A PBL Approach for Teaching Complex Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skills in Higher Education

This study explored the use of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach for teaching information and communication technology (ICT) skills to first-year students. Two questions were posed. The first addressed the ICT skill needs of 20 students enrolled in a first-year composition course. The second focused on the use of PBL to facilitate ICT skill acquisition. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed. Results indicate that ICT instruction was most useful when: (1) students defined/interpreted information needs by recalling prior knowledge and experiences; (2) those interpretations were tested, refined, rejected, or revised for a specific purpose; (3) access to resources and tools (artifacts, symbols, and language) were readily available; and (4) formative feedback supported critical thinking about the information retrieval process. These findings provided important insights into using PBL to facilitate and reinforce learning.