Overcoming Resistance
Teams of University of Delaware undergraduates work on problem-based learning assignments.
Photo: Paul Fetters
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Winning students and faculty over to the PBL approach wasn't easy. "Problem-based learning is unfamiliar, and it takes time and effort to implement," White says.
For students, problem-based learning means that a professor no longer spoon-feeds them information. "There are some students, often very good students, who are used to sitting in lectures, gathering information," says White. "Suddenly the teacher is saying, 'I'm not going to give you the answer even though I know it. You're supposed to go out and find the answer.' Of course, that means extra work. It's frustrating to some students to learn that way. But in the long run, this is what they need to learn how to do."
Former UD student John Dueber agrees, although he admits that he felt hesitant about taking his first PBL class, "Introduction to Biochemistry."
"I hadn't had any previous classes in biochemistry and felt that this wouldn't be a good way of learning background material," says Dueber. He found that he experienced considerable growing pains during the course. "This style of learning requires a large amount of time, especially at first, and I had a very busy schedule. I was sometimes frustrated with how little gain I was making, but gradually I became better at using the resources around me and started to feel that I was making progress," he recalls.
He wound up enjoying the PBL course so much that he signed up for others and even served as a student–tutor for a PBL class during his junior year. He believes his experiences helped prepare him for his current graduate work in biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. By undertaking PBL coursework "with the right attitude, one can really learn—and more importantly remember—a tremendous amount," he says.
Professors, too, often find problem-based learning a bit disorienting at first. "It involves a different mindset that some have described as being a 'guide on the side' rather than a 'sage on the stage,'" says White.
In addition to knocking the professor off his or her pedestal, the method presents logistical problems. In introductory courses, for example, dividing a large class into small groups—an essential element of problem-based learning—can present a major organizational and management challenge. White uses student tutor–facilitators to tackle the problem. The students are not experts in the subject being taught, but they are familiar with the PBL approach and receive training on how to facilitate group work and keep it on track.
Another stumbling block for some teachers is the effort it takes to develop problems for their PBL courses. Although White says he enjoys writing problems because of the scholarship and creativity involved, he knows that others may not. To help, he and other UD faculty are developing a Web page where teachers can share PBL problems.
Despite his enthusiasm for problem-based learning, White does not think it is the only way to teach science. "I think that a curriculum based solely on a problem-based format is as inappropriate as a curriculum based entirely on lectures," he says. "Because good students learn best in different ways, they should be exposed to a variety of learning experiences, including problem-based learning."
