Technology Integration 101 – Problem Based Learning Method Of Teaching …

starts with a presentation of a “real world” problem in which learners, provided with guidance and resource material, are encouraged to dive into the problem, construct an individual understanding, and finally find a solution. Learners actively define the problem and construct potential solutions while teachers model, coach, support, and make explicit the learning processes. The learning from PBL is not in finding the solution, rather it emerges as the learner engages in identifying and exploring the problem and eventually developing and testing a solution.

Definition / Attributes **: Problem – Based Learning

Problem-based learning has several distinct characteristics that may be identified and used in designing such curriculum. These include (1) reliance on problems to drive the curriculum – the problems do not test skills; they assist in development of the skills themselves; (2) problems are truly ill-structured – there is not meant to be one solution, and as new information is gathered in a reiterative process, perception of the problem, and thus the solution, changes; (3) learners solve the problems – teachers are coaches and facilitators; (4) learners are only given guidelines for how to approach problems – there is no one formula for student approaches to the problem; and (5) authentic, performance-based assessment – is a seamless part and end of the instruction.
** (Adapted from Stepien, W.J. and Gallagher, S.A. 1993. “Problem-based Learning: As Authentic as it Gets.” Educational Leadership. 50(7) 25-8, and Barrows, H. (1985) Designing a Problem Based Curriculum for the Pre-Clinical Years.)