Problem based learning and the construction of an SLP curriculum

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a learner-centered, small group learning pedagogy that emphasizes knowledge as an emergent and socially constructed property of learners' relationships to information; and which is thought to bridge some of the issues related to the theory-practice gap in professional education. The current paper aims to explore the philosophical groundings of this method, some of the research pertaining to its use in SLP curricula; and practical suggestions for its application, based on the author's experiences of implementing this method in a new SLP curriculum at University College Cork (UCC), Republic of Ireland. More specifically, this paper examines the theoretical basis for PBL, problem construction and suggestions for how the method can be incorporated into an SLP curriculum at tertiary level.