Problem-based Learning: a Problem with Education?

As the discovery of penicillin from a ‘failed ’ medical experiment illustrates, it is good practice to revisit apparent teaching and learning ‘failures’. Two Hong Kong case studies are here reviewed for they report educational ‘failures ’ evidenced by students displaying a negative learning experience while undergoing Problem-based Learning (PBL). The first case study involved Primary Four and Five pupils; while the second investigated post-Secondary school students. An analysis is provided of these two negative learning experiences followed by a critique of possible solutions. The findings are intriguing- Problem-based Learning is shown to provide a flexible, responsive pedagogy that reflects Hong Kong’s current learning priorities. It is argued that the reported educational ‘failure ’ reflects a tension between learner diversity and educational priorities, which raises the possibility that these ‘failures ’ indicate not a ‘problem with PBL ’ but rather a ‘problem with education’