National Education Policy directs the development of curriculum through problem-based learning. This approach will enable the graduates to acquire needed skills and competencies to meet the needs of the fast growing industries.

1. Curriculum Design for
Problem Based
Learning
Dr.V.Thanikachalam

2. Behaviour
Students’ behaviour progressively
mirrors that of the faculty
Both teachers and the students are
learning in new situations

3. Learning
Active and student-directed;peer-and tutor
monitored
Learning in context assists students to
organize their long-term memory for
retrievals
Communication skills,respect for the views of
others,the critical faculty,the satisfaction of
contributing to the group,ability to give and
take criticism without offence being caused.

4. Motivation
The excitement of self-discovery

5. Self-directed learning
and self-assessment
Developing the learning habit

6. Definition
A pedagogical strategy for posing
significant,contextualized,real world
situations,and providing
resources,guidance,and instruction to
learners as they develop content
knowledge and problem-solving
skills.(Mayo,Donnelly,Nash,&Schwartz-
1993)

7. Learners’ role
In problem base learning,students collaborate
to study the issues of a problem as they strive
to create visible
solutions.(Aspy,Aspy&Quimbly-1993)
Learning in problem based situation normally
occurs within small discussion groups of
students facilitated by a faculty
instructor.(Bridge&Hallinger,1991)

8. Instructor’s role
Subject matter expert
Resource guide
Task group consultant
Encouraging learner participation
Provides appropriate information
Assume the role of fellow learner
Avoid negative feedback

9. Advantages
Task group processes information
Competencies to solve the problem
Develops flexibility
Develops cognitive strategies
Helps to analyze unanticipated,ill
structured situations
Produces meaningful solutions

10. Conventional lecture
method
Information on knowledge and rules
Situation specific with well-defined problem
parameters
Predetermined outcomes with one correct
answer
Focus on instruction is to solve
predetermined problem
Does not prepare the learners to solve real
life complicated problems
Ineffective in transferring the learning to new
domains

11. Real life problems
Seldom parallel to well-structured
problems
Demand critical thinking skills
Learners need to interact with life
beyond class room walls (2-4-6)
Demand problem solving skills

12. P.B.L. is concerned
with:
What should students learn?
How they should learn?

13. Specially prepared
problems
Usually written cases derived from field
experience
Stimulate active learning
Based on the curriculum
Integrated
approach(Anatomy,Physiology,
Biochemistry,Radiology)

14. IMPLEMENTATION OF
PBL
LESS LECTURING
MORE LEARNER CONTACT
SELF DIRECTED LEARNING
RELEVANT MATERIAL
PRACTICAL
CLEARLY RELATED TO OBJECTIVES
FOR TEACHING

15. FOCUS OF PBL
ENCOURAGES THE LEARNERS TO
WORK ON REAL PROBLEMS
INTEGRATES EXPERIANCES
RECALLS PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE
NETWORKS SKILLS AND
PROCEDURES

16. PBL STEPS
CLARIFY TERMS AND
CONCEPTS WHICH
ARE NOT CLEAR
DEFINE THE
PROBLEM
ANALYSE THE
PROBLEM
BRAIN STROM
LIST POSSIBLE
OUTCOMES
FORMULATE
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES AND
SET PRIORITIES
LOOK FOR
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
OUTSIDE THE GROUP
REPORT
BACK,SYNTHESIZE
AND TEST THE
DECISIONS

17. SPECIALITY OF PBL
PLACES THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
LEARNING IN THE
HANDS OF
STUDENTS
VERY USEFUL
TEACHING
STRATEGY FOR
INTEGRATED
UNDERGRATUATE
PROGRAMS
PROVIDES
EXPOSURE TO
LEARNING IN
PROJECT PLANNING
GOOD STRATING
POINT FOR SHARED
LEARNING
LEARNING FORM
CASE ANALYSIS OF
THE MATERIAL SEEN
BY LEARNERS
THEMSELVES
USES VIDEOTAPES

18. HIGHLIGHTS OF PBL
STUDENTS’ LEARN
BY ANALYSING THE
GIVEN INDUSTRIAL
PROBLEMS
STUDENTS WORK IN
TUTORIAL GROUPS
RECORDING KEY
AREAS FOR
LEARNING
LEARNING IS ACTIVE
AND STUDENT -
DIRECTED
SELF-DIRECTED
LEARNING SKILLS
ARE DEVELOPED
AND ENHANCED
TEACHERS GUIDE
AND FACILITATE
RATHER THAN
DIRECT
DISCOVERY AND
APPLICATION OF
KNOWLEDGE
EMPHASISED OVER
RECALL

