A Literature Review of Problem-Based Learning in Management Education

This literature review examines the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in management education, particularly at the post-graduation level. It compares various studies and their conceptual and theoretical frameworks, highlighting the shift from traditional theoretical learning to practical application. The review critically analyzes the benefits of PBL in equipping students with real-world problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, and clinical reasoning. It emphasizes that PBL addresses the gap between academic knowledge and industry needs, preparing students for the complexities of project management and ensuring they are well-equipped to handle real-world challenges in their careers. The literature suggests that PBL fosters teamwork, critical thinking, and adaptability, making graduates more effective and efficient project managers. Desklib provides access to this and other valuable assignments for students.

Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Comparative Study of the Literature...........................................................................................2
Conceptual Framework................................................................................................................4
Theoretical Framework................................................................................................................5
Critical Analysis..........................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

2LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The Ministry of Education had to improve the quality of professionalism on the
polytechnic education and adopted several critical strategies to make the colleges hire more and
more technological industry experts so that the students would find it easier to meet the demands
for vocational training and polytechnic education (Loyens et al. 2015). There was a lack of skill
found in the students after the advanced form of educational techniques were applied to the new
and improved learning systems. These were made to instigate the skills of students in complex
problem solving methods.
Therefore, based on the above topic, several peer reviewed literatures, like journals and
research papers would be put forward to make a further review on them (Davidson and Major
2014). This would be done by reviewing the literatures on the basis of a comparative study on
the conceptual frameworks as well as the theoretical frameworks used for the conducted study.
Following would be a detailed critical analysis created for the outputs that has been provided in
the literature on the basis of the findings described in the journal articles. This will provide a
clear idea about the complete state of affairs that made the students in Sydney to make use of
problem based learning in their post-graduation degrees and how these studies would benefit
them in the latter halves of their lives.
Comparative Study of the Literature
After thorough study of the literatures reviewed in this regard, it can be easily said that
Sydney had incorporated the use of practical study and academic and industrial collaboration
with the industries with the sole purpose of coping up to the situation about the financial crisis in
the later times (Davidson, Major and Michaelsen 2014). The studies have put the facts forwards

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that in previous times where the industry had been before the situation of financial turmoil, the
educational system had been under constant situation where the trained students were found to
have inadequate preparation after their study in school and it was also found that the students
often failed to meet the needs in technical learning, especially in the fields of proper learning of
management where in the industrial trainings their skills and knowledge feel short to meet the
needs of their major in specific classes (Dolmans et al. 2015).
In another literature, it was found that the authors have based the entire study regarding
this topic on the pretext of the basic knowledge of students on Project Management and the
methods by which they are acquired by the students through their management practitioners in
their graduation degrees. As for example, it can be said that Methods Quasi-experimental
study along with pre-test and post-test design in control and experimental form a group to
determine the differences in the improvement of argumentative and declarative knowledge (Glen
2017). The authors have faced questions randomly through the research facing various facts like
the proper teaching methods and the practical approach of the education towards the advanced
project management levels in the study of master degrees (Savery 2015). This paper also puts
forward the facts where the students have also displayed their personal interest in the learning
process of management studies where they have stated that the advanced course in problem
based learning in their post-graduation degrees were nothing new as per the lectures and the only
difference they found was in the utilization of common sense. They have also stated that the
utility of common sense was frequent in almost all the course of industrial management.
One of the journal articles focused on the identification and synthesis of the evidences
found on the application of PBL designed techniques based on the nursing students. For this
purpose, the major education design techniques of JBI SUMARI was analysed to make sure that

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if the latest technology had instigated leadership and clinical reasoning in nursing students or not
(Martyn et al. 2014). The entire survey was conducted on the basis of the techniques applied on
different aspects of development in the nurses’ educational as well as skill concerned with
effective nursing techniques. This has elaborated that the tutors in the first place should possess
technical, leadership and reasoning skills before leading an effective guidance to the team.
Conceptual Framework
The explanation from various authors regarding the scope creeps and scope change, made
sure of the differences between scope change and scope creep. However, the primary terms of
edifice scope creep might have a varied set of definition given the fact that construction industry
is in the need of different methodologies and processes in order to run the projects (BALIM et al.
2015). These reasons can be from different competitive environment, the importance of finishing
the project on time and budget as well as the ratio of demand and available properties will make
the state of affairs more demanding. The existing researches about the study have found that the
practitioners based on the project management education. The master level students previously
based their entire education on the conceptual based studies (Carrió et al. 2016). This had not just
affected the students in their post educational lives but also affected the trainers since they were
blamed as a result of the incompetency of the students in their respective careers as project
managers.
The authors of the journal articles have found out that the project management instructors
also faced the same heat since the management educators found it essentially difficult to build up
a connection with the practice of the subjects and the students to form a treaty with the
complexities of the real-world problems in managing a project. The courses were heavily
focused on the theoretical aspects of making a student come in relation to the project

