Problem-based learning: a novel approach to teaching safety, health and environmental courses

James Ramsay, Elbert Sorrell

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Paper Number: ASSE-06-A404.

Introduction
The educational preparation of safety pre-professionals has concerned for safety educators for many years. A major concern relates to the debate surrounding safety program content as well as student outcomes/competencies. While there is a rich literature that convincingly argues the many sides of this issue, there is little to no research related to the process of safety program curriculum delivery. At the present time, definitive evidence cannot be provided allowing one to generalize about curriculum delivery methods used by safety educators; however, one can postulate that the process used to educate safety students is consistent with traditional teaching strategies (lecture methods) used throughout the American educational system.

The traditional lecture is one of the oldest and predominantly used teaching methods in American colleges and universities (2). The traditional lecture format in higher education often represents an exercise in one way communication that places students in a passive rather than an active role and which ultimately minimizes the students' ability to develop higher order skills such as analysis, evaluation and synthesis of ideas and concepts. Studies have shown that the "pure" lecture method is not the most effective teaching strategy to stimulate thought and enhance problem-solving skills. At the same time, there is an abundance of literature that challenges educators to consider moving beyond the lecture method to active learning models which requires students to take greater responsibility in their own learning (1).

In general, most educators, including SH&E educators, would agree that an important goal of higher education is the development of both a desire for life-long learning and of effective problem solving (i.e., critical thinking) skills. Therefore, SH&E educators should consider minimizing the use of pure lecture methods and instead begin to incorporate active teaching strategies that better prepare SH&E students for the complex and dynamic challenges they will encounter as practicing safety professionals.

The primary purpose of this paper it to explore the potential opportunities associated with problem-based learning (PBL), an active teaching strategy, in an SH&E curriculum.

Historical Background
PBL was developed as an alternative approach to the education of physicians and first implemented at McMaster School of Medicine in 1969. Interestingly, PBL emerged to confront a disturbing reality: that it was possible for medical students to memorize extensively without any sufficient change in their ability to use the information to diagnose diseases (3). The PBL curriculum delivery model was developed to actively engage medical students in the subject matter, and to help develop effective critical thinking, communication and social skills (3). In problem-based learning, students collaborate to pursue solutions and knowledge they don't currently have and to study issues related to a problem and determine viable solutions. In this way, PBL is a holistic approach to complex higher education. PBL facilitates student achievement by supporting a structured process of using what one knows, systematically obtaining new knowledge and skills once gaps have been identified, collective application of new and old knowledge and skills and finally reflection.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes
EventASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition 2006 - Seattle, United States
Duration: 11 Jun 200614 Jun 2006

Conference

ConferenceASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition 2006
Abbreviated titleASSE06
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySeattle
Period11/06/0614/06/06

Keywords

  • PBL
  • exposure
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • educator
  • knowledge
  • investigation
  • machine learning
  • information
  • Action Plan
  • student

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