Problem Based Learning
Problem Based Learning, or PBL, is a simple concept developed because of a perceived lack of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The concept is that students learn by confronting real-world problems in a meaningful context.
Originally developed for medical students at McMaster University Medical School, PBL has been extended into almost all disciplines and fields. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the development of PBL was slow and mostly implemented at other medical schools, but more recently PBL has expanded into health sciences, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, public health, law, business, engineering, social work, education, and so on (Camp, 1996).
Why has PBL become so popular? The answer lies within the theory itself. Described as “active,” “adult-oriented,” “problem-centered,” “student-centered,” “collaborative,” and “integrated,” PBL is based on constructivist learning principles, that students construct knowledge based on prior knowledge. Constructivism is one the leading learning theories currently in practice. Additionally, PBL fits with the principles of adult learning theory, and since most of use of PBL comes from the universities, PBL fits adult learning styles well. Some characteristics of PBL are that learning is student centered, learning occurs in small student groups, teachers are facilitators or guides, problems form the organizing focus and stimulus for learning, and new information is acquired through self-directed learning (Barrows, 1996). PBL is both a curriculum and a process. First, a well-defined educational program is expected to make PBL work. After the curriculum is set, problems are posed to the students and it is up to them to work together to solve the problem. The problem is based on a real-work dilemma, with an unclear or ambiguous outcome. Students encounter the problem and define it. They must then access, evaluate and utilize information. After this stage, students construct a solution to the problem (Benoit, 2002). During the process, students would pose questions for clarification. For example, in a medical school, the projected outcome would be for students to correctly diagnose an illness. Students would be given some basic information about the particular patient, and would then be required to work in teams to solve the problem of why the patient is ill. They would question the patient and well as use every available resource, including the instructor, to solve the problem.
Working in groups is one of the most difficult aspects of PBL for some students. Many students are culturally or personally uncomfortable with negotiating group work. However, research has shown that PBL helps students become better professionals (MCLI, 2002). Other problems that students encounter when dealing with PBL is that they become the instructors and guide themselves through the learning process. This can be difficult for students used to a more instructivist teaching style. Instructors also experience some difficulty with PBL in that it actually requires more time, thought and energy. Designing a good PBL problem is difficult thing to do. Instructors also are faced with overcoming their need to direct the instruction and instead only facilitate.
Students today grow up with different stimuli that did their parents, and because of this, the way they learn is potentially very different from the way their parents learned. An instructivist methodology is perhaps no longer the way to address most beneficially the educational needs of today’s student. Because of its emphasis on student motivation, higher-ordered thinking and problem solving, and real-world context, PBL is a learning theory that fits into the life and learning styles of students today, and will most likely continue to enjoy popularity in education for some time to come.
References
Barrows, Howard S. (1996). Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: a brief overview. In
Wilkerson, L. and W. H. Gijselaers. (Eds). Bringing Problem- Based Higher Education: Theory and
Practice: New Directions for Teaching and Learning No. 8 (pp.5-6). San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.
Benoit, Bob (Retrieved, 2002). Problem Based Learning [WWW document]. Retrieved September 20, 2002 from http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/problearn.html
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (2001) Problem Based Learning Overview [WWW document]. Retrieved September 20, 2002 from http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/pbl/info.html