Introduction to Problem Based Learning
- PBL definition
- Why is how you learn important?
- Seven basic things to get and hold a job
- What is wrong with the old teacher-stand-up-and-talk-student-sit-and-listen learning?
- The difference between subject based and problem based learning.
PBL definition
Problem based learning - or PBL as we call it - is based on research in the cognitive sciences on how we learn. PBL improves learning. It is one of the big success stories in education in the last decades. You are lucky to be in a PBL course, but it will challenge your habits. If you are like most students you will come to prefer this new way. This manual will help you set aside old ways of learning and give you some tips on how to develop new ways. The first tip is watch what you are doing when you learn - whether you are learning in this course or in your residence hall -- whether on the web or in the gym. Notice when learning is fun and rewarding. Notice when it seems to be a chore. Problem based learning is the simple but revolutionary idea that problems should come before answers. Instead of instructors giving you answers and then testing to see if you have memorized them you will encounter problems or “messes” to tackle before teaching begins. Beginning with a problem puts you in the driver's seat. You can use and explore what your already know, your hunches, and your wildest ideas to try for a solution. In the process you can develop an inventory of what you know and what you need to know. Once you get a sense of what you need to know you can start questioning your instructor or your classmates, plundering the library, surfing the net, or bugging the many excellent Penn State experts to fill your needs.
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. In the last thirty years we have discovered more about how people learn than in the rest of human history. Much of the knowledge resulted from the invention of computers. Computers have provided new ways of thinking about computation, memory, and perception. In some ways the human brain is like a computer but in important other ways it is not. They have helped develop new technologies of brain imaging that reveal our brains as the most complex system in the world. The brain is a high speed learning system" that is wet, emotional, self-programming and far, far more powerful and flexible than any device ever built.
The good news is that this new knowledge contains ideas on how to make learning more effective and more efficient for students. The bad news is that what we usually do in classrooms contradicts those ideas. The old idea of a good student meant habits that promote poor memory, practicality, and creativity. Worst of all we lost the joy and excitement of learning. Since we are all humans who learn all of the time, we have other habits of learning we use outside of school that promote long term memory, easy transfer to other situations and many new ideas. Now, your job is to unlearn the bad habits (memorize stuff to regurgitate on tests; expect teachers to give you the right answer; and try to just listen) and promote the good ones (start with thinking about what you know, trying it out, and recovering from errors and learning from mistakes.).
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Why is how you learn important?
If you read papers and magazines or watch television it appears that our educational system is a disaster. That is not exactly true. Today the world of work, citizenship, and daily tasks require more knowledge and thinking skills than ever. The days of going to work and having someone tell you what to do are disappearing fast. We call our times the age of information. It means that we all need to be experts, leaders, managers, creators, and innovators. The necessary knowledge to do these things changes rapidly. What you will learn in college quickly will be obsolete when you graduate. As a result, you must prepare to learn throughout your lifetime.
Political issues concerning the Internet, social security, education, and defense require sophisticated citizen understanding. We need to know what information to seek and what positions to support. No longer can we decide such issues the way our parents would or according to some party or ideology. Purchasing everything from communication and computing devices to cars, homes and air travel requires knowledge. We need to know our own needs, the range of options and costs in time and money. Deciding on what work to do, where to live, what kind of a family to have all require extensive knowledge. Again, that knowledge changes rapidly.
Chris Galvin, CEO of Motorola says, "Motorola no longer wants to hire engineers with a four-year degree, we need our employees to have a 40-year degree."
One of the major reasons that you and your parents are paying for a college education is so you will have a more interesting and fulfilling life. Such a life has challenging jobs, better income (which allows you to live in good communities, to have comfortable surroundings, to travel, and to enjoy hobbies), and the ability to think and communicate that makes a difference in the safety, prosperity, and freedom of your community.
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Seven basic things to get and hold a job
To get and hold a good job according to leading companies requires that you be able to do seven basic things:
- Learn to learn
- Communicate and collaborate with others
- Think creatively to solve novel problems
- Be technically competent
- Understand the opportunities and constraints of the global economy
- Lead as well as follow, always taking initiative
- Manage your career to develop new skills and knowledge.
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What is wrong with the old teacher-stand-up-and-talk-student-sit-and-listen learning?
It doesn't meet the needs. It is too slow, too shallow, too inefficient and not much fun. Students retain little of what they learn after even a few weeks. Students rarely can apply what they have learned to the unpredictable problems of life and work. Students get little practice in thinking for themselves or framing problems that interest them. As a result, students come to see learning as something grim to be avoided.
Problem based learning gives you opportunities to examine and try out what you already know; discover what you need to learn; develop your people skills for achieving higher performance in teams; improve your writing and speaking abilities, to state and defend with sound arguments and evidence your own ideas; and to become more flexible in your approach to problems that surprise and dismay others. Despite the work and effort it requires, PBL is never dull and is often fun.
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The difference between subject based and problem based learning
Here is a diagram of the basic difference between subject based and problem based learning.
Subject Based Learning (SBL)
Problem Based Learning (PBL)
Student Joe B. Cool asks, "You mean in this course we have to figure out what we need to know and then help each other learn it? That's the
teacher's job, not mine."
Instructor Stone R. Cold replies, "Yes, that is just what it means. My job is to design the problems, select resources, help you manage your learning, be your coach, and constantly strive to make the process better. Your job is to learn. Can you agree to that?"
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