A number of students of the six universities where the problem-based learning (PBL) method has been implemented will go on formation and study trips to the UK and Denmark. In a news conference at IPN, students involved in the project that is part of the EU program for education, training, youth and sport “Erasmus+” said the PBL method enables to improve the personal and professional capacities. Under this method, they managed to achieve good results and worked in a team and the skills acquired at the university will help them in the professional activity.
The six involved universities are: State University of Moldova, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemitanu”, Academy of Economic Studies, “Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu” State University of Cahul, Technical University and “Alecu Russo” State University of Balti.
Technical University pro-rector Larisa Bugaian said each university chose an individual way of implementing the new method. For example, the students who study business and administration received a list of problems and each team chose one on which they worked. The medical students applied the PBL method to a concrete case concerning a disease.
Larisa Bugaian noted this student-centered learning method makes the students not only to look for the required information, but to also individually identify methods of solving problems. The teamwork is another advantage as this enables the students to exchange practices between them. The academic mobility for students is an opportunity. When the students return to the country, they will share their experience with their mates. Roundtable meetings will be staged at the universities for the purpose.
Problem-Based Learning project coordinator Romeo Turcan, teacher of the Aalborg University of Denmark, said the program included activities by interdisciplinary teams that consisted of students of the six universities and this is a practice that will be continued in the future. The PBL method will be implemented the next academic year as well, starting with September 1, 2018.
As regards academic mobility, Romeo Turcan noted that besides sharing their experience with old mates on return, the students involved in this practice will be able to explain the advantages and opportunities of the project to new mates too.
“What can be better than the improvement of the education process that becomes healthy? This system is very applicable and welcome for specialization,” said Valeriu Podborski, department head at the Technical University of Moldova. Traditionally, all the specialties require an annual thesis that is mainly compiled at home, individually, but teamwork is anyway better as this method develops skills in students.
