Editing Problem-based learning (section)

==Disadvantages==
According to Wood (2003), the major disadvantage to this process involves the utilization of resources and tutor facilitation. It requires more staff to take an active role in facilitation and group-led discussion and some educators find PBL facilitation difficult and frustrating. It is resource-intensive because it requires more physical space and more accessible computer resources to accommodate simultaneous smaller group-learning.<ref name="Wood_2003">{{cite journal|last1=Wood|first1=Diana.|year=2003|title=ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Problem based learning|journal=British Medical Journal|volume=326|issue=7384|pages=328–330|doi=10.1136/bmj.326.7384.328|pmid=12574050|pmc=1125189}}</ref> Students also report uncertainty with [[information overload]] and are unable to determine how much study is required and the relevance of information available. Students may not have access to teachers who serve as the inspirational role models that traditional curriculum offers.<ref name="Wood_2003"/>

=== Time-consuming ===

Although students generally like and gain greater ability to solve real-life problems in problem-based learning courses, instructors of the methodology must often invest more time to assess student learning and prepare course materials, as compared to LBL instructors.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Part of this frustration also stems from the amount of time dedicated to presenting new research and individual student findings regarding each specific topic, as well as the disorganised nature of brain-storming<ref name="Gillian W 2015">{{cite journal|last1=Clough|first1=Joanne|last2=Shorter|first2=Gillian W.|title=Evaluating the effectiveness of problem-based learning as a method of engaging year one law students|journal=The Law Teacher|date=2015|volume=49|issue=3|pages=277–302|doi=10.1080/03069400.2015.1011926|s2cid=143729873|url=http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/23313/3/PBL_ARTICLE_FINAL_v.2.pdf}}</ref>

=== Traditional assumptions of the students ===

The problem of the problem-based learning is the traditional assumptions of the students. Most of the students might have spent their previous years of education assuming their teacher as the main disseminator of knowledge. Because of this understanding towards the subject matter students may lack the ability to simply wonder about something in the initial years of problem-based learning.<ref>{{citation |last1=Reithlingshoefer|first1=S. J. |date=1992 |title=The Future of Nontraditional/Interdisciplinary Programs: Margin or Mainstream? Selected Papers from the Tenth Annual Conference on Nontraditional and Interdisciplinary Programs, Virginia Beach, VA}}</ref>

=== Role of the instructor ===

The instructors have to change their traditional teaching methodologies in order to incorporate problem-based learning. Their task is to question students' knowledge, beliefs, give only hints to correct their mistakes and guide the students in their research. All these features of problem-based learning may be foreign to some instructors; hence they find it difficult to alter their past habits.

=== Pupil's evaluation ===

The instructors have to adapt new assessment methods to evaluate the pupils' achievement. They have to incorporate written examinations with modified essay questions, practical examinations, peer and self assessments etc. Problem-based has also been considered slightly more favourable to female participants,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McParland |first1=Monica |last2=Noble |first2=Lorraine M. |last3=Livingston |first3=Gill |author-link3=Gill Livingston |date=2004 |title=The effectiveness of problem-based learning compared to traditional teaching in undergraduate psychiatry |journal=Medical Education |volume=38 |issue=8 |pages=859–867 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2929.2004.01818.x |pmid=15271047 |s2cid=41365104}}</ref> whilst having equivocal impacts on their male counterparts when compared to lecture based learning.<ref name="Gillian W 2015"/>

===Cognitive load===
Sweller and others published a series of studies over the past twenty years that is relevant to problem-based learning, concerning [[cognitive load]] and what they describe as the guidance-fading effect.<ref name="Sweller_2006">{{cite journal|last1=Sweller|first1=John|year=2006|title=The worked example effect and human cognition|journal=Learning and Instruction|volume=16|issue=2|pages=165–169|doi=10.1016/j.learninstruc.2006.02.005}}</ref> Sweller et al. conducted several classroom-based studies with students studying algebra problems.<ref name="Sweller_1988">{{cite journal|last1=Sweller|first1=J|year=1988|title=Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning|journal=Cognitive Science|volume=12|issue=2|pages=257–285|doi=10.1016/0364-0213(88)90023-7|doi-access=free}}</ref> These studies have shown that active problem solving early in the learning process is a less effective instructional strategy than studying [[Worked-example effect|worked examples]] (Sweller and Cooper, 1985; Cooper and Sweller, 1987). Certainly active problem solving is useful as learners become more competent, and better able to deal with their working memory limitations. But early in the learning process, learners may find it difficult to process a large amount of information in a short time. Thus the rigors of active problem solving may become an issue for novices. Once learners gain expertise the [[Instructional scaffolding|scaffolding]] inherent in problem-based learning helps learners avoid these issues. These studies were conducted largely based on individual problem solving of well-defined problems.

