Overview
Dates: July 29–30, 2025
Location: South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD), Meepe, Sri Lanka
Facilitator: Professor Emeritus Lakshman Samaranayake, Hong Kong University
The South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD), in collaboration with UNESCO Category 2 Centre (C2C), successfully hosted a groundbreaking two-day seminar and workshop on Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The event featured internationally renowned educator, Professor Emeritus Lakshman Samaranayake, and brought together nearly 30 influential teacher educators and administrators from across Sri Lanka’s educational landscape.
Attendees included representatives from:
National Colleges of Education (NCoEs)
Public and private sector schools
Open University of Sri Lanka
Regional English Support Centres (RESC)
Participants engaged in a blend of theoretical exploration and hands-on practice, with a focus on developing and implementing PBL strategies tailored for South Asian classrooms.
Aim of this Event
This seminar and workshop was designed to promote transformative pedagogical practices and reimagine teacher education through Problem-Based Learning. The event aimed to:
Deepen understanding of PBL theory and methodology
Equip educators with practical skills in problem formulation
Enhance capacity for collaborative learning and issue-based instruction
Encourage participants to act as change agents in their respective institutions
The Results
The event proved to be a catalyst for pedagogical innovation:
Live demonstrations and tutorials enabled educators to internalize and test key PBL concepts.
Participants collaborated on problem writing exercises, identifying learning issues in real time.
Five outstanding abstracts were recognized with merit certificates and awards from Professor Samaranayake, celebrating their innovative approaches to PBL.
The Academic Affairs and International Relations teams of SACTD played a key role in delivering a seamless, impactful learning experience.
The workshop has also initiated a long-term learning process:
A post-workshop experience sharing session will be held soon via the SACTD Community Learning Platform, enabling participants to reflect, exchange feedback, and troubleshoot challenges collaboratively.
30
Institutional Partnerships Formed
100+
Institutional Partnerships Formed
Conducted by Professor Emeritus Lakshman Samaranayake, the transformative workshop on Problem-Based Learning equipped educators with practical strategies to implement innovative, student-centered approaches in their classrooms across Sri Lanka.
