Designing problem-based learning in virtual learning environments – Positioning teachers as competent practitioners and designers

In the recent years Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) have been widely adopted within Higher Education and other educational domains. However, it seems that the adoption has had more administrative impact, than fundamentally reshaping pedagogical practices. Some argue VLEs have become content-silos enforcing traditional instructional strategies, and therefore suggest we turn our attention towards web 2.0 technologies and Personal Learning Environments (PLEs). Others warn against falling into the trap of fuelling a ‘technological determinism’, where we are continuously looking for the next ‘technological fix’, as if new technologies will automatically incur innovative, pedagogical changes. I argue that changing from instructional strategies to more student-centred approaches, such as Problem Based Learning (PBL), is not merely accomplished through adopting particular technologies, and that we need to have a more thorough debate of what we mean by student-centred pedagogy or PBL. In addition, I argue there is a need to step back from discussing advanced tools and technologies, and reflect on the role of teachers in these debates. I hold that teachers are competent practitioners and designers of pedagogical practices. However, they may need mediating design artefacts, as ways of prompting reflection and to promote teacher-driven innovation of their own educational practices. One such method and mediating design artefact is the CoED method, which I present and discuss in this chapter. I present the background to the method and discuss a case where the design tool has been adopted to aid practitioners in re-thinking and re-designing their existing practices for learning in online environments. The example is from an EU-project where there was a particular focus on implementing web 2.0 tools and PBL-inspired principles into a number of pilot-courses. I conclude the chapter by discussing the potentials and limitations of the CoED-method. I discuss it in terms of its capacity to support change processes for teachers in reflecting on own practice, and in preparing for teaching PBL in virtual learning environments.