Students’ experiences of individual interaction

The students’ experiences of individual interaction consisted of two types of working manner for the students, which were divided into 1) independence and cooperation and 2) roles and characters (Figure 2). Independence and cooperation included two parts named respectively independent work and group work. Roles and characteristics was composed of roles playing and characters of group members

Independence and cooperation consisted of individual work and group work. PBL contained the independent study for students. The student indicated it was a preference to hold on independent work at first before the further group discussion pertaining to making decisions on the answers of questions. The part of PBL learning cycle was also regarded as an independent learning phase contributed by group supports, which could offer the students a unique learning manner of comparing and combining the learning results from individual independent study and various answers from other group members.

“Independent studies. I realized that PBL gave me the chance to study on my own and then compare with my group members what I have.” Participant 14

Group work in PBL allowed the students to know how to incorporate with the rest of group members. The students shared the multiple concepts and knowledge and evaluated the searched information associated with the identified PBL problem. The group members hold the group’s own final meeting for collecting the individually searched information, incorporating comments and making decisions based on the most recurrent or noticeable knowledge and proposals. The final meeting was purposed to find out and refine the appropriate and useful resolutions to be implemented in patients’ nursing care. All of the mentioned tasks were required to complete under the group working atmosphere.

“The group finally meets and members collect their answers and select the most recurrent or salient points as the correct answers or solution to the problem.”

Participant 7

The PBL assisted the participants to be used to learning and working under a group working atmosphere. In the final phase of PBL, when addressing group presentation, the students considered it was the opportunity to learn how to cooperate with group members effectively

by achieving the group goals and presenting the group tasks. Meanwhile, with the purpose of completing the group tasks successfully, group members had the intentions to supply own personal ideas and make the efforts. It was emphasized by the participant it was fair chance for each member to participate into the final presentation as part of group work by sharing transparently searched knowledge within the group.

“Learning to work as a team. Teamwork was important especially when we had to prepare the final presentation. All group members contributed their ideas and inputs and we were able to successfully complete our task.” Participant 17

Based on students’ acknowledge to PBL’s study manner, the independence and cooperation were actually twisted together to strengthen the efficiency of group working in PBL. Within the whole process of PBL, the question formulation based on the case required the group members to work together. After that, information search was processed individually for answering the formulated question and construct the individual knowledge system. In order to obtain the final results of group work, group members need to discuss and integrate the individually received knowledge into the final combined report.

“Formulating questions that we as a group have to solve based on the case, writing its answers personally by researching and then discussing those individual answers in a group.” Participant 18

Roles and characteristics could be described by the following two subcategories that were role playing and group members. At the beginning period of PBL cycle, the students were arranged with different roles in each group. As the participant described, the role of chairman as the leader guiding in the group meetings was beneficial to make the students to be familiar with the abilities of organization, coordination and leading skills in the group activities.

Simultaneously, each member had the opportunity respectively to be the chairman, secretary and observer in the different session of PBL. The skill of leadership and arrangement were practiced and strengthened by applying the rotation of roles on each group member within a group. No other rules were mentioned in the participants’ answers.

“Learning to perform in different roles during the session. Performing as a chairperson for example has helped to improve my ability to organize, coordinate and lead the group.” Participant 17

Besides role playing mentioned previously, the learning style of PBL involving students’

active participation was pleased and effective to promote advancements in the knowledge and capacities, which also reflected the student’s attention that PBL learning method involving students’ individual participation attracted students to be active in the independent study. The students reflected PBL enhanced the interest and effect of learning in conjunction with thorough self-reading with extensive range of knowledge and information compared with other types of group work with less reading amount.

“Personally, not only PBL but I enjoyed and learn more in any teaching styles that involves students’ participation more.” Participant 18

“It made learning more interesting and effective as I had to read everything myself, compared with usual group work where each group is only responsible of a part of the essay/presentation, and might not even look as the whole picture of the topic.”

Participant 8

Group members could participate in the group work actively with enough interest and passion. The behaviors from some group members with less attention on the PBL could affect the learning motivation negatively and suppress the expression of group opinions and ideas.

Lack of motivation for learning in the process of PBL appeared in some group members, which was regarded as one of characteristics of the group members when they facing the group work. Furthermore, some students’ being indifferent attitude and little interest on the PBL learning were considered as learning experience lacking enthusiasm and the interference in the whole process.

“I think the descriptive word “worse” is unmatchable with the learning experience I got because it was brilliant. There were members who showed excellence in participation, and there were some whose interest is not 100%. These members in some way will pull your motivation, and your good ideas to bring what is best for the whole group.” Participant 16

“The lack of motivation by some group members, especially the close to PBL, some members lost interest and had a ‘whatever’ attitude.” Participant 17

Figure 3. Students’ experiences of individual interaction