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18/10/2017 08:35:52 AM

Using teamwork games to enhance the success of problem-based learning course- P2

3. Research framework

PBL helps to promote deep approaches to learn instead of surface approach. According to Wood (2003), after being exposure to PBL methods, students demonstrated that they were able to take a more pro-active role in their learning, they more readily develop self-management skills in term of their own learning and more self-directed in their learning activities (Salleh et al., 2007). Since the PBL method dictates that the students’ projects must aim at solving a problem, this approach challenges and engages the students by inspiring them to set up an objective, which they must accomplish through analysis, design, implementation, test and reflection. Based on above discussion, we suggest that PBL activities through teamwork games are able to enhance students’ skills and bring benefits to them (Figure 1)

Teamwork game→ Skills→ Benifit

 

Figure 1. Research framework

The PBL approach begins with a problem that is contextualized. In this phase, teacher introduces either the game or the rules of games. Students need to solve the problem raised by a teacher in the game. The problem becomes more defined as students separate the known facts from the unknown issues. In PBL, the problem becomes the focal point for knowledge acquisition and application. The students' research, investigate and evaluate to arrive at the solution. There is no correct answer. The students are not judged on how well their answers match the teacher's but on the validity of the solution. After several cycles of data collection and analysis, possible solutions to the problem are formulated. The potential solutions are examined in the light of all the evidence collected and the most viable solution is then selected.

Throughout the game, one of the important skills for the students to practice is to constantly apply critical thinking. Since it is the intended goal of any PBL project to force the students to attempt to solve a problem that has either never been solved before, or never been solved by that specific approach before, it can be suggested that this in itself will increase the chance of something truly innovative to emerge. Therefore, creative thinking is essential. In addition, collaborative and communication are also needed to figure out the best solution for each case.

4. Teamwork games description

Located in Danang, Duy Tan University (DTU) is the biggest private university in the Central Vietnam. A majority of the students are from the local province and 80% of those choose a workplace in cities in the Central provinces. By leverage the PBL method, DTU can provide students with mentioned skills to meet the needs of economic and social development. Most of the business courses in DTU have been conducted in a collaborative way to enhance the interaction between teacher and students as well as students and students. Every course that adapted the PBL method, the teacher would let students play a teamwork game. Students needed to work hard to find the way to fulfill the requirements of the game.  The teacher required groups to have between 6 to 8 members. Members in each group had complete control over their game tasks as well as managing their own progress in the limited time set. These games were designed with the purpose of that students could develop or enhance four main skills: critical thinking, creative thinking, effective collaboration, and versatile communication. In this study, we analyzed fives types of games which teacher implemented based on PBL method in business courses in the first academic semester in 2016.

In order to observe if there is any effect from implementing the PBL method, students were put into two classes (A and B) without prior information about how the content would be delivered (i.e. how they would be taught). Students in Class A (n=35) received the content via traditional teaching method, while the ones in Class B (n=35) learned the content via the PBL method. The experimental period took place during eight weeks. For the first week, the students in two classes received the same teaching method. After that, we gave students in both classes a regularly test. The result of the test suggested that there was no difference between the groups.

Next seven weeks, the two classes received the same lessons, yet different teaching/learning methods. Only the students in Class B would play a PBL game before the each session start (the purposes of playing the PBL games were as the discussed in above paragraph). After the game, the main teaching/learning session began. Students in both classes would have the chances to discuss the session content with their group mates, then share their answers with the whole class. Yet, when they shared their answers with the class, the teacher would give direct comments to the students’ answers in Class A; but would ask further questions (e.g. the why’s) to the students in Class B. On the ninth week (the final week of the semester), both groups of students had to take the same final exam designed by facilitators. This way, we could evaluate the difference in their learning outcomes.

The games used in class were adopted from the Website: http://wilderdom.com/games. This site illustrates classic and novel group games, activities, exercises and initiative tasks. Currently, the games pages receive about 3000 visitors a day. During teaching time, the teacher selected five types of games which were deemed suitable for students, and in line with the purpose of courses.

MBA. Nguyen Thi My My