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Temasek Polytechnic was the first Polytechnic to adopt Problem-based Learning (PBL) in Singapore in 1998. Since then, PBL practice at Temasek Polytechnic has evolved, informed by research on theory and practice. We recognise that the knowledge contexts for students to learn in and through PBL are constantly changing and that the challenges of PBL go beyond assisting students to acquire and understand complex knowledge in their respective disciplines. In celebrating our 15 th anniversary this year, Temasek Polytechnic is pleased to organise a Conference on Problem-based Learning with the theme “Adaptive Strategies for PBL in a Supercomplex World”.
Roger Barnett’s notion of supercomplexity is one of the most prominent meta-theories of higher education in recent years. In his landmark book ‘ Realizing The University In An Age Of Supercomplexity ’, Barnett (1999) describes supercomplexity as “the condition in which not merely our theories, institutions, etc. are contestable, but our meta-theories, or 'large ideas' or frameworks for understanding the world are also contested” (p. 75).
One of the key implications in recognising that knowledge in our present world is supercomplex is that learners need to acquire and develop the capacity to critically engage with the assumptions underlying their knowledge. This in turn presents greater challenges to staff in designing and facilitating PBL programmes. Faculty involvement in PBL is commonly associated with designing PBL problems, facilitating the antecedent process and assessing the resultant learning outcomes. I am pleased that our staff have done more to meet the challenge of preparing students, through PBL, for handling supercomplex knowledge by conducting and publishing empirical research in PBL.
This collection of papers, published in conjunction with the PBL Conference 2005, is another significant milestone in Temasek Polytechnic’s continuous journey in PBL. It is the result of several parallel developments in strategic staff training and development. Over the last five years, more than forty of our academic staff have completed either a Master of Education or a Doctorate in Education. Together they are a rich resource of pedagogical and research expertise. Many have undertaken research in PBL.
The inauguration of the Learning Academy marks a paradigm shift in strategic staff development at Temasek Polytechnic. One area of emphasis of the Learning Academy is the training and support for academic staff to develop as practitioner-researchers who constantly reflect on and enhance their practice through research and scholarship.
This publication seeks to provide a window to the collective experience in PBL practice and research at Temasek Polytechnic in the first six years of PBL implementation. It is my hope that this will have a direct influence on enhanced student learning outcomes in the classroom.
Boo Kheng Hua
Principal & CEO
Temasek Polytechnic
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Problem-based Learning (PBL) has had the benefit of numerous publications explicating its theoretical basis and practical applications. Books edited by Chen et al. (1994), Boud and Felleti (1997), Fogarty (1998), and most recently Evensen and Hmelo (2000) contain rich accounts of the diverse ways in which PBL is understood and practised in different contexts.
The uniqueness of this peer-reviewed publication is that it explores the new directions and approaches in PBL that emerge from a single institution. Temasek Polytechnic was the first Polytechnic to implement PBL in Singapore. Since its institutional implementation of PBL in 1998, many different conceptualisations and practices of PBL have been adopted, and adapted, in the different Schools and disciplines. Many of the research studies and informed practices in PBL were presented at the Second Asia Pacific Conference on PBL organised by Temasek Centre for Problem-Based Learning, Temasek Polytechnic in 2000 and in Problem-Based Learning: Educational Innovation Across Disciplines, the accompanying refereed conference publication of selected conference papers. The proliferation of empirical research and the development of PBL practice in Temasek Polytechnic since 2000 requires a new publication.
This publication comprises three parts. In Part I, we are indebted to Dr Maggi Savin-Baden and Associate Professor Tan Oon Seng for contributing their keynote papers for the PBL Conference 2005 to this publication. In their keynote papers, Maggi Savin-Baden and Tan Oon Seng share their views on common challenging issues and future directions in PBL. Maggi Savin-Baden suggests there are at least five diverse models of Problem-based Learning in operation and argues that the ways these models are played out in practice are affected by individuals’ perceptions of learning, knowledge and students. She conceptualises the notions of “learning spaces” and “learning bridges” in PBL for staff and students as a way of understanding how they negotiate, adopt and adapt a particular model of PBL. Along the same lines, Tan Oon Seng argues that teachers increasingly need to recognize changes in the nature of knowledge and the need for change in the nature of participation in the classroom. He describes a futuristic perspective of Problem-based Learning in terms of strategic as well as innovative design of learning and the learning environment as a way of meeting these challenges for teachers.
Part II deals with important theoretical concepts which underpin the practice and understanding of PBL and suggests further directions for PBL theorization. Hee Soo Yin examines the implementation of PBL from an institutional perspective using the implementation perspective of educational change. Her conceptualisation of the change process provides a useful framework for addressing the common challenges pertaining to change at multiple levels of practice in an institutional context.
