Changing the higher education paradigm in Moldova: the steady necessity in today’s world

Abstract

The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a conceptually new model of higher education that involves student-centered learning and actively engages students in problem solving. PBL speaks to the current world’s challenges and developments and places a student in the center of learning as opposed to a teacher in the traditional higher education. Today, the young people have an access to a large bulk of information and not only can learn but also gain experience by solving different problems they encounter. This article describes the background for changing higher education paradigm in the modern world, the PBL’s principles and advantages for the current education system and in the future, and the possible challenges arising from the shift from the traditional learning to PBL. In addition, the article discusses the Kurt Lewin’s force field theory regarding the shift to PBL in the Moldovan universities as well as the factors that promote the changing process. In conclusion, the article suggests that the changes in the higher education paradigm would help the Moldovan universities to overcome the existing difficulties, move to the new stage of their development, and become more competitive in the international context.