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Problem-based learning as a seven-step, student-centered, problem-driven instructional process

Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

The article describes PBL as "a student-centered learning strategy that uses a problem as a starting point to facilitate learning", in which pharmacy students collaborate in small groups to improve cognitive capacities and clinical and critical thinking skills. It enumerates seven steps: identifying the problem, exploring prior knowledge, generating potential theories, identifying learning needs, individually gathering research, re-evaluating and applying new knowledge, and reflecting on the learning process. In this study PBL was implemented in the Authentication of Chinese Medicines course, an applied discipline on identifying and studying varieties and quality of Chinese medicines.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

  • A problem used as the starting point for learning and small-group collaboration of students

Constraints

  • The article's evidence base is pharmacy students in a Chinese pharmaceutical university course; the meta-analysis included only English and Chinese language articles

Target Learners

  • third-year pharmacy students

Learning Goals

  • problem-solving ability
  • self-directed learning
  • critical thinking
  • communication skills

Claims

  • Problem Based Learning

Examples

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Key Sources

  • Chen Tu, Zhao Yi-Jing, Huang Feng-Qing, Liu Qun, Li Ying, Alolga Raphael N., Zhang Lei, Ma Gaoxiang. (2024). The effect of problem-based learning on improving problem-solving, self-directed learning, and critical thinking ability for the pharmacy students: A randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314017
Page metadata
Field Value
type design
id pbl-seven-step-process-pharmacy
title Problem-based learning as a seven-step, student-centered, problem-driven instructional process
description The article describes PBL as "a student-centered learning strategy that uses a problem as a starting point to facilitate learning", in which pharmacy students collaborate in small groups to improve cognitive capacitie...
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-01
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — chen-tu-2024

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