Educational transformation to PBL- what has changed

Since 1960 th , PBL(problem based learning) has gradually become one appealing education model in a series of fields like medical education and engineering education. Currently, PBL is being initiated and implemented in various higher education institutions worldwide. The necessity of ensuring a successful and sustainable change to PBL calls for a deep understanding and appreciation of different elements of the change and the relationships between them. The aim of this article is to develop a conceptual framework for the change to PBL by combining current change models, with a special focus on the elements of change. As a theoretical departure, this study begins with presenting the essential principles of PBL which primarily attempts to reconstruct the relationships between discipline and problems to be solved, students and teachers, different individuals, and different disciplines. Four underlying principles can be generalized correspondingly as: problem based learning, student directed learning, social approach, as well as interdisciplinary learning In this paper, the establishment of the theoretical framework for change is primarily inspired by two distinct change models. The first one is the didactic model, mainly dealing with the relationship between different elements of the curriculum in change from a curriculum aspect, whereas the second one focuses on different levels of change. By integrating two models we formulate a framework of change to PBL, focusing on organizational level. Theoretically, a successful change should include four interrelated aspects: curriculum, organizational structure and regulation, infrastructure and resources, and culture. The case of Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia , which is in the transition process from traditional lecture based learning to problem based learning, is discussed in this paper to illustrate the theoretical framework.