Evaluation of Problem-Based Learning in Rural University Education

In Colombia, the rural population experiences difficulties in accessing higher education and suffers from high dropout and low graduation rates due to its socioeconomic challenges, difficult to-reach locations, and low-quality secondary education, thereby generating inequality and exclusion. This study explores how project-based learning (PBL) affects the sense of inclusion for rural students in higher education, an area with limited existing research. Specifically, it examines the perceptions and experiences of students in the Special Program of Admission and Academic Mobility (PEAMA) at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia SUMAPAZ campus and how this teaching method impacts their inclusion. The data from the semi-structured interviews with open questions was analyzed through thematic analysis, and three key themes related to inclusion were identified: aspirations and opportunities, adaptation, and problem-solving attitudes. These topics allowed us to conclude that the students are grateful for the inclusion opportunity that the Program offers them, since without it, they would not have had access to Higher Education.