What is Problem Based Learning?
Problem based learning is the simple but revolutionary idea that problems should come before answers. Instead of instructors giving answers and then testing to see if students have memorized them they present problems to tackle before teaching begins. Beginning with a problem puts students in the driver's seat. They can use and explore what they already know, their hunches, and their wildest ideas to try for a solution. In the process they can develop an inventory of what they know and what they need to know. Once students get a sense of what they need to know they can set off to question instructors or classmates, plunder the library, surf the net, or seek out the many excellent Penn State experts to satisfy their curiousity.
In PBL, the student isn’t expected to simply memorize knowledge. They are expected to apply knowledge to real situations. This shows that they have an understanding of what is being taught, instead of just the ability to restate facts. So before students learn new information, instructors present them with a problem. They select and pose the problem so students will discover that they need to learn new knowledge and skills. Often this involves failures as students discover that what they already know won’t work. It involves a lot of talking – stating ideas, defending propositions, and criticizing. Students have to unlearn to acquire new knowledge so they can solve the problem.
At IST, PBL is team based. Most of the work on problems and projects is done in teams of three to six students. This requires instructors to design problem scenarios that raise the bar for thinking and searching. It also requires students to become effective managers of time, projects and meetings. Both requirements demand creative efforts to succeed. Research shows team based PBL to be effective but also fraught with unintended outcomes such as slacking, pressure on ambitious students to do all the work, and divided work so no new learning has to be done. Both students and instructors need to be diligent in spotting and correcting such failures.