Integrating Problem-Based Learning with Academic Service Learning: A Case Study of a Health Communication Literacy Workshop for the Elderly in Bueng Yitho Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, Thailand

Abstract

This action research investigates the integration of ProblemBased Learning (PBL) with academic service to society, using a case study of the “Health Communication Literacy Workshop for the Elderly” conducted in Bueng Yitho Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. The study was designed with four primary objectives: (1) to develop a PBL-based instructional model integrated with academic service; (2) to assess students’ satisfaction with the integrated learning experience; (3) to evaluate the satisfaction levels of elderly participants who attended the workshop; and (4) to examine the overall effectiveness of the academic service activities. The research sample consisted of 52 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Communication Arts, North Bangkok University, and 30 elderly participants from the local community.

The findings demonstrated that the integration of PBL and academic service enabled students to participate actively in real-world learning processes, beginning with problem identification concerning elderly health communication literacy. Students were involved in designing training activities, delivering content, and facilitating knowledge exchange with elderly participants. This process fostered essential competencies among students, including analytical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, and community engagement skills. Post-activity evaluations indicated that student satisfaction was consistently high across all dimensions, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of learning activities and content relevance. Likewise, elderly participants reported high satisfaction, particularly with the quality of trainers, the appropriateness of workshop content, the organization of the schedule, and the facilitation of activities.

In addition, the elderly participants showed significant improvement in their ability to critically evaluate and distinguish between accurate and inaccurate health information, as well as to assess the credibility of various information sources. The academic service activity was deemed successful in meeting its intended outcomes, with students effectively delivering academic services and elderly participants gaining valuable knowledge that enhances their health media literacy. The study concludes that the integration of PBL with academic service not only strengthens students’ professional development and applied learning but also contributes meaningfully to community well-being. These findings suggest that such a model holds significant potential for broader implementation across diverse interdisciplinary educational contexts.