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management courses but it further complicated the goal of creating a course that was most
related to a practical scenario of the real world. The focus instead should have been on teaching
students the following skill set for identifying a project management related challenge or any
other related problems, how to acquire supplementary information or any relevant tools and
acquired techniques to solve a particular problem or a set of consecutive problems, as well as
using of the new and acquired information to come up with the best solution (Padmavathy and
Mareesh 2013). Thus, it can be clearly stated that the entire study was incapable of making the
students face their respective careers and handle a problematic situation in handling a project
where the problem was not based on theoretical knowledge but mostly focused on a practical and
out of the syllabus conflict. The structure of the Problem-based learning or PBL is basically a
teaching approach centered on the students that plan at putting the responsibility on students
when it comes to finding the relevant information needed for solving complex or real-world
problems.
Theoretical Framework
As per the findings of the journal articles, the proposed learning techniques about the
PBL Model discards the theoretical learning and focuses towards a more practical approach in
higher education. The proposed PBL model is successful in making the students apply their
theoretical knowledge in a more real-world setting (Overby and Rusiewicz 2018). PBL is based
on a primarily diverse learning process compared to traditional classroom teaching where an
instructor transfers their knowledge to the students. PBL can be denoted as a learning process
focusing on the students and centering them entirely where students learn the techniques of
effective project management techniques through problem solving. PBL could be further notified
as the learning that results from the process of working toward the understanding or resolution of

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a problem. The problems all based on the problems arising in the real world, and it required the
students to identify the effective knowledge that is required to solve the problem. The problems
should be designed in a way that is complex and ill-structured so that students cannot solve them
right away; the students need to find new information to analyze the situation and come up with
possible solutions. This would further make sure that the students are more capable of following
a knowledge structure in project management that has a practical approach than just theoretical
knowledge (Clyne and Billiar 2016). The authors have figured out that this would induct a much
relevant study of the techniques of project management since this would sort out the studious and
the exact capable candidate to be an effective and efficient project manager. Problem solving as
regarded as team work, in particular for handling a case of a complex and challenging problem,
needs all team members to partake in different discussions as well as engage in the sharing of
information, and be involved in the events like literature researches or any other sources. This
PBL Learning Model induces the same within the student of post graduation appearing for the
project management studies. However, the function of PBL can be seen forming a response to
condemnation that management education is disengaged from practice and students have
difficulties in relating the theories and concepts to complex real world problems.
All of the literature justifies the fact, that the use of PBL models in learning techniques
makes a significant rise in the students’ skills and reasoning development and it is a convenient
tool for the acquisitions of the required competencies for the students pursuing post graduation
studies (Arrue et al. 2015). It enables the students with the relevant skills required to fill in real
world ideas and implement them in their respective career paths.

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Critical Analysis
After the review of the relevant literatures, critically analyzing the literature it can be said
that the key terms of construction scope creep might have different definition due to the fact that
construction industry requires different process and methodologies to run the projects. Some
reasons such as competitive environment, the ratio of demand and available properties and the
importance of finishing the project on time and budget will make the situation more challenging.
The existing researches about the study have found that the practitioners based on the project
management education (Felgueiras et al. 2015). The master level students previously based their
entire education on the conceptual based studies.
On the other hand, about the PBL Model discards the theoretical learning and focuses
towards a more practical approach in higher education. The proposed PBL model is successful in
making the students apply their theoretical knowledge in a more real world setting. PBL is based
on a fundamentally different learning process than traditional classroom teaching in which an
instructor transfers his or her knowledge to students (Richards 2015). PBL is a learning process
focusing on the students and centering them entirely where students learn the techniques of
effective project management techniques through problem solving. PBL could be further notified
as the learning that results from the process of working toward the understanding or resolution of
a problem.
Thus, it can be easily criticized through the learning of the literature that the idea that
these journal articles pose are relevant in finding the main benefits of the PBL learning Models
as they make sure that the post graduation students do not fall back in the latter half of their
career because of their sole focus on theoretical knowledge (Wosinski et al. 2018). Practical
knowledge over the theoretical terms is most necessary since theoretical knowledge do not

