2. Have you done PBL before? If yes, provide a description of how it a carried out.
I have done PBL in the previous term. We had to design and build a heat exchanger and consider all the factors needed to build it. In the end, we managed to effectively construct our heat exchanger and it could work thus we were pleased with what we have done.
12. Describe in detail how the group went about working on the PBL (from beginning to the end).
Firstly all our group members were searching for an appropriate problem statement that we could really focus on. Finally we decided on: How accurate are risks of surgeries shown by LASIK and how effectively are they conveyed?
We thought such a problem statement would allow us to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of hospitals, not just those of the government sector but also personal hospitals, on whether they could minimise the risks posed by LASIK to the patients. We were also very interested in how well hospitals were informing patients on LASIK and whether the patients fully understood the risks they were taking because we found that it would be really funny if the patient goes for LASIK without understanding the full implications because either the doctors did not inform him or he did not bother to know the risks he were taking. Moreover, we wanted to know about the risks posed by LASIK too because it seems very good to improve our eyesight and not have to wear glasses again, but rather, we want to know what would happen to us should we embark on the LASIK journey and whether there were any remedies for LASIK problems.
Then we did a mind map on our problem statement so that we would understand it better and found out that we had to concentrate on different procedures of LASIK as there were many and thus our group leader assigned each of us to research on different procedures of LASIK and record the importance of each procedure, who it was targeted at, how it was done, what were some of its side-effects, whether there were any solutions to problems caused by it, and whether there were any alternatives to this procedure. With all our data collected, we then discussed about the different types of LASIK that could be used in surgery and which method was the best.
13. Describe some of the difficulties that you faced during the PBL and how you or the group went about solving them.
Our group had lots of problems communicating because each of us had different timetables and other priorities too. Hence we had trouble sharing information with one another and sometimes even had trouble trying to agree on a certain thing. From this experience, I feel that we should take an active role in helping one another out because some of us may not be available and others thus have to cover him and help him out. As such, I think that being in the class really helped a lot because we could easily communicate and tell each other what has to be done.
14. In what ways has the PBL helped you to understand the topics taught in this module?
The PBL covers important topics such as refraction and lens because these 2 topics are usually associated with our eyes. I have understood more about refraction after the PBL due to lots of reading about how light rays are refracted through the various layers in our eyes and also about lens because the light rays are converged to form an image in our eyes too. Moreover, the PBL also lets me learn more about the various techniques of LASIK and understand how we can adjust and alter our eyes so that we are able to perfect eyesight, as well as how people having short and far sightedness experience different problems in their visions.
On top of that, I think that what the PBL has benefited me the most is training my research skills. I had to read up on lots of material and take out what was important and also paraphrase lots of stuff because we wanted to write our own report. It was quite an experience but I think it was worth it because I had great time learning about LASIK, which I think is extremely interesting and probably the reason why there is a large number of eye surgeons and ophthalmologists in
15. In what ways has PBL made learning more interesting for you? How has it motivated you in your learning?
PBL has allowed me to explore various areas of studies and I am not limited to just dead facts as when I study from notes and textbooks. I get to know more about the thoughts of the different people undergoing LASIK too: the patients, the surgeons, experts and even the people who are not undergoing LASIK. Some people are very supportive of LASIK whereas others do not really find it reliable. Hence I get to hear both sides of the story and varying views on the topic. Moreover, I also had lots of fun watching a video whereby a doctor was encouraging the public to go for LASIK whereas he was wary of the dangers of LASIK. Thus it was rather ironical.
PBL has motivated me to work hard on it because I want to do well in it. I have researched very widely on the topic because I want to get everything I can find about it. Thus it has been very encouraging to do PBL.
