Original Article

Problem‑Based Learning – An Overview

Sabarinathan Jaganathan1, Samikannu Bhuminathan2, Maya Ramesh3

1
Research Scholar, Bharath The main objective of Problem‑Based Learning (PBL) is to develop

Abstract
Institute of Higher Education
and Research – Deemed
problem‑solving skills, collaborative learning skills, self‑directed learning skills,
to be University and communication skills, deeper learning skills, lifelong learning skills, and better
Professor, Department of retention in the students to equip them better in their professional careers. Unlike
Orthodontics and Dentofacial the traditional curriculum which is mainly based on didactic lectures, PBL is based
Orthopedics, Vinayaka on a group of students working on a problem and solving it. PBL is a promising
Mission’s Sankarachariyar teaching and learning tool that can be adopted in all fields, especially in Medical
Dental College, Vinayaka
Mission’s Research
and Dental curricula.
Foundation – Deemed to be
University, Salem, Tamil Nadu,
India, 2Registrar, Bharath
Institute of Higher Education
and Research‑ Deemed to
be University, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India, 3Professor
and Head, Department of
Oral and Maxillofacial
Pathology and Oral
Microbiology, Vinayaka
Mission’s Sankarachariyar
Dental College, Vinayaka
Mission’s Research
Foundation – Deemed to be
University, Salem, Tamil Nadu,
India

Submitted: 31-Aug-2023
Revised: 10-Sep-2023
Accepted: 25-Sep-2023
Keywords: Lifelong learning, PBL, problem‑based learning, self‑directed
Published: 16-Apr-2024 learning

Introduction Literature and Discussion

I nstructions through didactic lectures have been the

most important method and norm in schools and
colleges since its inception. As education became more
History of problem‑based learning
The term “Problem‑Based Learning” (PBL) originated
at the University of McMaster in Canada.[4] Dr. Donald
and more student‑centered, a collaboration between Woods, a Department of Chemical Engineering
the students, deeper learning, and life skills were professor, developed a PBL model in the 1960s to
considered, and Problem‑based learning came actively
into the picture.[1] PBL students were better in (a) Address for correspondence: Dr. Maya Ramesh,
collaborative skills (as a team), (b) thinking critically, (c) Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial
Pathology and Oral Microbiology, Vinayaka Mission’s
problem‑solving, (d) life‑long learning, (e) deeper Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research
learning, (f) skills on reflection, (g) better retention, Foundation – Deemed to be University, Salem ‑ 636 308,
and (h) 21st‑century skills: for example, innovation, Tamil Nadu, India.
E‑mail: drmayarameshk@[Link]
digital literacy, career, and life skills.[2,3]
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DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_820_23 How to cite this article: Jaganathan S, Bhuminathan S, Ramesh M.

Problem‑based learning – An overview. J Pharm Bioall Sci 2024;16:S1435-7.

© 2024 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow S1435
 Jaganathan, et al.: Problem‑based learning

manage his classes by working with a Neurology studies reported that lectures and simulations were better
Professor, Dr. Howard Barrows. They formulated a compared to problem‑based learning.[8]
new model which was accepted by the New School Secondary outcomes
of Medicine and became the signature pedagogy of
Social and communication skills
McMasters University.[5]
The PBL curriculum focuses on improving the
Systems of Problem‑ Based Learning confidence of students in communication and social
skills. Students learned to work as a team and PBL
Howard Barrows identified six important steps in the
helped them to improve their interpersonal relations.[8]
PBL model in 1996. This is followed widely even
today.[6] Student satisfaction
When PBL was compared with lecture‑based studies
1. Learning by PBL is always centered around students.
using questionnaire studies in students, the majority of
2. Small groups are used by teachers for student
the studies showed that students accepted PBL well.
learning, 3. Teachers are called facilitators or guides,
Many factors like small group learning, realistic study
4. Problems on topics become the original focus and it
stimulates learning, 5. Students learn skills in solving cases (problems), and good dynamics in the group led to
problems through clinical problems, and 6. Learning is the success of PBL.[8]
self‑directed and students learn new information. Tutor satisfaction
Research on PBL showed that tutors gave neutral
Learning Principles of Problem‑Based or unfavorable feedback with the PBL sessions.
Learning Some colleges reported that anxiety and unhappiness
There are “four key learning principles for PBL, they are prevailed during PBL sessions. When administrative and
constructive, collaborative, contextual, and self‑directed infrastructure support was better, tutors gave positive
learning”.[7] feedback on PBL. In some other colleges, there were
anxious, unhappy, and strained relations among the
Students actively construct and reconstruct knowledge tutors after PBL sessions.[8]
through an active process of the constructive principle.
Students are learners who actively get involved in the Other skills (Like problem‑solving and self‑learning)
process of PBL, and they elaborate facts and ideas from Assessment in PBL is done mainly as a formative
the problem. They will identify existing knowledge process that will be continuous and it will be mostly
and connect with new information which gives them along with self‑assessments. Results of PBL will be
great learning experiences. Social interactions of two or usually pass‑fail or satisfactory‑unsatisfactory and rarely
more individuals resulting in a positive effect describe as a grade.[8]
the collaborative principle of learning. Students become
active learners in PBL sessions, and plan, evaluate, and Assessment of Problem‑Based Learning
monitor the self‑directed learning process.[7] The majority of Universities use continuous Formative
The learners identify the gaps in knowledge, discuss assessment importance given to self‑assessment and
and plan how to tackle them, and track their progress, learning by students while some universities use
and progress as members of the group in a PBL session. summative assessment. The PBL reports use the words
They will come to know the prior knowledge and gaps in Pass/Fail and satisfactory/Unsatisfactory commonly, and
their knowledge which help them to take responsibility grades as numbers or letters are used rarely.[9]
for learning and to become a life‑long learner.[8]
Research in Problem‑Based Learning
Outcomes of Problem‑Based Learning Studies were comparing the effectiveness of PBL over
Primary outcome traditional curriculum in students and it reported that
Academic performance
there was better long‑term knowledge retention but
short‑term knowledge gain was not there.[10,11]
A student’s academic performance is related to learning,
knowledge acquisition, and retention. Most of the Strobel and van Barneveld analyzed the effectiveness of
studies done worldwide reported that the PBL process is PBL and found that PBL is comparatively better than
superior in learning and acquiring knowledge. However, traditional approaches in Programs requiring a mix of
few other studies reported that there is no difference knowledge and skills. Knowledge retention was found
between PBL and traditional curriculums. Very few to be longer and Skills were learnt better in PBL. PBL
studies reported that PBL was less effective. Two is found to be a superior and effective method to “train

S1436 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences ¦ Volume 16 ¦ Supplement 2 ¦ April 2024
 Jaganathan, et al.: Problem‑based learning

competent and skilled practitioners and to promote References

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put into practice in the curriculum of many Medical medical schools: A literature review. Teaching and Learning in
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far as teachers and administration are concerned, PBL 10. Pourshanazari AA, Roohbakhsh A, Khazaei M, Tajadini H.
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of PBL also. In conclusion, PBL is a promising teaching 11. Capon DK. What’s so good about problem‑based learning?
and learning tool that can be adopted in all fields, Cognition and Instruction 2004;22:61-79.
especially in Medical and Dental curricula. 12. Strobel J, van Barneveld A. When is PBL more effective? A
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Conflicts of interest students in India: A closed‑ended questionnaire study. J Pharm
There are no conflicts of interest. Bioall Sci 2020;12:S340‑4.

Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences ¦ Volume 16 ¦ Supplement 2 ¦ April 2024 S1437