Students’ perceptions of using Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in teaching cognitive communicative disorders

Abstract

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an educational model that is characterized by student-centered learning and classroom discussion using clinically based problems. This study examines students' perceptions of PBL as an alternative approach of learning in speech-language pathology and investigates if these perceptions change over time as a function of students' learning experience with PBL. Written reflections by 96 graduate-students in a graduate elective course on cognitive-communicative disorders were analyzed using content analysis. Common words or phrases in each reflection paper were identified, grouped and coded into consistent themes. Percentage changes of these themes across a semester were also followed. A total number of 883 positive and 165 negative comments were identified. Thirteen positive and seven negative themes relative to students' perception of the inclusion of PBL were yielded. The advantages of PBL were found to outweigh its disadvantages. Moreover, accumulated experience with this approach was found to eliminate some initial perceived drawbacks about PBL. The extra efforts to engage students in interactive discussion as well as higher order critical thinking and knowledge application were acknowledged through student feedback. Future studies should investigate how PBL can be of greater use in other areas in communication sciences and disorders.

Problem-Based Learning and Civic Engagement in Undergraduate Education

“…The PBL approach has not yet been adopted across curricula in the United States, yet there are a number of instructors, in the field of speech-language pathology and audiology, who have implemented and applied the principles of PBL to one or two classes in the program at the graduate level (Burda & Hageman, 2015; Greenwald, 2006; Kong, 2014).…”

“…Although PBL has primarily been applied to graduate coursework in the United States (Burda & Hageman, 2015; Greenwald, 2006; Kong, 2014), and graduate students who are also participating in clinical experiences often have the advantage of a developed clinical schema that can aid them with these clinical cases, programs in other countries have successfully implemented the PBL approach at the undergraduate level both before and during clinical experiences (Ng, Bridges, Law, & Whitehill, 2014; Shin, Haynes, & Johnston, 1993). In fact, undergraduate students in CSD report that the PBL approach provides them with improved communication and critical thinking skills that allow them to more efficiently synthesize information and generate a suitable conclusion (Visconti, 2010), thus preparing them for future clinical experiences.…”

Update on research and application of problem‐based learning in medical science education

“…Some previous studies are based on surveys of students in or teachers of PBL courses. Kong's research found that positive evaluations often far exceeded negative ones . Although the effect of PBL was ambiguous, a survey of teachers and students at Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine found that most of them had positive perspectives on it similar to the results of some previous studies .…”

Impact of COVID-19 on college seniors’ learning and performance in communication sciences and disorders: Students’ self-reflections

“…A total of 98 reflection papers returned, representing comments from about 13% of the total undergraduate student body in our program. A descriptive analysis following Kong [10,11] was used to examine the students' perception. In particular, the content in all written reflections were analyzed using a content analysis modified from the descriptions in De Wever et al [12].…”