PBL: New Learners, New Curriculum

Dr Dr Susan BridgesSusan BridgesAssistant Dean (Curriculum Development)Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong

Overview of BDS CurriculumOverview of BDS Curriculum

Problems are the ‘drivers’of the curriculum Integration of content to

create ‘ill-defined’ problems

Learning Issues Vertical and horizontal

integration Cross/interdisciplinary Increasing complexity &

clinical focus

Integration of experiential learning: Practicals Clinical techniques Clinical practice Community health projects International experience

Formative and summative assessments Individual and whole-group

feedback

A case of a fully integrated,problem-based design

Curriculum review, development and innovation

TDGs (awarded to date) 2005-06 (PI - Dyson et al) “E-learning Platform for UG Education” 2007-09 (PI - Bridges et al) “Enhancing Professional Interaction in

Dentistry” 2008-09 (Co-I - McGrath et al) “English in the Major” 2008-09 (PI - Bridges et al) “Blended Learning” 2008-2009 (PI - Yiu et al) “Assessing the Competency of Dental

Graduates: Graduates’ and Employers’ Perceptions” 2009-10 (PI Botelho et al) “Journal-based Learning and

Introduction to Dental Research, Continuing on from PBL” 2010-11 (PI Bridges et al) “International Peer Review”

2011 Centre for Innovation in Dental Education (CIDE)

Preparation of 3+3+4(6)Preparation of 3+3+4(6)Preparation of 3+3+4(6)

Redesigning PBL curricula

Applying the principles of multiliteracies pedagogy to curriculum development and reform

Multiliteracies approach

Diversity of students & their futures Linguistic and cultural diversity Multiple pathways/multiple futures

Diversity of literacy practices Increase in the number and range of

texts and technologies

Active Citizenship(New London Group, 2000)

The design process

“Designs of meaning”

Available designs Designing Redesign

PBL@HKU Dentistry

Moving …from a digital repository approach

to an interactive blending of technology within PBL tutorials …

Available design: Resourcing PBL

Tutorials (face-to-face)

+T1

T2

Digital repository approach (asynchronous)

Self-directed learning (WebCT)

Transformed practice: The redesignedTransformed practice: The redesigned

Accessing both in-house learning objects and online resources within tutorials

Supports the group knowledge-construction process

Blended learning: Closer integration of learning technologies with face-to-face learning experiences

Researching inside curriculum redesign

Interactional EthnographyInteractional Ethnography

Research knowledge construction:Research knowledge construction: within specific contexts within specific contexts over time over time

Focus on classroom interaction (video) Focus on classroom interaction (video) and learning artifactsand learning artifacts

Materials & methodsMaterials & methods

One PBL group (n=8) 1st Year undergraduates

Learning activities videorecorded during 3 occasions in the same week: first tutorial (T1) with facilitator; self-directed learning (SDL) discussion (directly following T1)

without facilitator; second tutorial (T2) with facilitator.

Learning objects/ multimodal tools PBL: video SDL: 3D animations; online resources

(HREC no 10208074)

Analysis:

Tracing 'wholeTracing 'whole--part, partpart, part--whole relationshipswhole relationships’’

Consequential progressionConsequential progression

Historical and overHistorical and over--time relationship between and time relationship between and among texts and contextsamong texts and contexts

TIMELINESemester I Semester II

Module I Module II Module III Module IV

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Module II

9

TIMELINESemester I Semester II

Module I Module II Module III Module IV

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Module II

9

Learning Events Incorporating Online Learning Objects

TIMELINESemester I Semester II

Module I Module II Module III Module IV

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

0:00:00 Read ‘Problem Statement - Part 1’

0:01:11 Log in WebCT;View Inquiry Material A – Learning Object (video) 1

0:05:55 Group discusses video

0:08:38 Group discusses video; Scribe records FACTS on IWB

00:15:43 Read ‘Problem Statement - Part 2’

0:17:08 View Inquiry Material A – Learning Object (video) 2

0:20:02 Group discussion; Scribe records additional FACTS on IWB

0:26:01 Group discussion;Scribe records IDEAS on IWB (keyboard and MS Word)

0:44:00 Student searches for definitions online - dental dictionary;Student searches for information online - images

0:46:38 Scribe records additional IDEAS on IWB (keyboard and MS Word)

1:06:52 Student search history;Find page and copy text

1:27:30 Group discussion;Scribe records LEARNING ISSUES on IWB (keyboard and MS Work)

1:34:34 Scribe saves FACTS/ IDEAS/ LEARNING ISSUES files;Scribe emails to PBL Office and group mates

1:41:20 Group discussion on the use of IWB

1:52:59 Close

0:00:00 Group discussion on which learning resources to access in WebCT

0:00:49 Access WebCT “Learning resources”, Anatomy link ( Animations/MCQs);Group discussion of animations of massetter (nerve);Online search to define “zygomatic arch”

0:03:10 Access WebCT “Learning resources”(Dictionaries: AskOxford); Search “zygomatic arch”

0:04:00 Access learning resources (Dictionaries: MedlinePlus); Search for detailed explanation of “zygomatic arch” with images

0:05:28 Return to Anatomy animations;Continue discussion on the animation “massetter”

0:06:51 Access learning resources (Search Journal Articles; PubMed);Search “lacrimation mechanism”

0:09:12 Access learning resources (Search Journal Articles, Dental Library)

0:09:34 Access HKU library;Search “lacrimation” > no entries found under “e-journal” and “e-book”

0:10:55 Continue HKU library search;Search “facial muscles” under “e-book”;Search one e-book for “facial muscle”