Sweller (1988) proposed [[cognitive load]] theory to explain how novices react to problem solving during the early stages of learning.<ref name=Sweller_1988 /> Sweller, et al. suggests a worked example early, and then a gradual introduction of problems to be solved. They propose other forms of learning early in the learning process (worked example, goal free problems, etc.); to later be replaced by completions problems, with the eventual goal of solving problems on their own.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sweller|first1=John|last2=Van Merrienboer|first2=Jeroen J. G.|last3=Paas|first3=Fred G. W. C.|year=1998|title=Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design|journal=[[Educational Psychology Review]]|volume=10|issue=3|pages=251–296|doi=10.1023/A:1022193728205|s2cid=127506}}</ref> This problem-based learning becomes very useful later in the learning process.

Many forms of scaffolding have been implemented in problem-based learning to reduce the cognitive load of learners. These are most useful to enable decreasing ("fading") the amount of guidance during problem solving. A gradual fading of guidance helps learners to slowly transit from studying examples to solving problems. In this case backwards fading{{clarify|date=November 2017|reason=The Hmelo-Silver reference is hidden behind a paywall, so checking the reference to decipher "backwards fading" is forbidden to most Wikipedia readers.}} was found to be quite effective and assisting in decreasing the cognitive load on learners.<ref name="Hmelo2004">{{cite journal|last1=Hmelo-Silver|first1=Cindy E.|year=2004|title=Problem-Based Learning: What and How Do Students Learn?|journal=Educational Psychology Review|volume=16|issue=3|pages=235–266|doi=10.1023/B:EDPR.0000034022.16470.f3|s2cid=15702585}}</ref>

Evaluation of the effects of PBL learning in comparison to traditional instructional learning have proved to be a challenge. Various factors can influence the implementation of PBL: extent of PBL incorporation into curriculum, group dynamics, nature of problems used, facilitator influence on group, and the motivation of the learners. There are also various outcomes of PBL that can be measured including knowledge acquisition and clinical competence.<ref name="Neville_PBLmedicaledu40yrs">{{cite journal|last1=Neville|first1=Alan J.|year=2009|title=Problem-Based Learning and Medical Education Forty Years on|journal=Medical Principles and Practice|volume=18|issue=1|pages=1–9|doi=10.1159/000163038|pmid=19060483|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hac-uARBrdgC&q=Factors+affecting+small-group+tutorial+learning:+a+review+of+research.+&pg=PA19|title=Problem-based learning : a research perspective on learning interactions|last=Schmidt|first=H. G. and Moust, JHC|publisher=L. Erlbaum|year=2000|isbn=978-0805826456|location=Hillsdale, N.J.|pages=19–51}}</ref> Additional studies are needed to investigate all the variables<ref name=Neville_PBLmedicaledu40yrs /> and technological scaffolds,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Henry|first1=Holly R.|last2=Tawfik|first2=Andrew A.|last3=Jonassen|first3=David H.|last4=Winholtz|first4=Robert A.|last5=Khanna|first5=Sanjeev|year=2012|title="I Know This is Supposed to be More Like the Real World, but . . .": Student Perceptions of a PBL Implementation in an Undergraduate Materials Science Course|journal=Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning|volume=6|doi=10.7771/1541-5015.1312|doi-access=free}}</ref> that may impact the efficacy of PBL.

===Demands of implementing===

Implementing PBL in schools and Universities is a demanding process that requires resources, a lot of planning and organization.<ref name="Azer">{{cite journal|last1=Azer|first1=Samy A.|year=2011|title=Introducing a problem-based learning program: 12 tips for success|journal=Medical Teacher|volume=33|issue=10|pages=808–13|doi=10.3109/0142159X.2011.558137|pmid=21942480|s2cid=207430403}}</ref>
Azer discusses the 12 steps for implementing the "pure PBL"<ref name=Azer />
# Prepare faculty for change
# Establish a new curriculum committee and working group
# Designing the new PBL curriculum and defining educational outcomes
# Seeking Advice from Experts in PBL
# Planning, Organizing and Managing
# Training PBL facilitators and defining the objectives of a facilitator
# Introducing Students to the PBL Program
# Using 3-learning to support the delivery of the PBL program
# Changing the assessment to suit the PBL curriculum
# Encouraging feedback from students and teaching staff
# Managing learning resources and facilities that support self-directed learning
# Continuing evaluation and making changes (pg. 809–812)

=== Cultural difference: Asia ===
Some of the reported difficulties in implementing PBL in these schools include poor participation and difficulty in getting students involved in discussions, due possibly to their Asian reticence. One school reported that students felt that they were compelled to speak as they were being assessed. Some students reported not having enough confidence to seek information independently without guidance from their teachers. The students also found it very time-consuming to seek information themselves, as they still had to cope with the requirements of the traditional curriculum of attending lectures. Some students had difficulty with the language if the PBL discussions were conducted in English, as it was not their working language.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Amin |first1=Zubair |url=https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/7044 |title=Basics in Medical Education |last2=Eng |first2=Khoo Hoon |publisher=WORLD SCIENTIFIC |year=2009 |isbn=978-981-283-538-3 |edition=2 |language=en |doi=10.1142/7044}}</ref>