The Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education is an official journal of Institute for Advanced Study in Problem Based Learning at Aalborg University. The journal is international and peer reviewed.

The journal features original high-quality research articles and case studies on problem-based learning with a focus on higher education. We welcome papers on all relevant topics and themes within the scope of the journal, based on empirical and/or theoretical research, as well as descriptive cases and explorative cases.

The journal is day-to-day managed by an editorial team of cross-faculty researchers associated with IAS-PBL. The current editor-in-chief is associate professor Patrik Kjærsdam Telléus (Faculty of Medicine).

While guest editors or special issue editors are responsible for the content and management of their specific issues, the editor-in-chief holds the ultimate responsibility for the journal's overall content and integrity. This ensures consistency and adherence to the journal's standards and policies.

To ensure the quality and proper development of the journal, the journal is supervised by an editorial board consisting of acknowledged PBL researchers from across the world. The board meets with the editorial team annually to evaluate and discuss the progress of the journal.    

The journal is indexed in/by Scopus, ERIC, Crossref, DOAJ: Directory of Open access Journals, Sherpa Romeo, EBSCO, and the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers (Kanalregistret).

We define problem-based learning in a broad sense, characterized by the principles applied at Aalborg University. These are:

• Project organization creates the framework of problem-based learning
• Courses support the project work
• Cooperation is a driving force in problem-based project work
• The problem-based project work of groups must be exemplary
• The students are responsible for their own learning achievements

Variations of these principles as well as other relevant supportive additions to the comprehension of PBL are accepted. The definition and/or application of PBL must be clear and distinctly presented, and well anchored in the acknowledged literature.

We define higher education as all forms of education from and above the level of post-secondary education, sometimes referred to as the third (and beyond) or the tertiary level of education.

Higher education is typically offered by universities, colleges, vocational colleges, art academies and business academies. Common to higher education is that the graduate obtains an academic degree or some equivalent form of advanced authorization or certification.   

The Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education strives to be a global outlet for high-quality scholarship in problem-based learning in higher education, and actively seeks to promote transformative and progressive university pedagogy.

The journal publishes state of the art rigorous research related to problem-based learning in higher education and wishes to emerge as one of the leading international platforms for PBL researchers and practitioners in higher education.

We have deliberately dedicated the journal to the specific scope of PBL in higher education, to sustain the journal as a specialized and focused publication and information channel at the top level of academia.  

Papers submitted to the journal are first examined by the editorial team for formal requirements and an initial quality assessment. If chosen for review, a managing editor assign two reviewers for research papers, and one reviewer for case studies.

The reviewers look for originality and scientific quality in the context of related research. Reviews generally are completed within 30-50 days.

If the research paper or case study is accepted for publication, it will be published in the next available issue. Our acceptance rate is presently at 37% (2024).

Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education is published annually (late Autumn). In addition to the annual issue, we generally publish one special issue per year based on a specific call for papers and together with some collaborative expert editors. If you have a suggestion for a special issue, you are welcome to contact the editor-in-chief.

If you wish to seek publication with us, please visit our submission guidelines. Here you will find the formal requirements and procedural instructions. You will also find a detailed description of how we perceive, and what we expect from research papers and case studies respectively.