Applying a hybrid problem-based learning method to the teaching of computer programming

Many important changes have taken place in the educational models used at universities outside the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the last few decades. Innovative teaching methods, such as PBL provide new and interesting models of teaching aimed at improving student learning. One of the most important aspects of PBL is the role of students in the learning process as PBL places the student at the centre, this is different from the traditional approaches still common in the PRC in which the teacher is generally placed at the centre. In PBL students take command of their own learning and are required to improve working cooperatively and their communication skills as well as their abilities of analysis and synthesis. Furthermore, because PBL promotes self-directed learning this tends to improve the likelihood of the student to engage in lifelong learning. Since McMaster University Medical School first pioneered the method of PBL [1] in 1966, this method has been widely adopted in the tertiary sector and a great variety of PBL applications have been reported in tertiary education. In the following sections of the paper, the main features of PBL will be described first followed by a possible way that PBL could be applied in a course of computer programming. Finally, some conclusions and discussions are presented.