www.pbl.aau.dk
Introduction to the Aalborg PBL
model
Thomas Ryberg, MA, PhD
Professor mso, Dept. of Communication and Psychology
e-Learning Lab – center for user driven innovation, learning and design
Member of the PBL Academy Management Board
Aalborg University No. 1 of 31
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Quotes from first day’s plenary session
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Education of the future:
• Skills development along with knowledge
• Critical Thinking, Innovation and Creativity embedded in our education system
• Building global knowledge networks
• Employability
I believe that PBL can be an important measure in achieving these!
Aalborg University No. 2 of 31
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Outline of presentation
• Aalborg University – its culture and history (The
Aalborg PBL model) - Introduction to the Aalborg
PBL model
• Introduction to e-learning lab and its scope in PBL
and networked learning
Aalborg University No. 3 of 31
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Aalborg University (AAU)
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Located in three campuses in
Denmark (Northern Europe):
Aalborg, Copenhagen, Esbjerg
Denmark – pop. 5.2 million people
App.14.000 students
• 3400 Humanities
• 4400 Social Sciences
• 5800 Engineering, Science and
Medicin
Established in 1974 and from the
beginning based on Problem
Oriented and Project Based
Work (The Aalborg PBL Model)
Aalborg University No. 4 of 31
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The Aalborg PBL model
• Problem Based Learning
• Based on real-life problems
• Project Organised Education
- Project work supported by lectures and courses
• Group Work
- groups of four to six students
- supervised by lecturers/professors
• Interdisciplinary Studies
- Integration of theory and practice
- Focus on Learning to Learn and methodological skills
• University Wide Model - Used in all faculties (with variations)
Aalborg University No. 5 of 31
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Theoretical Background of the Aalborg PBL model
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Learning not transfer – students not
passive receivers
Institutional learning often a
curriculum of text and ‘existing
knowledge’ students must memorize
Assessment a measure of how much
knowledge the students have
memorized – not their ability to
produce new knowledge or to use
their knowledge in real settings
AAU PBL model is different!
Aalborg University No. 6 of 31
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Theoretical Background of the Aalborg PBL model
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Knowledge and learning is created by
the students – not given to the
students
Knowledge and learning should be
about construction, and not reconstruction of knowledge
Learning and knowledge construction
is facilitated by collaboration
(dialogue, critical reviews,
coordinating efforts)
Learning is about producing new
knowledge, solutions, theories and
methods
Knowledge creation!
Aalborg University No. 7 of 31
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A bit of history and international context
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A number of PBL universities and educations started to emerge in the 60-70’s
• Maastricht University, The Netherlands
• Linköping University, Sweden
• McMaster University, Canada
• Newcastle University, Australia
• Roskilde University, Denmark (1972)
• Aalborg University, Denmark (1974)
Particularly the McMaster University became an inspiration in relation to PBL in
medical education
Similar thoughts among the universities, although uncertainty about the relations /
inspirations
A particular Danish approach started to emerge in the 70s – combining problem
and project based learning – was related to the social and cultural changes at that
time
Aalborg University No. 8 of 31
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Cultural backdrop at that time
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The development of the Danish ‘Reform
Universities’ related to broader international social
and cultural changes (e.g. the 1968 student
rebellions)
Changing power relations between students and
teachers (participant control)
A strong focus on ‘solving’ / addressing real life
problems (e.g. Social inequality, Class or Gender
difference) – and raising political consciousness
(also within Computer Science and Engineering)
Aalborg University No. 9 of 31
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Theoretical inspirations
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Sociology, Politics and Pedagogy
• Oscar Negt (social theorist, critical theory)
• Soziologische Phantasie und exemplarisches
Lernen. Zur Theorie der Arbeiterbildung
• Paulo Freire
• Pedagogy of the Opressed (1970)
• Knud Illeris
• Problemorientering og deltagerstyring
(problem orientation and particpant
control) (1974)
Learning Theorists more broadly
• Dewey, Kolb (experiental learning)
• Piaget, Bruner (Constructivism)
• Vygotsky, Lave, Wenger (socio-cultural theories
of learning)
Aalborg University No. 10 of 31
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PBL in Denmark – and its cultural backdrop
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PBL, Project based learning and group work has been adopted widely within the
Danish educational system e.g. in primary schools
Aalborg University from the beginning had strong collaboration with local
industries – regional focus on developing competence (education)
Students from PBL and project based universities are highly popular among
industries and organisations in Denmark
• Praised for their ability to engage in teams, working with problems, combining
theory and practice
• Fastest completion rates in Denmark (Down to 5.1 Years – (of 5.0))
In general: Danish Educational System saturated by the ideas that: students are
encouraged to speak up, organise themselves, work independently, disagree and
discuss – often relations between teachers and students are more
informal/ahierarchical than elsewhere
• (encouraging personal growth, formation/culture (dannelse), democratic
participation and citizenship)
Aalborg University No. 11 of 31
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Core principles (Aalborg PBL principles from folder)
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Problem orientation:
• Problems/wonderings appropriate to the study program serve as the basis for
the learning process
Project organization:
• The project stands as both the means through which the students address the
problem and the primary means by which students achieve the articulated
educational objectives
Integration of theory and practice:
• Students are able to see how theories and empirical/practical knowledge
interrelate. Facilitated by thematic framework, curriculum and supervisors
Aalborg University No. 12 of 31
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Core principles (Aalborg PBL principles from folder)
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Participant direction:
• Students define the problem and make key decisions relevant to the successful
completion of their project work
Team-based approach:
• A majority of students’ problem/ project work is conducted in groups of three
or more students.