19. ASSESSMENT
ASSESSMENT FOCUSES ON
ANALYTICAL REASONING AND SELF
DIRECTED LEARNING AS WELL AS
RECOGNITION OF FACTS

20. ASSUPTIONS OF PBL
STUDENTS ARE ASSUMED TO BE
BETTER ABLE TO LEARN AND
RECALL INFORMATION THROUGH:
Activation of prior knowledge
Elaboration on newly acquired
knowledge
Contextual knowledge

21. Learning process
Preliminary discussions in small groups
Students mobilize available knowledge
Constructs explanatory models based
on the prior knowledge
Process and comprehends new
information

22. Elaboration
(construction of
cognitive models)
Discussion
Note-taking
Answering questions
NEW INFORMATION IS
UNDERSTOOD IF STUDENTS ARE
STIMULATED TO ELABOTRATE ON IT

23. FACILITATING
STUDENT LEARNING
USE TUTORIAL DISCUSSION GROUPS
SUPPLEMENT BY TRADITIONAL
METHODS TO STIMULATE ACTIVE
LEARNING ON THE PARTS OF STUDENTS
CHOOSE PROBLEMS BY DERIVING FROM
CLEAR OBJECTIVES
PROBLEMS ARE SENSITIVE TO THE
LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION AT
DIFFERENT STAGES OF TRAINING

24. TRADITIONAL
APPROACH
CURRICULUM OVERLOAD
INAPPROPRIATE TEACHING
METHODS
SHIFTED THE EMPHESIS OF THE
CURRICULUM AWAY FROM
INDIVIDUAL DISCIPLINES
(STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING,SOIL
MECHANICS, HYRADULICS,
TRANSPORTATION…)

25. Implications of PBL
LESS LECTURING
MORE STUDENT CONTACT
SMALL GROUP WORK
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

26. Advantages of PBL
* Preliminary discussion in small groups
*Activation of prior knowledge
*Elaboration on newly acquired
knowledge
*Contextual learning

27. General problem solving
( task-dependent) skills
A task or challenge as a source of
learning
Ability to care for customes and solve
their problems
Acquisition of knowledge
Exposure to real-life problems
Problem solving skills dependent on
acquisition of knowledge

28. Problem / learning task
The group’s task is to evaluate and define
the different aspects of the
problem,physical,social,environmental etc
Achieve an understanding of the basic
mechanisms involved
A planned strategy-a way of enabling
students to develop the required reasoning
and critical thinking more efficiently
Speeding up the process of acquiring the
experience

29. Integration of basic
science concepts into
engineering problems
Focusing on application of old
knowledge in new situations
Encourages the integration of
knowledge from domains ( energy
management, green building)
Students are able to integrate basic
science knowledge into the solutions of
manufacturing problems

30. Self-directed learning
skills
Learn to learn to meet the personal
needs
Independent
Self-directed
Lifelong learners
Self evaluates
Conduct literature searches themselves

31. Intrinsic interest in
subject matter
Enhances intrinsic interest in subject
Increases motivation
Involves the learners more actively in
the issues at hand

32. Potential difficulties
with PBL
THE VARIATION IN QUALITY OF THE
TEACHERS
TUTORIAL SKIILS
CONFUSION AMONG THE STUDENTS
LACK OF A SENSE OF PURPOSE
ORIENTING AND TRAINING THE
STUDENTS
SEMINARS AND LAB. DEMONTRATIONS
ARE ESSENTIAL

33. COMPETENCY LIST
CONDUCT JOB ANALYSIS
LIST THE TASKS TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED
PREPARE COMPETENCY LIST
GRADE THEM
WRITE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

34. DEVELOPMENT OF
CASES
BASED ON THE CURRICULUM
CASES ARE TO BE WRITTEN FROM REAL
LIFE OBSERVATIONS
SMALL GROUPS ARE TO BE FORMED
GUIDANCE ARE TO BE PROVIDED FOR
LEARNING MATERIALS
BRAIN STROMING IS TO BE CONDUCTED
FEEDBACK FROM THE FACULTY

35. REVIEW OF CASES
(FORMATIVE
EVALUATION)
INTERDISCIPLENARY APPROACH
EDITING
PREPARATION OF SUPPORT
MATERIALS
PREPARATION OF VIDEO
CLIPPINGS

36. SUMMATIVE
EVALUATION
REVIEW THE FINDINGS
FINE TUNE THE CASE FILES BASED
ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
LEARNERS
RECYCLE

37. THANK YOU