16. How has working with others benefitted you? What were you able to learn from each other?
Working with others allows me to cultivate my teamwork spirit. I had to coordinate a lot with my friends and all of us had to be aware of what we were supposed to do so that we would not get mixed up and feel lost about what we have to do. Moreover, we also wanted to prevent each other from doing the same thing and thus wasting each others time. I was able to learn a lot from what others have done because we were doing on different procedures and hence were presenting on different stuff. Hence it was really enriching to be working together on a project and I feel it is better to have a group working on a project than individuals because the workload can be divided and everyone can share their ideas. And most importantly, we really enjoyed each other.
17. In what ways did the PBL require you to view the problem from multiple perspectives?
As we were researching on both the advantages and disadvantages of various LASIK procedures, hence we could view each procedure with both a positive and negative mindset. This was very useful because we did not immediately say that this procedure was good or bad just by looking at it but had to think before we made our opinion. It was not as easy as looking at drugs and say that it is bad. Moreover, different group members all had differing opinions and hence we had lots of ideas and multiple perspectives from everyone and all of us could argue our points and it was kind of a debate thus it was very enjoyable.
18. In what ways has PBL enhanced your understanding of how real-world problems are solved?
The PBL emphasizes a lot on teamwork and social skills. This is very similar to problems in our real-world because we find that we usually need to coordinate a lot with other people and lots of negotiation and discussion has to be done before something is agreed. For example, the
19. In what ways can you apply the knowledge/skills learnt in other areas?
I have certainly learnt many important skills during the course of the PBL. Technically, I have learnt different software and how to do it efficiently, such as mind maps, online surveys and also researching tools. I find it very convenient to research now due to the vast amount of information on the Internet and am pleased with what I have found. Problem solving skills have also definitely been improved and now it becomes instinctive for me to look at a problem at different areas so as to fully understand and produce the ideal solution for the problem. Besides, through mind mappings, I have learnt to be more organized and concise with my points and thoughts. I also find I can apply these skills to other subjects such as mathematics whereby everything needs to be clear and concise. Furthermore, a time management skill is gained too. As all of us have very tight schedules, I think that being able to meet datelines nonetheless is a commendable feat.
20. In what ways were the blogs (yours and other groups') useful while working on the PBl activity?
Blogs are easy editing tools and allows us to post lots of information for others and ourselves to read. It is also very convenient to surf other groups’ blogs to read up on what they have done so that we can get an idea of the standard of other groups. Furthermore, I found it very good to post and read comments which I felt helped us a lot in letting us know our weak areas and what we can do to improve on our work. Overall, it was good to use blogs not only as a medium to communication but also as a source of information.
21. Describe some ways in which the web 2.0 tools (e.g. Wiki, Blog, Chat tools, bubbl.us etc.) have been useful for the PBL?
I really feel that all these web tools enhanced our learning process. The wikispaces allowed us easy access of materials, bubbl.us made it easy to construct mind maps which were effective in our learning and chat tools like msn messenger allowed fast and convenient communication. Also, I find it very good to be able to use such technology as they allow us to study faster and better.
22. In the PBL, you were required to construct mindmaps, which went through a few rounds of editing. In what ways has the mindmap and the process been useful in helping you to solve the task for the PBL activity?
The mind maps allowed me to understand the problem statement better because I could expand on certain areas that I was not really sure about and also made it easy for the whole group to share their ideas because everyone could put in something. Furthermore, the editing of the mind map allowed us to also decide on what parts of the PBL to include and what to exclude, hence it made the group more focused on the problem statement.
Thus thanks to the mind maps; I was better able to understand what the PBL demanded to us and what we had to do. Three cheers to it!
23. After doing the Learning Needs Survey (your responses here), you would now have a better understanding of your learning style (description found here). In what ways has the PBL activity catered to your style of learning?
I love to look at diagrams and the PBL certainly offers it as there are lots of mind maps to look at which help in my learning. Moreover, I find that I study better with all the information and hence with the PBL, I can get everything I wanted and it has been really beneficial to me.
24. After doing the Learning Needs Survey (your responses here), you would now have a better understanding of your learning style (description found here). In what ways has the PBL activity NOT catered to your style of learning?
I find that the PBL has been largely catering to my learning style.
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