Problem-based learning: a case study in computer science

In engineering-related disciplines the theoretical body of knowledge is first taught to the students, who then use what they have learnt to solve specific problems. The main drawbacks of this approach are lack of motivation and high drop-out and failure rates. This case study uses the PBL approach in an introductory course of computer architecture to overcome the main drawbacks of more traditional teaching schemes. Moreover, through PBL, students develop problem-solving skills, self-directed learning skills and critical thinking, all of which are very important in computer science. The students and the teachers have assessed the experience and the results are very satisfactory in both cases. The failure rate is reduced and students develop their analysis and communication skills. Nowadays, the new scenario created by the Bologna Declaration (1999), and the establishment of the common European Higher Education Area, has led to important changes in the educational models used at Spanish Universities. Within this framework, innovative teaching methodologies such as Problem Based Learning (PBL) provide new and interesting challenges. One of the most important concerns is the role of students in the learning process. This approach puts students in command of their own learning, and requires them to improve their communication skills, co-operative work abilities and analy- sis/synthesis capacities. Furthermore, PBL promotes self-learning and increases their interest in lifelong learning activities. The results of applying the PBL techniques are very satisfactory. The method is as- sessed using questionnaires in which students give their opinion about their learning experience. The statistical analysis of the data reveals that about 90% of students would repeat the experience or recom- mend it to others. In addition, most of the students consider that the methodology strengthens the social relationships between group members. In the sections below, we first describe the main features of PBL. Then, we explain how PBL is ap- plied in the course: "Introduction to Computer Organization and Architecture". In Section 4 we show the academic results of the experience and the student and teacher assessment. Finally, Section 5 presents some concluding remarks.