University of Delaware

Experience It Yourself:An Introduction to

Problem-Based Learning

Institute for TransformingUndergraduate Education

Courtesy of Barb Duch

American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

April 2004

George Watson

Delaware…

Dela where?

What is Problem-Based Learning?

PBL prepares students to think critically and analytically, and to find and use appropriate learning resources.

PBL is a learning approach that challenges students to “learn to learn,” working cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real world problems.

“The principal idea behind PBL is that the starting point for learning should be a problem, a query, or a puzzle that the learner wishes to solve.”Boud (1985)

PBL:Experience It Yourself

Stage 1: Not again already!

Pat: I was. What’s that have to do with anything?

Kim: I can’t believe you are leaving again next week! Weren’t you just on a trip three weeks back?

Pat: We talked about this months ago. I committed to this trip almost a year ago.

Kim: Weren’t you there just last October?

Kim: Haven’t you been following the news? Things are different now. Lots of things!

Pat: Like what?

Kim: You’re impossible! You need to get your head out of your science journals and read the paper occasionally.

Pat: OK. OK. Just tell me what’s bothering you? I travel all the time. What’s upsetting you about this trip?

Questions for Stage 1:

1. What is the problem?

2. What things might be troubling Kim?

3. What should Pat do next?

Stage 2: Some more details…

4. What things might be troubling Kim? Refine the list of things identified in Stage 1.

5. What does Pat need to know to assure Kim about his travel plans?

6. What should we ask Kim about Pat to determine if her concerns are legitimate?

Pat Nostaw is traveling to Paris for an international education conference. Following several days at the conference, he is traveling to Beirut to visit a university there. After that he is heading home to New York City.

Stage 3: A twist at the end.

7. How does the list of ‘troubling things’ change for this different destination?

8. What are the top three worries your spouse or loved one would have about this trip?

Pat’s friends Amal and Saouma are planning a first-time trip from Beirut to New York City in December to complete the final project report.

What are the CommonFeatures of PBL?

Learning is initiated by a problem.

Problems are based on complex, real-world situations.

All information needed to solve problem is not initially given.

Students identify, find, and use appropriate resources.

Students work in permanent groups.

Students are presented with a problem. They organize ideas and previous knowledge.

Students pose questions, defining what they know and do not know.

Assign responsibility for questions, discuss resources.

Investigate learning issues.Reconvene, explore newly learned information,

refine questions.

PBL: The Process

Problem-Based Learning Cycle

Overview/Assessment Problem, Project,

or Assignment

Group Discussion

Research

Group Discussion

Preparation of Group “Product”

Whole Class Discussion

Mini-lecture(only if needed!)

A Typical Day in a PBL Course

Question for Groups

What do instructors do to guide studentsworking on a PBL problem?

Reflect on this afternoon’s experience:

Prepare to provide responses in 5 – 10 minutes.

Characteristics Neededin College Graduates

High level of communication skillsAbility to define problems, gather and

evaluate information, develop solutionsTeam skills -- ability to work with othersAbility to use all of the above to address

problems in a complex real-world setting

Quality Assurance in Undergraduate Education (1994)Wingspread Conference, ECS, Boulder, CO.

Recommendations from the Carnegie Foundation

Make research-based learning the standard.Build inquiry-based learning throughout the

four years.Link communication skills and course work.Use information technology effectively.Cultivate a sense of community.

Boyer Commission, 1998

Skills Used Frequently by Physics Bachelorsin Selected Employment Sectors, 1994

Source: AIP Education and Employment Statistics Division

The principal idea behind PBL is?

A. PBL challenges students to learn to learn.B. Learning is initiated by a problem.C. Student-centered work in permanent

groups.

“The principal idea behind PBL is that the starting point for learning should be a problem, a query, or a puzzle that the learner wishes to solve.”Boud (1985)

A. PBL challenges students to learn to learn.

B. Learning is initiated by a problem.

C. Student-centered work in permanent groups.

Think/ pair/ share

The principal idea behind PBL is?