Using student experience of problem-based learning in virtual space to drive engineering educational pedagogy

This paper reports outcomes of an investigation into the different ways students go about problem-based learning (PBL) in virtual space. Five qualitatively different conceptions of PBL in virtual space were discovered, and each reveals variation in how students attend to learning by PBL in virtual space. Results indicate that PBL in virtual space when appropriately designed with respect to students’ online learning experience can: 1) be responsible for making students aware of deeper ways of experiencing PBL in virtual space, and 2), engender graduate attributes and capabilities of problem solving, ability to transfer basic knowledge to real-life scenarios, ability to adapt to changes and apply knowledge in unusual situations, ability to think critically and creatively, and a commitment to continuous life-long learning and self-improvement