Online PBL and Critical Thinking: Effects of Self-Regulated Learning Levels in Computer Science
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of online problem-based learning (PBL) in enhancing critical thinking among novice programmers with varying levels of self-regulated learning (SRL). While PBL has been widely studied in traditional settings, this study uniquely examines the integration of online PBL with SRL to enhance critical thinking. This area remains underexplored in the field of programming education.
Problem-based learning (PBL) emphasizes learning behaviors that lead to critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaborative skills, preparing students for professional academic skills.
A quasi-experimental design involving pre-test and post-test on the experimental and control groups was used in this study. The experimental group used online PBL, while the control group followed direct instruction. The sample comprised 120 second-year Bachelor of Computer Science students from two different higher education institutions. The participants were evenly divided between the experimental group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60). Critical thinking was measured using Yoon’s Critical Thinking Disposition instrument, which evaluates students’ critical thinking.
This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge by highlighting the effectiveness of online PBL in learning and its potential to enhance the critical thinking of students with diverse SRL levels.
The results revealed that students in the experimental group scored significantly better on the critical thinking test compared to the control group (F = 5.87, p < .05), with mean scores of 101.98 and 97.85, respectively. These findings revealed that the integration of online PBL with SRL fostered positive improvements in students’ critical thinking.
Provide professional development for practitioners to effectively design, implement, and facilitate online PBL experiences.
The findings may encourage other researchers to apply the online problem-based learning approach in different courses and provide evidence that online PBL can serve as a viable alternative to traditional direct instruction.
Our study emphasized the importance of encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration to create PBL tasks that mirror real-world challenges and prepare students for professional practice.
Future work can experiment with online PBL to explore its potential in other disciplines and educational contexts.
Back