Abstract:

PBL is an instructional method with which the problem drives the learning. It develops the problem solving skills needed to accomplish tasks both in the professions as well as in everyday life. It does so by encouraging independent learning and a deeper understanding of the material rather than superficial coverage. Over the last 20 years, PBL has been incorporated as a curriculum component into a number of institutions. It is, now becoming an increasingly popular method of learning in many professional fields as well as in university education. It has been shown that using PBL, university and professional students as well as high school students may achieve higher levels of comprehension and retention. Additionally, they can develop more learning and knowledge-forming skills as well as more social skills.
When PBL is applied, the instructor creates a scenario describing a problem situation for the students and then plays the role of an advisor or facilitator while the students work out a solution. In PBL, the teacher or faculty role is not only to transmit knowledge but also to help the students in acquiring knowledge through problem solving activities. PBL adherents assume that students are more likely to learn new knowledge when the following conditions are met: (1) their prior knowledge is activated and they are encouraged to incorporate new knowledge into their pre-existing knowledge; (2) they are given numerous opportunities to apply it; and (3) they encode the new knowledge in a context that resembles the context in which it subsequently will be used.
This paper describes the research project that aims at researching, designing, implementing, and evaluating an e-learning pedagogical framework called e-PBLearning that uses the PBL curriculum. The e-PBLearning supports several important features and functionalities required in a PBL environment, such as resource sharing, cross-functional teamwork, and efficient information distribution. It is implemented as a multi-tier multimedia environment that can be accessed over the Internet. It also provides facilities to both instructors and students to facilitate their learning and teaching. These include GUI interfaces enabling the instructor to create and manage his/her course through many functions, including; creates a cyber class structure, creates student accounts to the course, adds the course information for all students of the class, creates a problem cyber structure for a group of students, adds the problem information for each group of students, and more. It can also be personalized, and customized in order to meet both, the instructor’s and the students’ needs when participating in PBL activities.
Within the e-PBLearning environment, both the classroom and the student-group cyber structures are equipped with synchronous (real-time), and asynchronous (on-line) communication components, including; chatting, email server, discussion boards, bulletin boards, whiteboard, SMS messages, and web conferencing. Certain areas are also available for students and the instructor to upload relevant links and files to the problem at hand. In addition, special features are included to support team work among group members, such as areas to organize and take record of group meetings, and other areas to facilitate work division among group members.

Keywords:

problem based learning (pbl), e-learning, project based learning.