Why Problem-Based Learning Works:

Theoretical FoundationsAuthors: Rose M. Marra, David H. Jonassen, Betsy Palmer, Steve Luft

Presented by Sterling McLeod

Paper Goals

• Desire some kind of theoretical basis for Problem-Based Learning

• Highlights two separate learning theories and their relevant qualities

• PBL fosters activities needed for learning with these theories

• Knowing this, discuss how to improve PBL implementation

Problem Based Learning

• Problem Based Learning – Pedagogy technique that focuses learning on problem-solving activities rather than traditional lectures• Alternative to conventional lecture-based pedagogy

• Qualities of PBL• Problem-focused• Student-centered• Self-directed• Self-reflective• Facilitative

Problem Based Learning

1) Students are given a problem that simulates the real world

2) Students attempt to solve the problem

3) Students reflect on the experience

Problem Based Learning

1) Students are given a problem• The problem should:

• Resemble real-world • Require research into an area• Stimulate student creativity

• All knowledge is learned in the context of problems • Knowledge building is stimulated by a problem and applied back to the

problem• Content of class is organized around problems rather than a hierarchical list of

topics

Problem Based Learning

2) Students attempt to solve the problem• In class• Usually done in groups to take advantage of peer interaction• Teacher acts as a facilitator

• Probe student knowledge, but do not interject content or give direct answers

• Faculty do not dictate learning activities – students create own path to comprehension

• Students assume responsibility for learning and self-assessment

Problem Based Learning

3) Students reflect on the experience• What did I learn?

• Why was it relevant?• How did it apply to the problem?

• How can I apply what I learned to other problems?

• What similar problems can I still not solve?• What do I not know?

• Students must self-monitor their learning in order for reflection to be effective

Theoretical Underpinnings

Two Educational Philosophies1) Constructivism • Knowledge generation and construction• 4 tenets to highlight

2) Situated Learning• Learning as a social process

Constructivism Tenets

1) Knowledge is constructed via interactions with the environment

• Humans construct mental models by perceiving and interpreting the world through cognitive activities

• Constructed knowledge consists of:1) Ideas (content)2) The context in which it was acquired, 3) What the learner was doing in the environment 4) What the knower intended from that environment

• All of these qualities can be extracted from interacting with the world

• In PBL, learners interact with the world through problem solving – enables them to extract the four qualities of constructed knowledge

Constructivism Tenets

2) Reality is in the mind of the knower (the student)Reality = the sense we make of the world = combination of all learned

knowledge

• Knowledge is built through experiences and forms a unique perception of the world

• Knowledge is NOT an external entity that exists to be acquired or transmitted

• In PBL, learning does not occur through an “information dump” from the teacher• Each student’s understanding will be based on their experience solving problems

Constructivism Tenets

3) Knowledge is anchored in and indexed by relevant contexts

• Ideas and skills are not independent – they are tied to the context and situation in which they were obtained• The context is part of the knowledge

• Abstract rules and laws, divorced from any context, have no meaning

• PBL bridges the gap between theory and practice• In PBL, knowledge is built from directly connecting ideas to a problem

(context)

Constructivism Tenets

4) Knowledge construction is stimulated by a question or need or desire to know

• A dissonance exists between what is known and what is observed

• Resolving this is the essence of knowledge construction

• In PBL, learners are immediately thrust into confronting this dissonance

Situated Learning

• Meaningful and long-lasting learning takes place best when embedded in social and physical context that’s similar to the context in which the learning would be applied

• Ideas abstracted from contexts and presented as theories have little, if any, meaning to learners

• Knowledge that is anchored or “situated” in specific contexts is more meaningful, more integrated, better retained, and more transferable

• PBL objectives foster this type of context-connected learning

Theoretical Underpinnings

• Constructivist beliefs, Situated cognition• Knowledge is not a thing to be had – it is iteratively built and refined through

experience• Learning occurs best when anchored to real-world examples

• Problem Based Learning• Learning is focused on students solving problems• Interactions can occur with the problem constructs, a teacher, traditional sources of

information (e.g. books), and with other individuals

• PBL fosters interactions needed by constructivist and situated cognition theories

Implications and Improvement

• Metacognition as critical component in student learning

• Cases to target aspects of learning

Metacognition

• Metacognition is the awareness of one’s own knowledge, of one’s actions, and of one’s current “cognitive or affective state”

• Includes students’ knowledge of what they know, what they do not know, how they learn new things, and their strengths and weaknesses

• Characteristics1) Knowledge of cognition2) Self-Knowledge

Metacognition

Knowledge of cognition• Knowledge of task, strategy, and personal variables• Includes knowledge of the skills required by different tasks, strategic knowledge, and self-

knowledge (one’s abilities and abilities of others)

Self-regulation• Ability to monitor one’s own comprehension and control one’s learning activities

Metacognitive skilled students can answer: • What do you know? • What do you not know? • What problems can you solve and not solve? • What learning activities will target what you don’t know?

Metacognition

• Need for metacognitive skills in PBL is significantly greater than in other learning environments• Much more responsibility on the student’s part• Must be able to see which ideas will be relevant to solving a problem• Must be able to set goals based on what they do not understand

• In conventional learning environments, teachers regulate learning activities• Teachers determine what a student is lacking, how they can improve, etc.• Handling metacognitive skills for the student

If a teacher can facilitate methods to help develop metacognitive skills, students’ success in a PBL environment is vastly increased

Cases

Cases can be utilized to target various aspects of learning

Cases

Cases as Examples and Experiences to Analyze• Role of these cases is to be studied and analyzed as concrete models of ideas

being represented abstractly from start to finish

• Working out cases to a complete solution can tie together ideas, strategy, and context for PBL students

• Analyzing cases can be used to elicit certain responses out of a student

Cases

Cases as Problems to Solve• Replacing content-based curriculum with problem sets is the essence

of PBL

• Vehicles for initiating reflective,self-directed learning

Cases

Cases7 Principles of Problem Design

1) Simulate real life2) Lead to elaboration3) Encourage integration of knowledge4) Encourage self-directed learning5) Fit in with prior knowledge6) Interest students7) Reflect teacher’s learning objectives

Cases

CasesProblem Difficulty:• Problem complexity – breadth, intricacy, and interrelatedness of

problem space• Problem structuredness – variety of interpretations, interdisciplinary

nature

• Research indicates that students can clearly differentiate between simple and well-structured problems, but not between ill-structured and complex problems

Conclusion

• PBL has it’s roots in both constructivism and situated learning theories

• Both theories heavily rely on metacognition and case studies• Student learning in PBL environments can be improved with:

• Methods to develop metacognitive skills• Well-designed case studies that target areas of learning

• Understanding the basic theoretical principles behind PBL can help educators implement and design PBL environments more effectively.

Conclusion

• How to foster metacognitive development in a class?

• How to measure/evaluate metacognitive level of students?

• Can metacognitive skills be transferred from interactions with peers?

• Is there a relationship between example case studies and metacognitive development?