Problem-Based Learning:
application of theory to practice
in Mental Health Nurse Education
Catharine Jenkins
Carole Germaine
Three perspectives…
Problem-Based Learning as...
• A process of enquiry
• Learning to learn
• A cognitive constructionist approach, in which
students construct mental models of the world
(Schmidt, Rotgand and Yew 2011)
What is Problem-Based Learning?
PBL is a student-centred approach to learning involving a ‘groupbased complex problem-solving tutorial’ (Prosser and Sze 2014)
Students
• are exposed to ‘trigger learning materials’ based on relevant
problems
• work in small groups to identify and explore the issues, building
on previous knowledge
• note gaps in their individual knowledge and skills
• share the learning work/research required to address the
problems
• use the learning together to devise solutions
• feed back to the group and apply the knowledge
Tutors act as facilitators
What makes PBL effective?
• Enthusiastic subject specialists (Cooper and Carver 2012)
• ‘flexible scaffolding’ from ‘socially congruent’ facilitators (Schmidt,
Rotgand and Yew 2011)
• Not just collaborative working – individual knowledge acquisition
needed too
• ‘activation-elaboration’ students are driven to address gaps in their
knowledge
• ‘situational interest’ students are motivated to solve an intriguing
puzzle
• Small group discussions facilitate understanding and sustain it
long-term (Schmidt et al 2011)
• Having a good problem
• Friendships and peer-pressure
PBL Benefits: Academic Skills
• Bridges the theory-practice gap (D’Sa and Bhaduri 2013)
• Improves long term retention of content and short-term retention
involving elaboration of new information (Prosser and Sze 2014)
• Improves clinical skills and reasoning (Prosser and Sze 2014)
• Helps students to work autonomously, feel competent and related
to others, be intrinsically motivated and self-regulating (Dolmans
and Gijbels 2013, D’Sa and Bhaduri 2013 )
• Leads to ‘deeper learning’ (Dolmans and Gijbels 2013)
• Students develop life-long learning skills (Prosser and Sze 2014)
PBL scenarios link to four
domains in the NMC
• 1. Professional
values
• 2.Communication and interpersonal skills
• 3.Nursing practice and decision making
• 4. Leadership, management and team working
PBL Benefits: Emotional Intelligence
• Helps students to work autonomously, feel competent and related
to others, be intrinsically motivated and self-regulating (Dolmans
and Gijbels 2013, D’Sa and Bhaduri 2013 )
• Develops team working, professional respect, communication and
interpersonal skills (Cooper and Carver 2012, MacVane Phipps et al
2015)
• Engages emotions, facilitates holistic understanding and
compassionate values (MacVane Phipps et al 2015)
•Develops ‘situational awareness’ and assertiveness – essential for
safe care (MacVane Phipps et al 2015)
• Positive experiences for students (Cooper and Carver 2012, D’Sa
and Bhaduri 2013)
• Leads to ‘deeper learning’ (Dolmans and Gijbels 2013)
Combining Simulation, ‘Serious
Games’ and PBL in the classroom
Our examples:
• Responding to ‘indications of distress’ in people
living with dementia (serious game + PBL)
• Applying the Mental Capacity Act (2005) when
working with people with MH problems who need to
make decisions (serious game + PBL+ simulation)
• Complex care decision-making and dilemmas
• Employability
(Simulation and PBL combined evaluated positively
by students Roh Kim & Kim 2013)
Working together:
Do you have topics which would
benefit from a PBL approach?
1. Identify a learning need and desired outcome
2. Generate student motivation – consequence of gap in
knowledge + an interesting problem
3. Design a ‘trigger’
4. Provide a ‘soft scaffold’
5. Anticipate facilitation approach
References
Cooper, C. and Carver, N. (2012). Problem based learning in mental health nursing:
The students' experience. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 21(2)
175-183.
Dolmans, D. and Gijbels, D. (2013). Research on problem-based learning: future
challenges. Medical Education, 47(2),214-218.
D'Sa, J. and Bhaduri, A. (2013). Acceptability of a Problem-Based Learning
Approach in a Baccalaureate Nursing Programme- A Pilot Study. International
Journal of Nursing Education, 5(1), 92.
Phipps, F., Whitney, E., Meddings, F. and Evans, M. (2015). Embedding the 6 Cs:
Problem-based learning the Bradford way. British Journal of Midwifery, 23(5),
pp.330-335.
Prosser, M. and Sze, D. (2014). Problem-based learning: Student learning
experiences and outcomes. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 28(1-2), 131-142.
Roh, Y., Kim, S. and Kim, S. (2013). Effects of an integrated problem-based learning
and simulation course for nursing students. Nursing & Health Sciences, 16(1),
pp.91-96.
Schmidt, H., Rotgans, J. and Yew, E. (2011). The process of problem-based learning:
what works and why. Medical Education, 45(8),792-806.
Strobel, J. and van Barneveld, A. (2009) When is PBL more effective? A metasynthesis of meta-analyses comparing PBL to conventional classrooms.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem Based Learning (3)44–58.