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suffice the real world problems that would make further realizations of a project manager in their
duties towards a particular project. Theoretical knowledge and real world problems are much
different than each other.
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded from the above literature, that the learning techniques
adopted by different universities in regards to the problem-based learning of project management
in post graduation students had indeed induced several advantages over the educational system
post the financial crisis in the entire world, having sole focus of the student around Sydney. This
review of literature has been based upon several peer reviewed journal articles based on the
above topic, including the articles like journals and research papers that essentially put forward
several insights that help in making a further review on them. Inference drawing on these has
been done by reviewing the literatures based on their comparative study, the conceptual and
theoretical frameworks used for the study conducted and the critical analysis of the outputs
provided in the literature based on the findings of the journal articles. Thus, the review had
enlightened about the topic having a clear idea about the entire situation that urged in students in
Sydney to utilize problem based learning in their post-graduation degrees and the benefits of
these studies in the latter half of their lives. The articles have had their shortcomings, but mostly
these have shed light on the positive impacts of the topics based on their thorough review of the
journals which has generated positive ideas about these learning techniques which makes the
students be sure about their further career. This is because; the industry prefers trained students
with technical learning based degrees having special focus on hands-on skill based knowledge
about the industry.

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References
Arrue, M., de Alegría, B.R., Zarandona, J. and Cillero, I.H., 2017. Effect of a PBL teaching
method on learning about nursing care for patients with depression. Nurse education today, 52,
pp.109-115.
BALIM, A.G., ÇELÝKER, H.D., TÜRKOÐUZ, S., EVREKLÝ, E. and EKÝCÝ, D.Ý., 2015.
The Effect of Concept Cartoons-Assisted Problem-Based Learning Method on Conceptual
Understanding Levels and Problem Solving Skill Perceptions of Students. Journal of Turkish
Science Education, 12(4).
Carrió, M., Agell, L., Baños, J.E., Moyano, E., Larramona, P. and Pérez, J., 2016. Benefits of
using a hybrid problem-based learning curriculum to improve long-term learning acquisition in
undergraduate biology education. FEMS microbiology letters, 363(15).
Clyne, A.M. and Billiar, K.L., 2016. Problem-Based Learning in Biomechanics: Advantages,
Challenges, and Implementation Strategies. Journal of biomechanical engineering, 138(7),
p.070804.
Davidson, N. and Major, C.H., 2014. Boundary crossings: Cooperative learning, collaborative
learning, and problem-based learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25.
Davidson, N., Major, C.H. and Michaelsen, L.K., 2014. Small-group learning in higher
education—cooperative, collaborative, problem-based, and team-based learning: an introduction
by the guest editors. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), pp.1-6.

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Dolmans, D., Michaelsen, L., Van Merrienboer, J. and van der Vleuten, C., 2015. Should we
choose between problem-based learning and team-based learning? No, combine the best of both
worlds!. Medical teacher, 37(4), pp.354-359.
Felgueiras, M., Fidalgo, A., Alves, G., Motta, G., Schlichting, L. and Ferreira, G., 2015, June. A
remote lab to support e-leaning on Programmable System-on-Chip (PSoC). In Experiment@
International Conference (exp. at'15), 2015 3rd(pp. 167-168). IEEE.
Glen, S., 2017. Problem-based learning in nursing: A new model for a new context. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Loyens, S.M., Jones, S.H., Mikkers, J. and van Gog, T., 2015. Problem-based learning as a
facilitator of conceptual change. Learning and Instruction, 38, pp.34-42.
Martyn, J., Terwijn, R., Kek, M.Y. and Huijser, H., 2014. Exploring the relationships between
teaching, approaches to learning and critical thinking in a problem-based learning foundation
nursing course. Nurse education today, 34(5), pp.829-835.
Overby, M.S. and Rusiewicz, H.L., 2018. Impact and Perceived Benefits of a Problem-Based
Learning Workshop for Continuing Education in Speech-Language Pathology: A Pilot
Study. Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders, 2(1), p.1.
Padmavathy, R.D. and Mareesh, K., 2013. Effectiveness of problem based learning in
mathematics. International Multidisciplinary e-Journal, 2(1), pp.45-51.
Richards, C., 2015. Outcomes-based authentic learning, portfolio assessment, and a systems
approach to ‘complex problem-solving’: related pillars for enhancing the innovative role of pbl
in future higher education. Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education, 3(1).

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Savery, J.R., 2015. Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions. Essential
readings in problem-based learning: Exploring and extending the legacy of Howard S.
Barrows, 9, pp.5-15.
Wosinski, J., Belcher, A.E., Dürrenberger, Y., Allin, A.C., Stormacq, C. and Gerson, L., 2018.
Facilitating problem-based learning among undergraduate nursing students: A qualitative
systematic review. Nurse education today, 60, pp.67-74.