Problem based learning

This study is based on Problem Based Learning (PBL). A total of 56 First Year BEng/BSc students were organized into 18 groups, of different sizes. A numerical problem was given and solutions provided by the students working in separate groups in the classroom for 30 minutes were marked. Group work, in this formative assessment, gave the students an opportunity to collaboratively analyze, synthesize and evaluate ideas. The data did not establish a causal relation between group size and performance. Further investigations are needed to examine additional quantitative relations between variables.