Welcome to the Temasek Polytechnic Site for Problem-based Learning
This website provides information on Temasek Polytechnic's Problem-based Learning (PBL) practices, and also offers a glimpse of development in PBL at Temasek Polytechnic (TP). TP is the pioneer of Problem-based Learning in institutes of higher learning in Singapore having implemented it in 1999. In the same year, Temasek Centre for Problem-Based Learning (TCPBL) was also established as one of TP's Centres of Excellence.
Purposes of TP PBL Site
This is intended as an educational site providing information on PBL resources and happenings that may be useful for the professional development for TP staff as well as the wider PBL community.
TP PBL Framework
Different educational institutions have adopted PBL using a variety of implementation approaches. At TP, we have adopted a 7-stage PBL process where students work through a PBL problem in these stages using a thinking template known as FILA (an aconym for the categories of Facts, Ideas, Learning Issues and Action Plan). A snapshot of this is provided below, while details on FILA can be found here.
What Our Students Say About PBL at TP
2nd year PBL learners from ASC:
"With PBL, we get to learn to research by ourselves to find the information we need. The process of doing it ourselves helps us to understand better."
"PBL allows one to brush up on team skills, yet shows us the importance of working independently."
"I like PBL because it relates to what our situation will be like in future when we work in industry. It also requires problem-solving skills, enhances our thinking skills; it’s more challenging, but also more effective!"
"In PBL, I enjoy the chance to be creative and come out with our own ideas without depending only on lecture notes."
"I really like being given room to explore on our own and at our own pace, it helped me to plan and manage my time better."
What Our Facilitators Say About PBL at TP
BUS lecturer teaching Professional Communication Skills:
"I I feel my subject really lends itself to PBL, because the content is constantly evolving, and using PBL, the student can uncover information from many different sources. Using PBL frees us up, we don’t have to be limited to just one textbook. I always find that textbooks get obsolete after some time as things change so fast. I think I would feel as if I short-changed my students if I was bound to one textbook. "
"For PBL, the students need to give their opinion on their final answer, and need to trust themselves, and to take ownership of their own answer, instead of looking to the tutor to give her approval."
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