Collaboration and feedback:
• Students use peer and supervisor critique to improve their work; and the skills
of collaboration, feedback and reflection are an important outcome of the PBL
model.
Source: Principles of Problem and Project Based Learning. The Aalborg PBL Model. 2010. Scott Barge, Harvard
University: Available in DK/UK from: http://www.aau.dk/Om+AAU/AAU-model+PBL/
Aalborg University No. 13 of 31
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PBL as a change of identity and perspective
• Easy to learn or memorise principles and concepts...more difficult to apply
them in practice – which is why we discuss and practice!
• Sometimes includes that one thinks radically different of one’s own role as
a ‘teacher’
• In popularised versions ‘from sage on the stage to guide on the side’
• Maybe even a change of identity and a model that can be culturally
challenging
• Different power relations and tone
• Accepting students can at times be more knowledgeable within some
areas – and you can learn from them (while still being a more
knowledgeable peer!)
Aalborg University No. 14 of 31
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PBL IN PRACTICE
Aalborg University No. 15 of 31
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Problem Based Learning – the Process
Literature
Problem
Analysis
Tutorials
Lectures
Problem
Solving
Field work
Group
Studies
Project
Report
Experiments
Aalborg University No. 16 of 31
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Students’ use of time - lectures, courses and project work
50 %
Project work : a major assignment within a given subject-related framework
determined for each semester (thematic framework). (15 ECTS)
50 %
Course work – 3 x 5 ECTS modules with an exam
Aalborg University No. 17 of 31
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Connection between courses and projects
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Every semester is set within a ‘thematic
framework’ e.g. ‘databases and embedded
systems’, ‘regional tourism’, ‘ICT and learning for
sustainable development’
Thematic frameworks are broad, but also helps
sharpen the focus of the students’ projects
Courses are developed and taught with reference
to the theme of the semester
Some courses are ‘Project Courses’ – meant to
support project work
Others are ‘Study Courses’ with own assessment
and exam (for general knowledge and skills)
Aalborg University No. 18 of 31
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Typical components of project work
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The thematic framework of the semester is
presented
Students brainstorm on ideas for projects and
groups are formed
Students produce an early problem formulation and
synopsis– a supervisor assigned to the group.
They scan for theories, methods, cases etc. that
will help them solve or answer the problem they
have – or help them to describe and analyse the
problem domain.
E.g. ”How does the integration of computers into
the classroom affect learning?” – This problem is a
very open ended question, that can be investigated
in many different ways.
The students will have to:
Aalborg University No. 19 of 31
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Typical components of project work
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Find a problem and case, identify methods on how
to investigate the problem (purely theoretical,
through interviews, video-observation and analysis,
questionnaires, ethnographic observation etc.)
They discuss their methods, and why they
investigate their problem in a particular manner
They identify theories or theoretical concepts that
will help them understand their problem
They (often) conduct empirical investigations, that
are analysed
All this is done in collaboration with the supervisor,
who helps the students to identify relevant
methods, theories etc.
Aalborg University No. 20 of 31
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Assessment of the students
• Some courses have individual examinations –
oral or written – small assignment 15 pages.
• Some courses are relieved through the
”project examination”
• The written product of the project work is a
project-report on app. 100 pages.
• Group exam: The students, teacher and
censor critically discuss the project and the
students are given an individual grade. An
examination last app. 2-5 hours.
Aalborg University No. 21 of 31
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WORK IN MANY DIFFERENT
WAYS AND PLACES
Aalborg University No. 22 of 31
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Aalborg University No. 23 of 31
Welcome to Aalborg University No. 24 of 31
Welcome to Aalborg University No. 25 of 31
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INTRODUCTION TO E-LEARNING LAB
PBL AND NETWORKED
LEARNING (E-LEARNING)
Aalborg University No. 26 of 31
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E-Learning Lab – Center for User Driven, Innovation, Learning and
Design
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Research center in the Department of Communication and
Psychology, Faculty of Humanities
App. 22 researchers (including PhD students)
• International environment – PhD students from: India,
Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Germany.
