Documentation:CTLT programs/PBL Network/UBC Events

UBC Events

Upcoming Network Activities
We have meetings 2 to 3 times a year. If there is a topic you would like to hear about, please let me know by e-mailing Judy Chan.

Ongoing Network Activities

PBL Sessions-in-Action

Have you heard, read, and talked about PBL, but still don't know how it works? Are you currently using PBL and would like to learn more from other PBL instructors? You are welcome to visit some actual PBL sessions on campus. A number of Network members are willing to host guest visitors in their PBL sessions. Courses available for visits in the past have included:

Dental introduction
Principles of Biology
Ecosystem
Food Microbiology

Course availability for visits changes all the time. Please e-mail us for a current list of available courses, with the dates and times of the sessions.

Difficult Incidents and Tutor Interventions in PBL Tutorials

November 22, 2007

Pawel M. Kindler, Instructor, Cellular and Physiological Sciences

Troublesome situations in PBL affect group dynamics and learning. Yet, they have received limited attention in medical education research and have been investigated largely from students' point of view. Recently, we conducted a study in which a group of experienced PBL tutors recognized as superior facilitators was asked to identify difficult incidents, describe interventions used in response to them and assess the success of each intervention. Overall, it was concluded that: (1) Even experienced and highly rated tutors encounter difficult incidents in their PBL tutorials; (2) Tutors use a very limited repertoire of interventions; and (3) Tutor interventions are much more common but less successful in addressing difficult incidents than those initiated by the group or individual students.

This presentation will include a brief summary of the above study followed by a facilitated discussion in which the participants will be invited to share their views on the potential impact of the results on their own practice.

Application of Principles of Adult Learning Theory using Problem Based Learning

September 12, 2007

Chuck Shuler, Dean, Dentistry

Adult Learning Theory has identified several principles that optimize the educational experience of adult learners. Students in health professional education are adults and consequently it would be anticipated that learning outcomes would be improved if the pedagogy used in the curriculum was based on well-established principles. Knowles has contributed a well-recognized body literature on the "Adult Learner" and these principles were further supported in the review of educational publications in "How People Learn". In all these publications it has been shown that adults need to understand the Relevance/Context of a topic prior to the generation of the Motivation and Engagement necessary to achieve a deep level of learning. This commitment to learning leads to the Activation of Prior Knowledge, Knowledge Organization and Metacognition that are characteristics of effective learning environments. These principles of adult learning are most effectively addressed when the learner is in an environment that is learner-centered, inquiry-based and cooperative. Problem Based Learning is a pedagogy that is structured to provide a learning environment that is optimized for an adult learner. The analysis of the signs and symptoms of clinical cases that simulate future health professional practice directly demonstrates the relevance of the topics investigated thus motivating and engaging the learner. Working in small groups with a faculty facilitator focuses the curriculum on the learner and provides a structure that encourages asking questions and the development of a process for investigating problems that models future professional practice. The environment challenges the learners to test their level of understanding of specific curricular content through application to specific patient problems and with this application the learner continually reflects on their level of knowledge and what additional information is required to better understand a patient's problem. The process of learning, the content mastered and the approach to analyzing a patient are all integrated in both the curriculum and the pedagogy. Problem Based Learning represents a pedagogy based on adult learning principles that enables the learner to begin to demonstrate health professional practices from the very beginning of their educational program.

Case-Based Learning Distributed over the World Wide Web: Creating Online Learning Communities

February 14, 2007

Dr. Niamh Kelly, Associate Professor, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

‘Human Bacterial Infections’ (PATH417) is a case-based online learning course delivered at UBC as an upper level science course. The learning occurs when students, working first on their own and then in groups, are directed to acquire content by working through case scenarios. Understanding of this content is pushed to deeper levels through the use of small group learning with peer feedback, instructor feedback, and, the use of e-portfolios. Using the online course as a framework, Niamh will demonstrate how this course allows for individual, peer, and instructor facilitated learning.

