Problem-Based Learning, also known as PBL, is commanding increasing attention as an approach to education that promotes students' active engagement in learning and involves them in thinking about their learning. Howard Barrows and Ann Kelson, renowned experts in PBL from Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, have defined PBL as a total approach to education: there is a PBL process and there is a PBL curriculum. PBL, however, is not equivalent to "problem-centered" or "project-based" methodologies or problem-solving activities, though it includes elements also found in those.
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Problem-Based Learning involves the use
of complex, "real-world" problems as the
stimulus and framework for learning. It is based
on the premise that students will be motivated to "want to know"
and solve the problem posed because it is presented
in a context that simulates real world situations.
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So, what is PBL? Problem-Based Learning involves the use of complex, "real-world" problems as the stimulus and framework for learning. It is based on the premise that students will be motivated to "want to know" and solve the problem posed because it is presented in a context that simulates real world situations. Acquiring knowledge in the context in which it is meant to be used facilitates recall and application of concepts and skills learned (Gijselaers, 1996). Furthermore, as students engage in solving the problem, they develop critical thinking and problem solving skills while learning content and skills essential to the course.
PBL is not new. This educational approach has been used in medical schools for at least 3 decades. In 1969 McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences developed a new medical school curriculum using problem-based learning as its foundation. This new approach was to be used throughout the entire 3-year curriculum. By the early 1980s, other medical schools had adopted a curriculum based on PBL, some as a parallel program for a subset of students, others in specific courses or as an entire curriculum. Not until more recently, however, has PBL been embraced by institutions of higher education in areas of education other than health related.
As PBL has been disseminated and adapted to meet specific curricular needs, it has evolved. Many institutions have designed "hybrid" approaches to their curriculum, blending PBL with elements of conventional instructional approaches. However, in spite of the variations in implementation, some elements will always be required to make PBL effective and true to its intent:
- Learning is student centered. Students are encouraged to become actively engaged in the process and become responsible not only for their own learning, but for the learning of others in the group.
- Learning occurs in collaborative environments. Students work in small groups of 5-10 individuals and build teamwork skills as they try to solve the problem together.
- Teachers act as facilitators, called "tutors." Teachers do not lecture to deliver content, but guide students in the processes of discovery, inquiry, analysis and reporting.
- Problems are the stimulus for learning and are a vehicle for the development of problem-solving skills. Problems have no single "right" answers; students learn by trying to solve the problem.
According to Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, the aim of PBL is
- to produce students who will Engage a challenge (problem, complex task, situation) with initiative and enthusiasm.
- Reason effectively, accurately and creatively, from an integrated, flexible and usable knowledge base.
- Employ effective self-directed learning skills to continue learning as a lifetime habit.
- Continuously monitor and assess the adequacy of their knowledge, problem-solving and self-directed learning skills to achieve a desirable outcome given a challenge.
- Collaborate effectively as a member of
a team working to achieve a common goal.
The PBL Process
PBL has been described by Barrows and Tamblyn (cited by Wilkerson and Gijselaers, 1996) as a process of "hypothetico-deductive" reasoning: students need to acquire data essential to solving the problem, synthesize the data into hypotheses, and then test those hypotheses by collecting additional data. The process can also be thought of as a cycle of analysis-research-report.
In a PBL environment, students are asked to solve a given problem. The problem is posed to the students before relevant information has been presented through any medium, including texts or lectures, about the subject matter underlying the problem.
Students work in small groups of 5-10 to analyze the problem and determine what information they already have and what information they do not know and need to learn in order to solve the problem. First, students brainstorm ideas that could be possible solutions or ideas that could lead to solutions after more information has been gathered. In other words, they propose hypotheses. Then, they list facts based on their prior knowledge and generate questions or "learning issues" about what kind of knowledge or information they need to acquire to explain the fundamental causes of the problem. Each student, or a group of students, selects one or more learning issues to research and develops a plan of action: what to investigate and how to go about investigating it. The learning issues define the focus of the self-directed learning process. New information is acquired through self-directed learning, when students work together discussing, comparing, and reviewing what they have learned. Students do research on the learning issues using a variety of resources. Students may work in groups or individually, but time is available for independent study.
Students return to the group and report on what new information they have gathered. They review the problem and assess progress in light of the new knowledge. Hypotheses are revised. New learning issues may arise. The cycle is repeated until the problem has been resolved. Once they are finished with a problem, students engage in self and peer assessment of their performance.
The instructor, acting as a tutor, facilitates the process by asking probing questions, monitoring the problem-solving process, and making resources available.
What is an Effective PBL "Problem"?
A problem is a statement of a real-life scenario designed to challenge learners, promote the acquisition of knowledge, encourage the development of effective problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and require collaboration with peers. Problems need to be relevant to incite students' interest and their desire to solve the problem and to maintain motivation. Typically, scenarios focus on current events; the students' life, field of study, or line of work; classic works within a discipline; application of concepts to everyday life. The most effective problems are complex, open-ended, present a minimal amount of information, and do not have one right solution or require only one way of reaching a solution. These types of problems ensure that students get engaged in the process of analysis, generation of hypotheses, inquiry, evaluation of data, and decision making.
Developing an effective PBL problemis not easy. It requires training in problem development and a considerable amount of time for the design. If you are interested in learning more about PBL and how to develop effective PBL problems, plan to attend:
PBL in Maricopa
April 20, 2001
8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Featuring Ann Kelson
Estrella Mountain Community College
Center for Teaching and Learning
For more information
on PBL Day, contact:
Rosemary Leary, EMCC, (623) 935-8473
rosemary.leary@emcmail.maricopa.edu
Roger Yohe, EMCC, (623) 935-8070
roger.yohe@emcmail.maricopa.edu
References
Gijselaers, W.H. "Connecting
Problem-Based Practices with Educational Theory." In
Wilkerson, L. & Gijselaers, W.H. (eds.), Bringing
Problem-Based Learning to Higher Education: Theory
and Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.
Wilkerson, L. & Gijselaers, W.H.
(eds.), Bringing Problem-Based Learning to
Higher Education: Theory and Practice. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.
Problem-Based Learning Initiative (PBLI)
at Southern Illinois University School of
Medicine: www.pbli.org
For more information on PBL,
visit the mcli web site at:
www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/pbl/
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