On a more theoretical front, the conceptual papers by Sandra Kemp and Kelvin Tan challenge common assumptions on constructivism and power in PBL. Sandra Kemp explores the conceptual underpinnings of constructivism as a learning theory in connection with PBL as an approach to teaching. Her exposition on the origins of various notions in constructivism and the possibilities for constructivism as a referent to analyse PBL is insightful. It provides a rigorous theoretical discourse for the examination of phrases commonly associated with constructivism in PBL such as “student-centred learning” and “group-work”. Kelvin Tan problematizes the notions of power in Problem-based Learning and suggests that some conceptions and practices of PBL may discipline rather than empower students. Three contrasting notions of power in PBL are suggested as a framework for explicating how power is exercised against, and shared with, students in PBL assessment.
Part III comprises research papers on a range of PBL issues and commences with two chapters which investigate students’ experiences of PBL. Wee May Lin describes her research on the learning experiences of engineering students who are encountering PBL for the first time. Likewise, Moira Lee and Philomena Lee describe students’ first experience with Problem-based Learning by analysing the students’ self-reflection accounts for insights on what students experienced to be beneficial about the PBL process.
These chapters on students’ experiences of PBL are complemented by research on how PBL is experienced by academic staff. Much of the success of PBL can be attributed to how it is implemented by staff in their respective teaching contexts. Roland Yeo describes the experiences of staff with PBL and identifies a number of implications for PBL implementation and practice while David Teo explores the challenges faced by teachers in PBL. Both are pertinent reminders of the importance of addressing teachers’ concerns, and provide insights into the daily pressures educators face in challenging their students through PBL.
The use of information technology for PBL facilitation and peer learning is also gaining increasing prominence. Cynthia Lim and Chew Swee Cheng provide concrete examples of the increasing use of Information Technology to enhance PBL facilitation, collaboration and learning for students. Cynthia Lim examines the integration of technology in a typical PBL process and explicates how learning is enhanced under the constructivist theory of learning. Chew Swee Cheng shares the results of an exploratory study on students’ choices of software tools for collaborating with one another and their facilitator in PBL.
Likewise, exploratory research by Kathryn Goh, Kelvin Tan and Leng Ho Keat focuses on students’ use of specific PBL tools and practices. Kathryn Goh argues that peer learning and teaching is a powerful mode of learning to motivate students to become actively engaged and involved learners, and empower them to take ownership for their own learning. Her research highlights areas that students need to develop in to optimize their peer learning and teaching. Kelvin Tan and Leng Ho Keat examine the use of self- and peer-assessment as assessment tools for PBL. Their study of student-teacher mark agreement identifies the challenges of preparing students to be more integrally involved in the PBL assessment process.
- Finally, Jeffrey Mok and Suriya Shukor provide further insights into how students experience PBL and the exact processes they experience. Both chapters increase our understanding of the complex thoughts and emotions of students when experiencing PBL and suggest specific ways to enhance their cognitive abilities in PBL. They also remind us that the way students experience PBL affects the benefits they derive from PBL. Suriya Shukor’s study shares insights into students’ cognitive process during a PBL lesson. Jeffrey Mok reports on an investigation of students’ use of language to enhance thinking in PBL tutorials. His paper describes the varying nature, potential and limitations of the use of language to enhance thinking in PBL context for different students. Both papers are pertinent reminders of the centrality of students’ learning needs in the PBL process. To the extent that PBL claims to be student-centred in its pedagogical orientation, then any new approach to PBL practice and implementation must necessarily retain student-centredness as its fundamental direction.
To this end, this publication is dedicated to our students who enhance the PBL experience by constituting its central focus and participating in its teaching and assessment processes through peer teaching, learning and assessment. Identifying new directions and approaches in PBL is a constant challenge for all educators. The centrality of students in the directions and approaches we chart must remain as a constant. Only then can PBL continually claim to serve the learning needs of our students.
Editors
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Maggi Savin-Baden is Deputy Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Coventry University, UK and Visiting Professor at the University of Cape Town. She began using Problem-based Learning in 1986. Since 1987, she has researched and consulted widely on Problem-based Learning. Her current research explores threshold concepts and “troublesome knowledge” in the context of Problem-based Learning. She has published four books on Problem-based Learning in the last four years, and is a popular keynote speaker around the world.
Tan Oon Seng is Head of Psychological Studies at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. He is Director of the Singapore Centre for Teaching Thinking and is also the President of the Educational Research Association of Singapore. He has been guest editor for the Innovations in Education and Training International journal’s special edition on PBL and is the editor of the international collection Enhancing Thinking through Problem-based Learning Approaches: International Perspectives. Apart from his prolific publications on PBL, Associate Professor Tan has delivered several keynote addresses at international conferences in USA, Australia and Asia.