Niamh is an accomplished research scientist whose interests, and time, are now centered entirely on education, with a particular interest in educational delivery methods. She is currently involved in the distribution of the UBC’s undergraduate medical program across three campuses, namely, UBC, the University of Victoria and the University of Northern British Columbia. She has initiated programs, and collaborates with faculty members in, the Faculties of Medicine, Science, Education, and in Continuing Studies.

PBL Lunch: Reflecting on Writing Cases

November 1, 2006

Leandra Best, Co-Chair of the UBC PBL Network, Dentisty, UBC

Leandra Best will kick-off the meeting with her experience in reviewing cases in Dentistry. We will then break into small groups and share our case writing challenges and successes with Network members.

Assessment of Learning in PBL: Perspectives from two institutions

May 2006

Ranga Venkatachary, Business Administration, Simon Fraser University Niamh Kelly, Pathology, UBC

This seminar builds on our discussions during the seminar ‘Orienting Learners to Problem-based Learning (PBL): PBL network meeting’ led by Niamh Kelly in mid-January. Problem-based Learning views learning as a performance. In order to be authentic and reliable, assessment of such learning must be situated within the scope of the given performance and must be done against multiple evaluative criteria. In other words, the curriculum, the learning and assessment need to be aligned. Join us to examine and discuss different ways of achieving such alignment.

The concept of holistic assessment in PBL will be demonstrated through a description of a pure PBL implementation (‘one day one problem’ approach) and the assessment scheme at the Republic Polytechnic, Singapore. This is characterized by division of a given curriculum into 16 PBL problems. A module is transacted in a semester and a semester comprises 16 weeks of contact study time. In effect, students work in teams on a given PBL problem for the span of a whole day (8 hours approximately). Each PBL problem carries a set of learning outcomes, a context for learning activities and exploration (articulated in the problem statement) and scope for assessment.

Assessment of student learning in this setting takes place at two levels – each student is given a grade daily based on the facilitator’s judgment of the quality of learning in the classroom within the scope of a given PBL problem. The daily grade is accompanied by diagnostic feedback and the facilitator’s decision on a student’s deserved grade is gleaned from and supported by evidence collected through a variety of channels:

Observation of student interaction in the classroom
Presentations (or other forms of work) by student teams
A Reflection Journal entry (from each student)
Quiz Scores (from each student)
Self evaluation (from each student)
Peer evaluation (about each student from the members of his/her team)

Using an analysis of a small pool of data, we will have a case discussion focusing on key questions such as

How can we define a holistic judgment in assessment?
Can we find common patterns in such holistic judgment across facilitators and across modules?
Can performance assessment indicate levels of ability among students?
Can context-dependent assessment be objective?
What do we think of facilitators (who are not subject experts) assessing student learning?

The implementation of assessment at the Undergraduate Medical Program at UBC will be explored next (building on the mid-January session) and we will end the session with discussion about the two institutions’ approaches.

Niamh Kelly is a Medical Microbiologist in the Department of Pathology with a keen interest in education. She has tutored PBL extensively in the medical school and directs an undergraduate science course over the Web wherein students learn through case-based learning. She is currently a part of the Faculty of Medicine team involved in distributing UBC's medical program to the Universities of Victoria and Prince George.

Lunch and Learn with Dr. Henk Schmidt, Eminent European PBL Speaker

March 2006

Prof. Henk Schmidt, Eminent European PBL Speaker, formerly of Maastricht and now of Erasmus University in the Netherlands, is coming to UBC in March! The Faculty of Dentistry is sponsoring his visit and UBC PBL Network Members will have a chance to meet him at an informal lunch meeting.

Dr. Schmidt has served as the Director of the Research Program in Problem-based Education at the University of Limburg, Maastricht, from 1979 to 1993. We anticipate that Dr. Schmidt will be ready to answer some challenging questions regarding PBL education. So, if you have one question that you would like to ask him, what would it be?