0:15:10 Return to WebCT “Learning resources”

0:15:28 Access WebCT “Discussions”; Read student posting “suggestions for resource session 2”

16:47 Access WebCT “Course content”

17:03 Quit WebCT session

0:00:00 Group discusses LEARNING ISSUES and IDEAS

0:06:38 Review and discuss Anatomy website;View images about facial nerve

0:08:00 Student explains facial nerve image in IWB;Group seeks clarifications

0:12:30 Group discusses image on IWB

0:14:45 Returns to FACTS (wordfile)

0:25:45 Returns to image on IWB

0:31:10 Group discusses documents on table

0:45:36 Returns to Anatomy website to view images about facial nerve

0:48:00 Group discusses

1:12:54 Refer to image on IWB

1:18:54 Open saved concept map file on IWB

1:32:43 View Inquiry Material A – Learning Object (video) 2;Pause several times for discussion

1:51:08 Conclude: LEARNING ISSUES resolved

Problem 1:9 “Two Face”

17 Nov 08 17 Nov 08 21 Nov 08

Tutorial 1 (9-11 am) Self-directed Learning (11-11.17 am)(brief whole group meeting prior to individual searching)

Tutorial 2 (9-11 am)

Module II

9

Student click on Massetter animation

Student 3: 是的, 這個...

Yes, this…

Student X: Massetter

Student 3: 因為這個控制...err...

Because this controls

Student X: 控制

Controls

Student Y: 咀嚼肌... 嘻...

Massetter … ha ha

Student 3: Mature...

Student X: Massetter

Student 3: 啊! Mastication

Ah mastication

Student: Look at massetter muscles...

Student: Back to English, English is OK

Student: Let's click to continue

Student (read from screen): OK, the origin, region to where a muscle is attached which doesn't move

Student (read from screen): Insertion - region to where muscle is attached which moves during function

Student: (read from screen): Attachment points -the origin of masseter is the inferior and deep part of the zygomatic arch

Student 5: OK, so we don't know what if like(.) he like (.) injected his face with something so he can't=

Student 1: =(( inaudible))=

Student 5: =like (.) he's just in like err (.) he just know, this just temporary like (.) a:::n (.) in here something like that so that's why his face is frozen or it's because he has an actual like (.) sickness

Facilitator: So what do you see like hmm (.) the problem he's having. What do you see i mean (.)

Student 7: Well we concentrate on one side of his face

Facilitator: OK (.) hmm(.)

Student 7: He cannot swallow

Student 2: (( inaudible)) also, cannot swallow the (.)

Facilitator: mm hmm (.) cannot drink (.)

Student 5: Cannot drink

Facilitator: Well, right, ok. So what's problem? Cannot control the face=

Student 2, 3 & 4: Facial muscle

Facilitator: The facial muscle

Student 1: Yes

Facilitator: OK. So aaah (.) Do you know what kinds of (.) what muscles of (.) responsible (.) Ok, for a human facial expression, for movement, what nerve that’s involved (.) in controlling the actions so you found he's also having difficulty in(.)like blinking the eyes, that makes things very difficult(.)mmm hmm(.)

Student x: Facial nerve

Student 1:And then for this Greater petrosal nerve (.) It’s a synapsis with the Caroticotympanic ganglion (.) and then er (.) er (.) again a few branches are from (.) um (.) different here (.) um the first one is the nerve which the (( inaudible)) gland and the second one (.) and those branches which the nasal cavity and the pairte (.) I mean at the soft palate (.) not pairte (.) soft palate (.) and at the other hand there are some er (.) sensory neurons from the soft palate which carry taste sensation back to the um to the brain

Student 6:Is that the Chorda tympani (.) um responsible for taste?

Student 1:Um (.) no

Student 6:Or has a (.) has a…

Student 1:This er (.) you mean this one?

Student 6:Yeah

Student 1:No (.) um (.) this um…

Student 5:I think the Chorda tympani has (.) has the taste sensation for the posterior.. no anterior… 2/3s of the tongue

Student 1:Anterior to the…

Student 5: Anterior to the (( inaudible)) (.) and the Greater petrosal has the taste sensation from the palate

Student 1:Sensory…

Student 5:Yup (.) sensory (.) Taste sensation

Facilitator:OK (.) For this problem (.) OK (.) which branch is blocked? According to er (.) here

Student 1:Here (point to the IWB)

Learning Events Incorporating Online Learning Objects

Findings

1. The group accessed a range of in-house and open access digital materials to support learning within and across all phases of a problem cycle

2. The use of learning objects and online resources within a problem cycle supported inquiry learning and the discursive shift from stimulus for hypothesising in relatively lay terms in T1 to evidence for final hypotheses with greater control of medical discourse in T2

3. The integration of face-to-face and virtual modalities through use of an IWB within the tutorial was seamless and supported whole-group engagement in the problem process.

(Bridges, Botelho & Tsang, 2010)

Acknowledgements:HKU Seed Funding for Basic Research

SRT “Sciences of Learning”

Bridges, S.M, Dyson, J.E., Corbet E. F. (2009). Blended learning, knowledge co-construction and undergraduate group work. Medical Education, 43, 490-491.

Bridges, S., Botelho, M., Tsang, CSP. (2010).PBL2.0 Blended Learning and interactive pedagogies. Medical Education. 44. 1135

Bridges, S, McGrath, C & Whitehill, T. (forthcoming) Researching PBL in Clinical Education: The Next Generation. Netherlands: SPRINGER.