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- Vol 2 RE: App C, App D
problem-based learninglong-term retentionskill developmentauthentic ill-structured problemsassessment time horizonsinstructional goal alignmentJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Strobel and van Barneveld synthesize eight meta-analyses comparing problem-based learning with conventional instruction and show that effectiveness depends on what and when researchers measure. Conventional teaching tends to perform better on immediate tests of short-term factual knowledge, whereas PBL tends to be stronger for long-term retention, skill development, and satisfaction among students and teachers.
Key ideas
The authors interpret these patterns as evidence that a single aggregated effect obscures different educational purposes. PBL organizes learning around authentic, ill-structured problems, collaborative inquiry, self-directed study, and facilitation, so its advantages are most visible in outcomes aligned with application and sustained understanding. Variation in implementation, learner level, discipline, and assessment also helps explain inconsistent findings. The review does not claim that PBL wins every comparison.
Why it matters
It argues for matching instructional goals, assessment methods, and time horizons before judging effectiveness, and for reporting knowledge and performance outcomes separately.
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Edition abbreviations
- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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