Technology and group processes in PBL tutorials: An ethnographic study

Abstract

As technological affordances have grown, new opportunities have arisen for technology-enhanced approaches to create face-to-face and virtual spaces for new forms of learning collaborations in problem-based learning (PBL) curricula. This ethnographic, comparative study examined the introduction of a blended approach to the PBL inquiry process using a multimodal problem scenario, interactive whiteboards (IWBs), and mobile devices. Two PBL groups (Year 1, Bachelor of Dental Surgery) engaged in the same technology-rich PBL problem scenario over two separate timepoints. The first PBL group (2008–2009) worked with uneven distribution of mobile devices and a standard, nonelectronic whiteboard (printboard) while the second PBL group (2012–2013) all used laptops and a central, wall-mounted IWB linked to the scribe/clerk’s laptop. Interactional analysis of video recordings of both learning discourse and physical activity examined the effects of technology on group dynamics and collaborative learning processes. Findings indicated that integration of an IWB as a mediating tool into face-to-face PBL tutorials can positively reshape the learning dynamic, particularly when using a multimodal PBL scenario to support and stimulate the inquiry process. In terms of group processes, shared IWB visualization controlled by the group scribe was found to support group cohesion during the inquiry process. Strategies for technology-infused PBL were indicated as: (a) gaining students’ joint attention for collaboration and reflection; (b) eliciting articulation of ideas via IWB visualization; and (c) managing the recording of multimodal group notes in digital formats. Analysis indicates that the thoughtful infusion of educational technologies in PBL can support sociocultural theoretical perspectives on collaborative learning.