Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

A vision for learning

What is PBL?

Problem-based learning is a pedagogical strategy for posing significant, contextualized, real world situations, and providing resources, guidance, and instruction to learners as they develop content knowledge and problem-solving skills (Mayo, Donnelly, Nash, & Schwartz, 1993).

What is Learning?

Learning (is) a process that culminates in the ability: to ask the right questions and frame good

problems, to acquire information and evaluate sources of

information to critically investigate and solve problems, to make choices among many alternatives to explain concepts to others (both verbally and

in writing) and to generalize to new situations." Ganter &

Kinder, 1998)

Subject Based Learning

START

Told what we Need to know

Learn It

Given problem to Illustrate how

to use it

Problem Based Learning

Apply It

Start

Problem PosedIdentify what we know

And what we needTo know

Learn It

WHY PBL?

Corporations and employers have frequently and publicly complained about the lack of professional awareness and low level of communication and teamwork skills in engineering graduates

Required Skills (ABET Criteria 2000)

Independent and Interdependent learning; Lifelong learning skills

Problem solving; Critical thinking and; Creativity

Interpersonal/Group/Team skills Communication skills Assessment and self-assessment skills Integration of disciplinary knowledge Managing change

Why PBL Continued

Engineers are called to know vast amounts of information that is increasing more rapidly than the ability of the engineering curricula to cover it

Most of engineering is done cooperatively Numerous surveys in industry place

communication and teamwork at the top of their list of desirable skills for new engineering graduates

Why PBL?

Engineers are increasingly finding more non-traditional type employment

Cooperatively taught students tend to have: Better and longer information retention Higher grades More highly developed critical thinking and problem

solving skills Better interpersonal and communication skills Higher self-esteem Lower levels of anxiety

Eight Tasks in PBL

Explore the problem, create hypotheses, identify issues, elaborate

Try to solve the problem with what you currently know to see what pertinent information you already know

Identify what you DO NOT know and therefore what you need to know because of your lack of knowledge is impeding the solution to the problem

Eight Tasks continued

Prioritize the learning needs; set learning goals and objectives; and allocate resources so that you know what is expected of you by when. For a group, members can identify which tasks each will do

Self-study and preparation

Eight Tasks continued

For a group, share the new knowledge effectively so that all the members of the group learn the information

Apply the knowledge to solve the problem Give yourself feedback by assessing the new

knowledge, the problem solution, and the effectiveness of the process used. Reflect on the process.

Woods, D. R. (1994). Problem-based Learning: How to Gain the most from PBL. Hamilton, Ontario: McMaster University

BENEFITS OF PBL?

More effective learning of the subject Knowledge stored in LTM as improved

structure Chance to develop “lifelong learning skills”

Coping with change Problem solving Communication Interpersonal Self-assessment

CHALLENGES

May be uncomfortable with PBLAmount of information learned in each

case may be less that what we would like to know (need vs. want)

Seems that it takes longer to learn the same subject knowledge

Need to develop problem solving skills and awareness of our learning process

What is the most meaningful insight that you have gained about PBL?