outcomes using action words (e.g. List, describe, analyse).
These will guide you on the breadth and depth of the knowledge you will be
required to explore in order to understand the case at this point in your studies.

After completing session 1, students are responsible to do independent and self directed learning.
Students gather information and ideas from reliable sources. Use the full range of useful resources.
Organise responses to each Learning Outcome, making summarised notes.

Notes:
 The PBL process will collapse if you do not go and search for new knowledge to meet your
Learning Outcomes.
 Use ALL the resources at your disposal, such as the resource pack, lectures, practical, and
group discussions. When reading you should take note of the learning Outcomes and the
context of the case. Make notes relating to each learning Outcome in your own words. These
notes should be a summary of your understanding of the learning Outcomes. This is an
important step in becoming a self-directed learner.
 All students should prepare responses to all Learning Outcomes. Without doing so, you will not
be in a position to listen critically, probe and challenge, and assess the accuracy of what others
are saying.

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Session 2: Discussion and Debriefing Approximate time: 2 hours

1. Review of trigger 5 minutes

2. Discussion on learning needs: Report-back 90 minutes

To share new knowledge and its application.
To develop communication and presentation skills.
Present what you have learnt. Identify your sources, explaining what you now know and how it
clarifies and/or corrects and/or builds on what you knew before. This should be new knowledge
not a repetition of the prior learning elaborated in session 1. Thoroughly probe reports and
examine differences, justifying conclusions. Apply the results of your study and discussion to the
case.

For each Learning Outcome, evaluate the accuracy and relevance of new (and prior) knowledge
and identify further limitations in knowledge related to the case and emerging from the new
knowledge.

Make sure that this does not become a series of mini-lectures. Members of the group must seek
clarifications from the presenter if required, offer comments on, and additions to (if any) the
presenter’s material.

Notes:
 The best way for you to find out if you really understand and know what you have
researched is to try to explain this to the group in your own words and with minimal use
of your notes. If you are confused or stuck, someone else in the group will help you, just
as you will be expected to help them if they are stuck.
 You need to present what you have learnt, identifying your sources and explain what
you know and how it clarifies or builds on or changes what you knew before.
 If your group, with the help of the facilitator, is unclear or uncertain at this stage about
any issue or concept that you have been discussing, the group needs to formulate a
specific question around the uncertainty. Some individuals need to be mandated to go
to the relevant subject expert for assistance.

3. Summary 15 minutes
Summarize all the information and make sure that all learning outcomes have been addressed.

4. Debriefing 20 minutes
Constructive feedback should be provided to the students at the end of this session. This is
highly motivating especially for communication and presentation skills. Students should be asked
to give viewpoints in respect of their own performance and that of their peers.

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 APPENDIX 1

(Adopted from FACULTY OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES)

PBL RUBRIC

Student Name: Below Borderline Meet Exceeds Exceptional TOTAL

expectation meeting of expectations expectations
expectation

UniKL ID:

                       

Communication, leadership and team skills (PLO5)                      

Present ideas clearly and effectively 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Present ideas confidently 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Listen actively to others' opinions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to respect others' opinions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to understand and to switch roles as leader and member of a group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to contribute ideas individually 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Attend every meetings on time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

                       

Scientific method, critical thinking and problem solving skills (PLO6)                    

Define and identify the problem and it's goal 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to categorize important information 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to generate ideas/hypotheses 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to analyze issues/problems 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to make decisions based on strong evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

                       

Lifelong learning and information management skills (PLO7)                      

Able to seek and manage relevant information from various sources 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Recognize inadequacies of existing knowledge 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Self-directed learning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Able to use information effectively 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  

Show evidence of reading/bibliographic sources 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10