The student perspective: How students manage their learning at republic polytechnic

Abstract

This chapter discusses students' learning experiences from their own perspectives within the context of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology adopted by Republic Polytechnic. In particular, we focus on two aspects of this experience through two studies: (1) what challenges do students face in adapting to PBL in their first year? and (2) how do students' approaches to learning change over the years as they continue to use the PBL process, and what influences their choice of learning approach? The highlight of these studies is that the data are obtained from participants' own voices, through interviews and reflection journal entries. The first study investigated the challenges faced by learners as they adjust to PBL in their first year of higher education. This was achieved by collecting the reflection journal responses of students in a pure PBL setting at the end of their first year. The second study sought to examine the systemic effects of both the problem-based learning environment and students' characteristics on their approaches to learning and their achievements by means of a longitudinal study spanning 3 years of students' academic life in Republic Polytechnic. The results of both studies provide insights into students' perceptions of PBL influencing the way they handle their learning. In particular, the findings imply that, for those wishing to implement PBL for the first time, there is a need to understand students' characteristics in order to help them be productively engaged in this constructivist learning environment, especially during the crucial adjustment period of students in their first year of study in the institution. Students' conceptions of learning as well as their motivations to learn were found to be two important variables which affect their approaches to learning and therefore their productive engagement in this setting.