Chew Swee Cheng taught Mathematics, English Language and Communication Skills for a number of years before becoming involved in staff training in teaching methodology since 1999. Her research interests include investigations into the areas of collaborative and enquiry-based learning. Since 2001, she has focused on conducting training and research in e-learning and distributed Problem-based Learning. Currently, Swee Cheng is a lecturer with the Learning Academy at Temasek Polytechnic.
Kathryn Goh is a Chartered Accountant and has a Master of Education from the University of Sheffield, UK and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Birmingham, UK. She trained with PROBLARC, University of Newcastle, Australia, in Problem-based Learning. Kathryn is a Senior Lecturer in the Learning Academy at Temasek Polytechnic and trains academic staff in areas of pedagogy including PBL.
Hee Soo Yin is Acting Director of the Learning Academy, Temasek Polytechnic. She is concurrently Deputy Director, Temasek Business School. A qualified lawyer, she also holds a Master of Laws from University College, London. She led the Law division’s adoption of PBL in 1999. Her research interests include how individuals and organisations learn.
Sandra Kemp has been teaching for over twenty years and currently works in the Learning Academy at Temasek Polytechnic. She has conducted professional development programmes in assessment, educational research, critical thinking, language and communication and information technology. Her PBL experience includes using PBL both as a classroom practitioner and as a teacher-trainer.
Moira Lee is Manager of the Learning Academy, Temasek Polytechnic. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Nottingham. Recently she was awarded a Fellowship from the Staff and Education Development Association, UK. Moira has published in the areas of adult and collaborative learning. Her research interests include professional development of teachers, teacher mentoring, PBL and collaborative learning.
Philomena Lee is a Lecturer in the Business Division at Temasek Business School. She has many years’ of Human Resource Management practice in diverse sectors including professional services, manufacturing, transportation and banking. She has collaborated with her colleagues to develop and implement Problem-based Learning for various Human Resource Management subjects. Her involvement and deep interest in PBL has resulted in her involvement as a panellist in PBL dialogue sessions and publication of articles in the area of Problem-based Learning.
Leng Ho Keat is a Lecturer in the Marketing Division at Temasek Business School. He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Leicester. For the last three years, he has used PBL in the teaching of Retailing and Marketing subjects.
Cynthia Lim is a Lecturer in the Law division at Temasek Business School and has a Master of Education from the University of Melbourne. She is also currently involved in professional development work in her role as an Associate of the Learning Academy. Since 2000, Cynthia has collaborated with her colleagues in the Law division to develop and implement PBL curriculum for various subjects and is conducting ongoing research to refine the learning process involved in PBL.
Jeffrey Mok has a Master of Education (English Language Teaching) from the University of Sheffield, UK. Trained under Professor Howard Barrows and Maastricht University in Problem-based Learning, he has practised the craft for six years. Jeffrey is a PBL specialist with the Temasek Centre for Problem-Based Learning. His research interests include PBL, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), student-centred learning, teacher training and e-learning.
Seah Chong Poh , currently a Lecturer with the Diploma in Mobile and Wireless Computing, Temasek Information Technology School, worked for the National Computer Board in areas of Internet competency and development in Singapore. His forte in Information Technology is in the area of internet security and he was involved in a PBL project sponsored by the British Council in 2002.
Suriya Shukor is a Lecturer in the Accounting and Finance Division at Temasek Business School. She manages subjects relating to financial accounting and computerised accounting systems. She received her Master of Education in Educational Studies from the University of Sheffield (UK), and is accredited as a ‘Teacher in Higher Education’ by the Staff & Educational Development Association ( SEDA, UK). Her interest in pedagogical issues focuses on on-line learning and PBL.
Kelvin Tan is an academic staff developer with the Learning Academy and has published in the areas of self-assessment, power and discipline, and standards-based assessment. He has a Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Singapore, a Master of Education from the University of Sheffield and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the University of Technology, Sydney. His prevailing research interests include student self-assessment, phenomenography and critical perspectives of assessment.
David Teo is Section Head/Computing Section in the Diploma in Business Information Technology at Temasek Business School. He manages subjects relating to Business Computing and Database Management. He has a Master of Education from the University of Sheffield. He was involved in the implementation of Problem-based Learning in various subjects in the Diploma in Business Information Technology.
Roland Yeo is a Lecturer in Language & Communication and Innovation & Technopreneurship at Temasek Engineering School, Temasek Polytechnic. He has a strong interest in developing creative and learning teams through the “Odyssey of the Mind” innovation programme. He holds postgraduate qualifications from the University of South Australia.
Wee May Lin is Section Head in the Computer Engineering/Info-communications Division at Temasek Engineering School. She was one of the few members of staff who pioneered the adoption of PBL in the Computer Engineering curriculum in 1998. She has a Master of Education (Educational Management) from the University of Sheffield. In 2002, she was part of a taskforce which developed a PBL framework for Temasek Engineering School.
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