Orienting Learners to Problem-based Learning (PBL)

January 18, 2006

Niamh Kelly, Faculty of Medicine, UBC

Problem-based Learning (PBL) has been described as a teaching and learning methodology and each faculty or school employing this methodology has developed its own program to train tutors (including faculty, graduate students and others) for this form of teaching. My thesis is that although we invest considerable time and effort in training our teachers for this methodology, we invest very little time in training our learners how to engage in this form of learning. Evidence, both from our tutor evaluation of students and from students' own statements point to the fact that even after two years of PBL students may remain completely disengaged with this form of learning. The interactive nature of PBL means that the behaviour of an individual student can have a profound effect on the learning of other students in their group. The question as to how to properly train our students for this form of learning is an important one to answer as the number of courses employing PBL increases, both on our own campus and elsewhere. This session will be divided into three parts: (i) a discussion of the thesis; (ii) presentation of preliminary results from current research around this thesis; and (iii) a brainstorming session exploring methodologies for orienting our learners to PBL. A light lunch will be served. Everyone is welcome at this meeting of the PBL Network.

PBL and Its Cognitive Principles

October 19, 2005

Jerome Rotgans, Centre for Educational Development of Republic Polytechnic, Singapore

Jerome started his presentation by briefly reflecting on the underlying concept of PBL from a cognitive, motivational , and social perspective. Examples taken from everyday life and research were presented. Jerome also provided some insights in how Republic Polytechnic approached PBL and their findings so-far.

Rediscovering New PossiBiLities in Science Teaching and Learning: Project LeAP

May 30, 2005

Problem-Based Learning in Physics & Astronomy Sarah Symons, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, United Kingdom

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has gained much interest as a teaching and learning tool in sciences. Project LeAP (Problem-Based Learning in Astronomy and Physics) is a three-year project funded by the British government to develop and extend PBL and increase the profile of PBL in university Physics and Astronomy courses. The University of Leicester heads the project consortium, with the Universities of Hertfordshire, Reading, and Sheffield as partners.

Dr. Sarah Symons is the Project Manager of LeAP. In her talk, Dr. Symons will describe scopes of the Project and issues involved in the development and implementation of PBL in sciences.

The CARE and FEEDING of PBL (Problem-based Learning) and SGL (Small Group Learning): For Students, Tutors, Programs

April 21, 2005

Alice Cassidy, Co-Chair of the UBC PBL Network, TAG, UBC Leandra Best, Co-Chair of the UBC PBL Network, Dentisty, UBC

Dr. Leandra Best started the workshop by providing a brief overview of the current status of the use of PBL in Dentistry. Working in small groups, participants from different faculties discussed and explored current practices and challenges of the following areas:

Orientating Students
The Tutors’ Toolbox
Case Development
Development & Support for PBL Tutors

UBC Problem-based Learning (PBL) Network Meeting

October 1, 2004

Alice Cassidy, Co-Chair of the UBC PBL Network, TAG, UBC Leandra Best, Co-Chair of the UBC PBL Network, Dentisty, UBC

Hear of successes, challenges and/or interests in the use of problems and cases in teaching and learning from attending Network members. Groups will then discuss ways to support the challenges and interests raised, such as through workshops, other forms of meetings, updates to Network-produced documents, or other resources.

Cooperative Learning through Cases: Examples from Nursing

February 9, 2004

Marion Clauson, Senior Instructor, School of Nursing

As nursing is a practice profession, students learn to apply knowledge and skills to real client cases on a daily basis. Using cooperative learning strategies with cases in nursing courses can be a way to situate learning in real life situations and actively engage learners. Come to hear about how cases are used in two nursing courses, Nursing 453, Leadership and Management in Health Care, and Nursing 410, Exploring Avenues of Nursing Practice, which has a clinical practice component in an area of the student's choice.

