The Barriers to PBL
Changing the Curriculum
"Changing the curriculum is like moving a graveyard," (Aspy, Aspy, &
Quimby, 1993). People view change negatively as additional work for no
additional benefit. Changing the curriculum is like a life changing experience
and requires an adjustment period. The faculty need to know what to expect and
how to adjust. They have been teaching using lectures and discussions. Changing
the curriculum means developing a new curriculum. Each PBL project requires
120-160 hours to construct, field-test, and revise (Bridges, 1992). Faculty
members don't want to do the added work associated with changing the curriculum
(Aspy et al., 1993).
The transition is not only difficult for faculty members, it is also a big
change for students. PBL requires more time of the student's time and expects
students to be responsible and independent learners. Instructors and
coordinators should make the transition smooth for students (Bridges, 1992).
Success will depend on effective communication and orientation.
Reverting to what they are accustomed to and transferring information faster,
faculty members may want to deliver lectures to PBL students. Lecturing quickly
destroys the problem-based learning process (Rangagachari, 1999). Problems are
interdisciplinary and engage students in thinking about solutions. Lectures are
not interdisciplinary and provide solutions without engaging student thought.
Faculty members first see PBL as taking more time to teach the same content and
they are right. A 98 week lecture course requires 120 weeks using PBL, which
equals 22% more time required (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). When faculty
consider the time per week in preparation to teach problems in comparison to
presenting lectures, they notice it takes more time. Instead of 8.6 hours/week
primarily preparing lectures, faculty spend 20.6 hours/week primarily in groups
with students (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). Since PBL is taught in small
groups (5 students) and lectures include the entire class (53 students), the
numbers of student-teacher contact hours are reduced from 189 hours to 20.6
hours/week (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). More teachers would be required to
teach the same content in a PBL curriculum. If the class size is less than 40
students, the faculty effort is comparable to conventional teaching (Albanese
& Mitchell, 1993).
Changing the curricula has associated costs. The PBL curricula requires
numerous small rooms equipped for teaching and adequate copies of current
library resources. Because of limited faculty numbers and resources, PBL is
economical for classes of less than 40 students, but could be used with classes
up to 100 (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). Are the changes worthwhile in terms
of benefits in learning effectiveness or efficiency? It is difficult to relate
the effects of PBL directly to this alternative mode of teaching (Engel, 1992).
Faculty lack extrinsic rewards for PBL teaching. Professors receive more
rewards for research, publication and fund raising than teaching. Since PBL is
experimental, the reward system may actually create disincentives (Bridges,
1992).
Faculty members have taught using lectures and discussions. Faculty members are
uncomfortable withholding information as they watch students struggle with
problems. Faculty need training to develop facilitator skills or they may be
unsuccessful in PBL (Bridges, 1992).
Albanese, M., & Mitchell, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: A review of
the literature on its outcomes and implementation issues. Academic Medicine.
68(1), 52-81.
Aspy, D.N., Aspy, C. B., & Quimby, P.M. (1993). What doctors can teach
teachers about problem-based learning. Educational Leadership,
50(7), 22-24.
Bernstein, P., Tipping, J., Bercovitz, K., & Skinner, H.A. (1995).
Shifting students and faculty to a PBL curriculum: Attitudes changed and
lessons learned. Academic Medicine, 70(3), 245-247.
Bridges, E. M. (1992). Problem based learning for administrators.
Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 347 617)
Engel, C. (Ed.). (1992). Annals of Community-Oriented Education
Volume 5. Network Community-Oriented Educational Institutions for Health
Sciences. (pp. 193-198). Maastricht, The Netherlands: University of
Limburg.
Rangachari, P. K. (1991). Design of a problem-based undergraduate course in
pharmacology: Implications for the teaching of physiology. Advances in
Physiology Education. 5(1), S14-S21.