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Problem based learning (PBL) is an approach to learning and teaching developed to encourage students to actively investigate critical issues associated with course topics, to integrate their knowledge of different aspects of the topic, to apply theory to practice, to challenge their own thinking and presuppositions by negotiating solutions with other students in small teams, to develop teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills, and to think deeply about the topic to develop higher-level thinking and solutions.
PBL has been described as 'a student-centred pedagogical strategy that poses significant, contextualised, real-world, ill-structured situations while providing resources, guidance, instruction and opportunities for reflection to learners as they develop content knowledge and problem-solving skills' (Hoffman & Ritchie, 1997).
The method is ambitious in its intentions, as it was developed to overcome a number of problems that were apparent using a more conventional teaching approach.
The major issues that PBL was designed to address stem from content heavy curricula that are divided into separate topics with no underlying integrating mechanism. Students do not appear to integrate their understanding into a flexible and effective way of dealing with complex issues. Some symptoms of the broader issues are:
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Lack of engagement with the topic
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surface learning
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inability to relate theory to practice
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expectations that all the answers will be provided by the lecturers.
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Lack of willingness or capability to investigate issues
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inability to integrate different aspects of the discipline.
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Inability to access or apply knowledge learned in previous years.
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Inability to deal with complex issues that have no algorithmic solution
Students are motivated to learn by complex and problematic situations or scenarios that represent realistic issues for the discipline. The problem scenarios are based on the type of real-world situations that the students may have to deal with as a working professional. The realistic nature of the problem is part of the student's motivation. The challenge is to represent the problem scenario in the realistic manner, with sufficient information directly related to the problem for the students to be able to perceive its full complexity and to be able to resolve it. This can be thought of as the problem space. It may include a brief from the hypothetical (or even real) person who is experiencing the problem and requires a proposed resolution.
Students, then need a way of resolving the problem scenario (remember -- this is not an approach for problems that have a single correct solution). Students support has three main aspects:
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Guidelines,
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resources
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support framework.
Students may need the above to form an interactive system, including academic staff, to guide their learning.
Having been given a large open-ended task, some guidance or scaffolding is necessary. This may take many forms, including process suggestions (for example, in your groups, first examine all aspects of the task and redefine the problem issue), workshops and discussions on how to apply problem-solving methods, how to work in groups, and other relevant guidelines. They should not refer to the specifics of the problem -- only approaches to the resolution of generic problems of this nature.
This may be the course content. Textbooks, notes, articles, lectures, Web sources, are all resources that the students may need. Traditional lectures and tutorials may change to emphasise analytical techniques and problem-solving processes. The problem brief may require the students to take account of specific issues and topics, and to make intermediate reports after specific aspects had been applied. These still maintain the realism as progress reports after specific stages, such as a preliminary analysis, detailed plan, final report, are natural to a problem-solving process.
All resources must be generic to the topic, and not specific to the problem. The students must own the problem, not the academic staff. This can be thought of as the resource bace. Generic information and technical resources should not need to be changed if next year's course offering presents the students with a different problem (so the details and some solutions do not get handed down to next year's students). This is a test. You are teaching, or facilitating, a way of solving a particular type of problem, not how to resolve a specific problem. This is the distinction between the problem space and the resource base, and part of the way that the students clearly own the problem.
The support framework enables the learning process to take place. This is the means of organising the interaction between the students and staff, to access and use the guidelines and resources to come up with an appropriate resolution.
An online learning management system (LMS) may be a critical part of the support framework for the PBL course. The LMS may provide:
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Access to all items and data that define the problem scenario.
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Additional information relevant to the problem revealed over time
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Access to all resource items.
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Communication between academic staff and students to discuss issues and provide guidance. This provides access out of class time
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Communication among students, including discussion areas, the small groups engaged in resolving the problem task. This enables communication to continue outside of class time, and provides a written record of discussion, contributions, drafts of reports, etc.
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A means of monitoring student progress and identifying difficulties that may hold back progress in time to intervene to support an appropriate process.
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A means of submitting assessments.
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Online tutorials as resources will learning techniques.
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Tools such as specialised spreadsheets.
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Administrative processes.
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A mechanism for student peer review.
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Enable access to dynamic data.
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A means of evaluating the process by gathering student feedback.
The LMS should enable staff to focus on higher-level issues in contact time with the students, as it manages basic information transfer and administrative processes.
Student activity |
Learning process |
Teacher activity |
LMS |
Attending |
Orientation |
Introduce process, benefits, expectations. |
Information on process and benefits |
Attending, questioning |
Access problem /project scenario and needs |
Present or arrange and guide access |
Realistic presentation and access to problem/project scenario and documentation |
Attending, questioning |
Task definition |
Facilitate definition and clarification of issue and requirements |
Guidelines on task requirements |
Examine task documentation and expectations - discuss to reach a shared understanding of the task |
Investigate task and redefine |
Facilitate group processes as needed - 'scaffold' investigation and clarification |
Guidelines on investigation and group processes
Access to resources and analytical tools
Access to communication tools such as class and small group discussions |
Investigate available resources and agree on a process for investigation and stage 1 resolution
Individual learning and group discussion
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Investigate resources
Analyse needs and focus on knowledge and skills required to meet the needs
Learn through investigation, workshops and group discussion |
Facilitate group processes as needed - 'scaffold' effective use of resources and possible search for additional resources
Workshops on generic knowledge and skills for problem resolution |
Guidelines on investigation and group processes
Access to resources and analytical tools
Access to communication tools such as class and small group discussion |
Individual learning |
Individual skill development
Submission of individual assessment item |
Run workshops
Guide learning processes |
Individual learning activity such as tutorials, assignment or quizzes
Handle submission
Report progress on individual learning activities |
Negotiate appropriate resolution for stage and write report |
Develop stage 1 of project and report
Critical reflection on ideas through discussion, negotiation, writing and team review |
Facilitate group writing process
Give feedback on first stage report
Facilitate reflection |
Guidelines
Communication tools
Structured reflection and peer review |
Consider feedabck and requirements for next stage
Negotiate development process and roles with group members |
Reexamine task and redefine
Reflect on stage 1 feedback, review and discuss
Negotiate on outcomes of reflection and plan next stage |
Facilitate task review and decision making on next stage of investigation |
Guidelines on investigation and group processes
Access to resources and analytical tools
Access to communication tools such as class and small group discussion |
Individual learning |
Individual skill development
Submission of individual assessment item |
Run workshops
Guide learning processes |
Individual learning activity such as tutorials, assignment or quizzes
Handle submission
Report progress on individual learning activities |
Research, investigate, learn from available sources or find additional ones as necessary to complete the task.
Discuss progress with group members - plan and conduct tasks as a team. |
Investigate resources / research / design / experiment / negotiate / as appropriate to task
Learn through investigation, workshops and group discussion |
Facilitate group processes as needed - 'scaffold' effective use of resources and possible search for additional resources
Workshops on generic knowledge and skills for problem resolution
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Guidelines on investigation and group processes
Access to resources and analytical tools
Access to communication tools such as class and small group discussion
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| Negotiate appropriate resolution for stage and write report |
Develop stage 2 [as many stages as necessary] / final report
Critical reflection on ideas through discussion, negotiation, writing and team review |
Facilitate group writing process
Facilitate reflection |
Access to resources and analytical tools
Access to communication tools such as class and small group discussion
Structured reflection and peer review
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Hoffman, B., & Ritchie, D. (1997). Using multimedia to overcome the problems with problem based learning. Instructional Science, 25, 97-115.
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