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Influence of problem-based learning on student learning outcomes related to 21st century skills
Author
Chee, Kok Hoong
Supervisor
Lee, Iris Chai Hong
Abstract
It has been recognized that the 21st century demands competencies that go beyond knowledge acquisition (Goh, 1997). Skills related to knowledge application, teamwork, critical thinking and independent lifelong learning are critical to help individuals become contributing members of the society. These 21st century skills are desired outcomes relevant to engineering education too. However, traditional direct instruction through lectures may not be effective in helping students acquire these skills (Mills & Treagust, 2003). Instead, one of the ways to help with acquisition of these skills seem to be Problem-based Learning (Hmelo-Silver, 2004). This study thus aimed to determine if students in a polytechnic chemical engineering course acquire knowledge application skills better through Problem-based Learning (PBL) as compared to direct lectures, as well as to understand what 21st century skills students perceived to have gained through the PBL process. This study was conducted over 2 semesters for a sub-topic within a heat and mass transfer module, whereby 115 students received direct instruction in semester 1, while another 115 students participated in a PBL task in semester 2. Knowledge application skills were determined by student achievement scores in class tests administered after the direct instruction or PBL task. Individual reflection journals submitted by PBL students revealed their perceptions on the skills they gained through the PBL process. The findings showed that PBL students performed better than students who received traditional direct instruction in the class tests, suggesting that they had acquired greater knowledge application skills. PBL students also felt that the PBL process helped them gain many competencies related to teamwork, critical thinking and independent learning. The extent of competencies gained by students seemed to be influenced by whether they were lower or higher performing students.
Date Issued
2013
Call Number
LB1027.42 Che
Date Submitted
2013