Research domains: Education, Health, e-governance, business
Research foci:
• ICT, Networked Learning and collaboration
• User Centered Design, Interaction Design and Human
Computer Interaction
• User Driven Innovation, Tools exploration and experiments
• Practice studies
• ICT for development (ICT4D)
Aalborg University No. 27 of 31
ICT for Development
www.pbl.aau.dk
Developing and building local capacity
within the area of technology
enhanced learning and networked
learning
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Developing technological
infrastructure (open source) and
capacity
Developing pedagogical practice e.g.
more student centered learning, PBL
Design
Identity
Culture Negotiation
Open Source
Learning
Technologies
Education
Communities of
Practice
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PBL
CSCL
Sociocultural
learning
theory
SUDESCA
VISCA
VOANET
ELAC
Asian University for
Women
Aalborg University No. 28 of 31
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Some examples of PhD project (some Erasmus Mundus)
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Aparna Purushothaman (India): How women users can be empowered
through learning to use internet - An Ethnographic Action research study
done in state of Kerala
Farzana Akhter (Bangladesh): ICT-enabled informal learning for rural area
people in Bangladesh
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Nikorn Rongbutsri (Thailand): Mobile Learning for Higher Education in
Active Learning and PBL Environments
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Saifuddin Khalid (Bangladesh): ICT for education - motivating a rural
village in Bangladesh using local “students of a technical education
institute.”
Sandra Safwat (Egypt): Factors affecting Egyptian and Vietnamese students
acceptance and usage of e-learning component of an MBA program
designed in Northern Europe
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Aalborg University No. 29 of 31
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New roles for technology in supporting PBL
CHANGES IN THE
EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE
Aalborg University No. 30 of 31
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Social media or web 2.0 in education
Have become popular within educational technology
Web 2.0
’Progressive’ education (since 19XX)
User-driven
Learner-centred
Collaboration
Collaborative learning
Participation
Active students vs passive recipients
2 -way communication
Dialogues and interaction
Creating and sharing
Knowledge construction vs acquistion
Bottom-up
Ahierarchical, flat – students as co-producers
Realised through use of: Blogs, wikis, social bookmarking etc.
But many of the ideals are not new!
Loads of work on how to support the work of groups (also in a PBLcontext) – but new challenges and opportunities for learning and
group work
Aalborg University No. 31 of 31
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Changes in the educational technological landscape
From hierarchical structures based on courses and topics towards more student
centred networks
From distribution to more horizontal patterns of exchange – peer-learning
From Learning Management Systems (LMS)  Personal Learning Environments (PLEs)
Encouraging exchange, sharing of knowledge and students’ production of knowledge
and artefacts
Encouraging the production of personal portfolios – personal repositories
Aalborg University No. 32 of 31
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Sharing across different social constellations
Strength of tie
Homebase(s) –
profile PLE
Own content
Groups’
content
Friends’
content
Glued together by RSS,
Widgets, ‘open standards’, open
APIs – Streams of continuously
evolving ‘data’ and ‘information’
that can be somewhat easily
manipulated
Shared fields of interest –
imagined communities
We all become
entrance points into
complex (overlapping)
networks
Collectives’
content –
aggregated
other
Aalborg University No. 33 of 31
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“new” social constellations or
aggregations
Learner in the
centre
Networks between people working
collaboratively
Networks between people sharing a context
Networks between people sharing a field of
interest
(Dalsgaard, 2006):
http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2006/Christian_Dalsgaard.htm
Let’s briefly explore some
examples of this – there are
however many other sites and
mixes
Picture taken from: (Andersson, 2008)
http://terrya.edublogs.org/2008/03/17/networks-versus-groups-in-highe
education/
Aalborg University No. 34 of 31
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Flash activities
• Cloudworks – clouds
where anyone can add
content, , tags, references,
discuss etc.
• Wikipedia
• Twitter-streams e.g.
#Occupy – stream where
content and conversations
are pulled together
• MOOCs - Massive Open
Online Courses
Aalborg University No. 35 of 31
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Challenge
• ICT enables multiple interactions
across levels of scale
• New arenas for finding and
contributing knowledge
• Supporting learners in making sense
of the bits and pieces
• The group (not necessarily project
group) as a unit is a locus for
deeper discussions and interactions
and for sustained interactions and
knowledge development
• But important to support the
continuous traversing of scale
Collective
Network
Group
Individual
Aalborg University No. 36 of 31