Examples of questions and tutor comments during the PBL process

Content questions/comments

Adapted from Ambury, (1992) and Woods, (1995).

What is the key information?
What might be the causes / reasons?
What questions do you have?
What terminology / concepts are unfamiliar?
Can you explain your reasoning?
What do you need to know more about in order to address this issue/solve this problem?
What are the normal levels?
Why is this significant?
What does it mean if it's up by this amount?
Hummm, or other such acknowledging noises
I'm not sure that I follow you, would you mind repeating that so that I can understand your approach.
Let's collect ideas about this
Any other ideas?
Are you sure? Can you check that?
Why is that? How come?
Why did you come to that conclusion?
Do you agree with what was just said?
If what you suggest is true, then how would you explain...
For this situation, have you ever considered or thought about...
Do you feel you need to look up that point?
You seem unsure. Where could we find the information that would help you clarify this? Are there other ways to examine this problem?
What are the assumptions being made? major? minor? hidden? flexible? questionable? Why did you study this? Why was this work done? Why in this context?
How is this related to other information? Are there inconsistencies? How can they be reconciled?
What are some concrete examples?
So what? What can we do now that we couldn't do before?
Where does the new information lead?

Group process questions/comments

Adapted from Woods (1995).

Who is scribing the thinking for today?
Who is the chairperson for today's session? Who will be for the next session?
Before we wrap up this session, might it be a good idea to reflect on how we handled the processing skills? For example, how well did we handle the problem solving dimensions? How did
we function as a group? What were our five strengths and the two areas to work on? Can we set goals to improve our process skills for our next meeting?
Do you wish to use feedback forms to guide what went on today? feedback for problem solving? for group process? for managing change? for chairperson? for self-directed, interdependent learning? for self-assessment?
Let's allocate tasks?
What timeframe shall we set?

Home pages related to PBL

Internet discussion lists related to PBL:

PBL-LIST: send message "subscribe pbl-list" to: majordomo@eng.monash.edu.au This list is concerned with problem based learning at the tertiary level in all subject areas.

Pbl-stdev list: send message "subscribe pbl-stdev [new line] end" to: majordomo@mailbox.uq.edu.au. Pbl-stdev was created at the request of a group of participants at the First International Conference on Preparing University Teachers, held at Vasa, Finland in June 1996. The list is aimed at those who are interested in carrying out staff (faculty development in US parlance) for teaching staff involved in courses using problem based learning. It is meant to be a medium for the sharing of experience and the discussion of questions among workers in this area.

Organizations which promote the use of PBL:

Australian Problem Based Learning Network: alpjl@cc.newcastle.edu.au

Network for Community-Oriented Schools in the Health Sciences: secretariat@network.rulimburg.nl

Discipline examples

Maths/Science
Online "problem" re use of Colorado river water. http://www.udel.edu/inst/problems/colorado/

Range of examples: General, Biol, Chem/Biochem, Physics, Law and Crime, Nutrition, Science

http://www.udel.edu/pbl/problems/

http://www.udel.edu/pbl/courses.html

References

Boud, D. and Feletti, G. (eds.). (1991). The Challenge of Problem-Based Learning. Kogan Page Limited: London.

Burch, K. (1995). PBL and the Lively Classroom. ABOUT TEACHING - #50. A Newsletter of the Center for Teaching Effectiveness. Jan 1995.

Cleary, T. (undated). Problem Based Learning in a Large Teaching Format

Dion, L. (1996) But I teach a large class ABOUT TEACHING - #50. A Newsletter of the Center for Teaching Effectiveness. Spring 1996.

Woods, D. R. (1995) "Problem-based Learning: Helping your students gain the most from PBL" Waterdown, Canada

Woods, D. (1996). How to get the most out of PBL.

Examples of different methods for case presentation

There are a wide variety of ways in which to present the "problem", case or situation to students. Most common, particularly in the health sciences, is the method of presenting a short description of the patient or focal character and presenting issues. This initial "trigger" provides information to replicate an initial meeting or observation of the patient. Often the first trigger is followed by the presentation of additional information, possibly a description of a second meeting/observation /examination, or the presentation of follow up reports provided by other specialists.

However, not all "problems" need be presented in this stereotypic format. The following examples attempts to provide an introduction to different methods of framing and presenting "problems" or cases. In this selection, some authors have been very creative in their presentation: some have written problems as replicating a conversation, others as a day-in-the-life of a main character (almost in novel form), others have invented newspaper or journal articles, or written problems in the form of organisational memos, and yet others have framed the problem in terms of a modern film scenario. These examples serve to remind us that problems or quandries present themselves in many forms in our daily life and that these can be replicated in learning activities.

Case 320 Terry Sleuth and the Case of the Questionable Holter Monitor: http://chemeng.mcmaster.ca/pbl/append-a.htm

Hot-Headed Moles in Antarctica:
http://www.udel.edu/pbl/hotheads.html

Introducing Art History Through Problem-Based Learning written by Mark Parker Miller, in About Teaching - #50
http://www.udel.edu/pbl/cte/spr96-arth.html

Bitter Sweet
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/bitter.htm
Note: to view the learning objectives for this Fourth Year Pharmacology course see:
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/intro2.htm

An Itchy Tale
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/itchy.htm

Redress or Regress?
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/zero.htm
Note: to view the learning objectives for this Arts and Sciences Inquiry Course: The Curing Society, see:
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/intro3.htm

Wait-lessness
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/waitless.htm
Note: to view the learning objectives for this Arts and Science Inquiry Course: Discovery: the Context of Biomedical Research, see: http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/contents.htm

Just Reward
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/reward.htm
Note: to view the learning objectives for this Arts and Science Inquiry Course: Discovery: the Context of Biomedical Research, see: http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/pbls/writing/contents.htm