Problem-based Learning: Developing Competencies and Skills

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Problem-based Learning Developing Competencies
and Skills for Global Nursing

• Carolyn Gibbon
• University of Central Lancashire
• Preston, UK

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University of Central LancashireFaculty of Health
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Student profile

• Greater number of students 500 in September
  and again in April
• Majority over 21 years of age
• Different support mechanisms required- looking
  for value for money
• Greater degree of life experiences

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Learning

• People learn best when learning is in context
• Development of skills to meet labour market
  demands
• What knowledge is needed to manage the situation?

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Labour market demands

• Key skills surrounding team working, presentation
  skills, negotiation abilities, research skills
• Growing movement in interprofessional education

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Lecture ? PBL

• The lecture about the heart limits the
  boundaries to what a student needs to know
• In true PBL there are no boundaries
• In nursing PBL takes place in small groups of
  students and is bounded by modular learning
  outcomes

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Cultural shift required

• Teachers change their approach to teaching
• Students need to change their approach to
  learning
• Approach to assessment needs to change
• Managers need to change their approach to how
  resources are used

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Teachers ? Facilitators

• Teachers no longer teach in the traditional
  manner. They take on the role of facilitator of
  learning
• Health care is complex and facilitators need
  competant clinical knowledge as well as skills in
  managing students
• Can respond to the increasing pressures on the
  curriculum

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Students

• Students need to be more proactive in their
  learning, be prepared to debate and critique
• Opportunities to learn how to learn
• Develop self-directed learning ability
• Develop the key skills

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Continued

• Skills of team working
• They need skills to develop cooperative learning,
  rather than the previous competitive learning.
• Skills of trust, responsibility, care and empathy
  in the group setting

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Small group learning

• PBL takes place within small groups
• This is learning rather than teaching
• Building of cognitive and affective skills rather
  than just the acquisition of facts
• Clarity about role of facilitator
• Principles and practice of learning in groups

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PBL - definition

• A method that allows the students to explore
  real life situations, with emphasis on
  problem-solving and team work in developing
  educational skills which will enable them to cope
  with an ever changing world. (Boud and Feletti
  1997)

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Philosophy versus method

• Adopting PBL as a philosophy of learning requires
  the development of a curriculum that is wholly
  student centred.
• Many favour using PBL as one of a range of
  teaching and learning methodologies

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Models of PBL (Savin-Baden 2000)

• Models built around the various complexities in
  relation to PBL
• Position of knowledge
• Learning
• The problem scenario
• Students
• Facilitator
• assessment

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One size does not fit all

• The commonest model within nursing relates to
  Interdisciplinary Understanding where knowledge
  is acquired in order to be able to act
• PBL becomes the bridge to link know-how and
  know-that.
• The student works, learns and develops within
  subjects and makes his/her own connections
  between the disciplines

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Scenario/trigger

• Tom is 56 years and he presents with a left-sided
  hemiplegia. He has a history of smoking 20
  cigarettes a day and drinks 4 pints of beer at
  his local bar each evening. He has a sedentary
  job and his doctor has diagnosed a stroke. You
  are the nurse in charge of his care for the next
  24 hours.

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PBL in practice

• Presentation of scenario
• Students hypothesise main issue
• Explore the issue in depth
• Identify learning needs and resources required
• Share findings from learning with the group
• Refine learning
• Devise action/care plan.

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Implementation

• Clear purpose and philosophy
• Sufficient resources rooms, staff, equipment
• Students willing to accept responsibility for
  learning
• Teachers willing to become facilitators
• Regular curriculum meetings
• Opportunities for reflection

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Fundamental issues

• Training the facilitators with ongoing support
  provided
• Developing the students
• Developing the resource guides for the scenarios
• Assessment and evaluation strategies that reflect
  the PBL process

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Technology

• Increased use of Internet for information to
  support learning
• Appeal of the fast click for instant
  information
• Students learning to critique websites
• Development of web-based resources to support PBL
  with SONIC

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Students Online in Nursing Integrated Curricula
(SONIC)

• Scenarios covering adult, mental health, child
  and learning disability care
• Resources include questions, web-links,
  photographs, animations, video clips and
  self-assessment.
• Can be used individually or in groups
• www.uclan.ac.uk/sonic

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Comment

• Implementing PBL takes time, careful preparation
  and evaluation. It takes energy and enthusiasm,
  but it can be very rewarding to students and
  facilitators. More importantly is its potential
  to improve patient care.

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Finally

• PBL can be an interesting and fun way of learning
  and should be considered when striving to develop
  skills and competencies for true global nursing.
• Thank you!