Effectiveness of web based PBL using course management technologies: A case study

Abstract

Maritime education and training has typically focused on delivering practical courses for a practical vocation. In the modern environment maritime personnel now need to be more professional more open to change and more business-like in their thinking. This has led to changes in the education system that supports the maritime industries. Teaching thinking skills has become a major agenda for education. Problem Based Learning is a part of this thinking. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) within a web-based environment in the delivery of an undergraduate courses has been investigated. The effects was evaluated by comparing the performances of the students using the web-based PBL and comparing the outcomes with those of the traditional PBL. The outcomes of the experiments was positive. By having real life problems as focal points and students as active problem-solvers the learning paradigm would shift towards the attainment of higher thinking skills. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.