The Uses of Scenarios and Cases in Sports Medicine

November 19, 2003

Rob Lloyd-Smith and Dr. Jack Taunton, Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre Ashley Baker and Graeme Poole, graduates of the course

Human Kinetics 461 and 471: Prevention of Sports Injuries This course came to our attention from a student taking it who spoke of how real-life it was. For a portion of the course, students, who are previously given some aspects of a medical case (involving a patient exhibiting symptoms of an injury) then come to meet with the sports medicine doctors who are instructing the course. They discussed the case and how the student might proceed if they were treating the patient for real.

Case Writing Workshop

May 26, 2003

Alice Cassidy, co-Facilitators, TAG Ingrid Price, co-Facilitators, TAG

Practices to Support Quality Tutoring

October 1, 2002

Alice Cassidy and Ingrid Price, co-Facilitators, TAG Peter Jolliffe, Agricultural Sciences Joanne Walton, Dentistry

Hear from colleagues across the disciplines about current practices and/or plans to support quality tutoring. Following these informal 'snapshot' descriptions, there will be time to ask questions, provide feedback and discuss our own related experiences and ideas. First, Peter Jolliffe will tell us about experiences in Agricultural Sciences related to the care and feeding of PBL tutors, including how they respond to support, training and feedback. This Faculty has started to train undergraduates to be PBL tutors. Second, Joanne Walton will muse on some ideas to re-invigorate tutor-training in Dentistry, including utilizing their new cohort of part-time Dentistry faculty (called clinician educators) to take on a role in developing and supporting good tutoring practices. Next, Ingrid Price, who is coordinating a tutor-devoted PBL course in Pharmaceutical Sciences and cannot be in the room with the tutors at all times, will outline the following strategies she plans to implement:

Video tape a tutorial session and have the tutor and Ingrid view this video (or parts of it) together - she would give feedback and discuss any challenges the tutors might have encountered
Have tutors visit each others' tutorials and give peer feedback
Have tutors self-reflect on a regular basis re: their strengths and areas for improvement, as well as set some specific goals around things that they will try to enhance their skills.
Finally, a challenge that continues to be common across several Faculties is how to provide enough tutors. Posing this question to the group, we will aim to generate a list of actual and suggested solutions.

PBL On-line

March 7, 2002

Brian Hall, Agricultural Sciences

In this session we discussed the process that Brian Hall has employed for running PBL on line and the challenges and advantages that are associated with this format.

Proactive Strategies for Managing Group Dynamics

March 14, 2002

Carol-Ann Courneya, Medicine

Join Carol-Ann for an interactive session where you will be introduced to a tool for involving your PBL students in developing skills and strategies for handling difficult group dynamic situations which arise in PBL tutorials.

PBL in a Large Classroom Setting

November 14 and 16, 2001

Ingrid Price and Alice Cassidy, co-Facilitators, TAG

Campus wide Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Network: Mission Possible

September 13, 2001

Alice Cassidy and Ingrid Price, co-Facilitators, TAG

Case Title: Campus wide Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Network: Mission Possible

Context: You are interested in, and/or are currently practising PBL at UBC. You and your colleagues may be currently involved in some in-house PBL activities. At the same time, you would value the opportunity to share ideas and resources, to discuss approaches and to work collaboratively on activities with people from a variety of disciplines at UBC. You have just received the following case from TAG

Problem Statement: More and more people at UBC are getting involved in PBL. Currently, a variety of PBL initiatives are taking place across campus. We are looking for ways for PBL folks to meet each other, collaborate, and further support the development and practice of PBL at UBC. You are invited to be part of a UBC PBL Network that will address these possibilities and more.

Your Mission: Attend the kickoff event in the TAG Seminar Room, on Thursday, September, 13, from 12:30-3:00pm. Enjoy lunch and meet colleagues interested in PBL from across campus. Discuss topics important to you for enhancing the development and practice of PBL at UBC. Share your ideas about how we could address these.

Progressive Disclosure: Your suggestions, requests and contributions will form the basis of an ongoing series of PBL events, discussions, workshops, or other networking activities.