When is PBL not PBL?

I've read this article of Gwendie Camp, and found it interesting.

QUOTE:

• PBL fits with tenets of adult learning theory. Student autonomy, building on previous knowledge and experiences, and the opportunity for immediate application are all well-known to facilitate learning in adults.
• Knowles, considered the "father" of adult learning theory, proposed that appropriate conditions for adults to learn effectively include the following: a learning environment characterized by physical comfort, mutual trust and respect, mutual helpfulness, freedom of expression, accepting of differences, where learners perceive the goals of the learning experience to be their own goals, where learners accept a share of responsibility for planning and operating the learning experience and therefore have a commitment to it, where learners participate actively, and sense progress toward their own goals.
• Norman and Schmidt reviewed experimental evidence supporting possible differences in students' learning that could be attributed to PBL. They concluded that there is not yet any evidence that PBL curricula result in improvement in general (content-free) problem-solving skills, although they caution that problem-solving skills independent of content acquisition may not exist. However, there is evidence that PBL students retain knowledge much longer than students taught conventionally, although their initial learning may be less extensive. There is preliminary evidence that PBL students may be better able to transfer concepts to new problems. And lastly, it is evident that PBL does have a large impact on self-directed learning skills, and on students' motivation.
• The reasons why PBL is "catching on" is the desire of faculty or administrators at schools which have not yet implemented PBL to avoid "missing the boat". In other words, there is a temptation to join the parade or get on the bandwagon so as to not be perceived as behind the times. Unfortunately, this motivation can too often lead to only half-hearted implementation of PBL, which does not capture the "spirit" of PBL.

When is PBL not PBL?
The characteristics of "pure" PBL:
- problem-based learning is active,
- adult-oriented,
- problem-centered,
- student-centered,
- collaborative, integrated, interdisciplinary,
- utilizes small groups and
- operates in a clinical context.
Then, any program which does not place students in tutorial groups of, say, 5-10 students is not "pure" PBL. If the program is "teacher-centered" rather than "student-centered," the heart of "pure" PBL has been lost.

When, then , is it not "pure" PBL? When it is discipline-specific, case-based (or problem-stimulated) but not student-centered, when much of the instruction is still in traditional formats such as lectures and labs, and when the assessment of student performance rests solely or primarily on content acquisition. When a PBL course must be buried within a surrounding set of traditional courses, it is not "pure" PBL, as students will have lost the time necessary for independent study.

From: Problem-Based Learning: A Paradigm Shift or a Passing Fad? MEO 1996;1:2