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Problem-Based Learning

Overview:
The essence of problem-based learning consist of presenting students with authentic
and meaningful problem situations that can serve as springboards for investigation and
inquiry. PBL is designed primarily to help students develop their problem solving and
intellectual skills and they actually learn through autonomous learners’ opportunity.

In the world, we have to solve many problems. Like students have problems in
academic system, so students should have skills to solve these problems. Being guider, a
teacher should help the students to overcome and solve their problems. At first, problem
should be identify and then it must be solved.

Problem-based learning is one of the most important and useful learner centered and
teaching method. Means that it’s not only the teaching but also learning method. In this
method, teachers do not teach rather the students understand. Good teachers are those, who
help the children to learn, who do not just teach but also help to solve their problems.

What is Problem-Based Learning?

The “flow” of problem-based learning:

In the flow of problem-based learning, the first step is problem engagement. In this
step, teachers gave certain problems to the students and the students engage themselves in
these problems. The second step is inquiry and investigation. In this step, the students
investigate or look out the problems and try to understand about problem.

Problems have relevant and irrelative information. If we focus on irrelative

information, we will never be able to identify exact problem and solve that problem. It is
most important to define problem, so that solution must be gain.

In the third and fourth step, students resolve and debrief the problems. The debriefing
is the essential part of consent process and is mandatory when the research study involves
deception. Debriefing provides participants with full explanation of the hypothesis.

Tanzeel ur Rahman BS Zoology 2nd M

Difference between Project Learning and Problem-Based Learning:
In project learning, there is main focus on the product. In problem-based learning,
there is focus on process. In problem-based learning, product has no much importance. As it
is exactly like a planning. In planning, we have to go through the process that how to make
lesson plan.

For example, at first the factories were accessed to product, then after it work of
factories were performed at process. Now, many factories believe that process and product
both should be accessed. Both of them are important in all organizations.

Project learning Problem-based learning

Can be done alone Requires collaboration and teacher

Teacher-directed About the process

Lack real-world context Student-directed

About the product Based on real world problems

Occur after the “real” learning Teacher guidance

All projects have same goal Student choices to determine outcome

Learner Outcomes for Problem-Based Learning:

Problem-Based Learning

Skills for independent Adult role behavior and Inquiry and problem
learning social skills based skills

In problem-based learning, students must have skills for an independent learning.

Children or students can play the role of adults, when they work in groups. PBL should be in
groups. If students work in groups, they will talk to each other and learn from each other. In
groups there will be many students and each of them give an idea. More people more ideas.
Group work is important in developing social skills of students.

Special Features of Problem-Based Learning:

1. Driving question or problem:
Scientific method also starts with asking a question. A student cannot ask a question if
he do not have a curious observation. Curious attributes are required for the curious
observation. A student must have curiosity. We can say that there is an application of
scientific method in Problem-based learning.

Tanzeel ur Rahman BS Zoology 2nd M

2. Focusing on interdisciplinary integration:
It is a method or methods, used to teach a unit across different curricular disciplines.
Simply, it is a way to incorporate a topic or subject throughout different classes.

3. Authentic investigation:
Why PBL is called authentic investigation? Because in it we apply scientific method,
than there is a hypothesis in the light of literature, than we test the hypothesis. If it is accepted
we will report result, and if it is rejected we will make another hypothesis and then we will
experiment on that and then report result.

4. Production of aircrafts and exhibits:

Student’s work is very important. When a teacher taught students note down the
lecture and ask question. Students come with their own aircrafts and produce their own
original work.

5. Collaboration:
Cooperation of students with themselves is the most important feature. Students must
show cooperation and do their work effectively.so that the results of problem-based learning
may good. Working in groups help to show patience and discipline.

Theoretical support:
Problem based learning has its intellectual roots in the Socratic Method dating back to
the early Greeks but has been expanded by ideas stemming from twentieth-century cognitive
psychology.

The knowledge base on problem-based learning is rich and complex. Several studies
done in the last few years provide strong evidence about some of the model’s instructional
effects. However, other studies lead to the conclusion that effects are cloudy.

Over the past three decades, considerable attention has been devoted to teaching
approaches known by various names-discovery learning, inquiry learning, higher-level
thinking-all of which focus on helping students become independent, autonomous learners
capable of figuring things out for themselves.

Theoretical and Empirical Support:

Problem-based learning will be traced through three main stream of twentieth-century
thought. Dewey and the problem-oriented classroom. Piaget, Vygotsky and constructivism.
Burner and discovery learning.
According to Dewey,
“Classroom is just like a laboratory. Laboratory for students to have experiences
which can be replicated in real-life”

Tanzeel ur Rahman BS Zoology 2nd M

Piaget work 50 years on constructivism. He said,

“Students must have capacity to encounter problems and learn how to resolve these
problems. He also said that should give opportunities to students through which they can
identify their problems”
Vygotsky was Russian Psychologist. He said,

“Social environment helps to solve problems. He said that work should be done in the
groups”

Planning for PBL:

As its most fundamental level, problem-based learning is characterized by students
working in pairs or small group to investigate puzzling, real-life problems. Because of
interactive nature, PBL requires as much, if not more, planning as compared to more teacher-
centered models.

As problem-based learning is not a teaching method, but teachers have to plan it very
focusly. Like grouping, proper use of the resources and role of teacher is most important
element in planning of problem-based learning.

Managing for PBL:

1. Dealing with multitask situations
2. Adjusting to differing finishing rates
3. Monitoring and managing student work
4. Managing materials and equipment
5. Regulating movement and behavior outside the classroom

1. Dealing with multitask situations:

To manage problem-based learning in the classroom is very difficult task. Because
students are the in-charge of their own. When students work in groups, they come to teacher
again and again for their problems. Teacher should give different tasks to groups and teacher
should demonstrate the task to students before their own performance.

2. Adjusting to differing finishing rates:

Teacher should held more than two activities for the students.so that the students or
group who finish their task before time, might able to get another task without wastage of
their time.

Tanzeel ur Rahman BS Zoology 2nd M

3. Monitoring and managing student work:
Teacher should look out the task of students and should help them when they find any
difficulty in their task. Teacher should not only give task to students but also show them at
first that how this task can be done more effectively.

Assessing PBL:
Assessment tasks for problem-based lessons cannot consist solely of paper-and-pencil
tests. Rather the work products created by students lend themselves nicely to performance
assessment using rubrics or checklist and rating scales. Performance assessment can be used
to measure student’s problem-solving potential as well as group work.
Students’ assessment should include all three domains, which are as under:

1. Cognitive domain
2. Psychomotor domain
3. Effective domains

How can problem-based learning be assessed?

By using multiple means to measure acquisition of knowledge, skills and dispositions.

To assess Product Method

Knowledge Concept maps Expert map-based scheme
Interrelationships among Unit products Rubrics
facts, concepts Written/oral responses SOLO taxonomy
(Rational understanding) Traditional tests Scoring Guides
Skills Unit products and/or Rubrics
Critical thinking performances SOLO taxonomy
Reactive thinking Written or oral responses Self-reports
Effective collaboration Observations Rubrics
Versatile communication Self-ratings Likert Scales
Poor-ratings
Dispositions Problem logs Content analysis
Intentional learning Observation Rubrics

Tanzeel ur Rahman BS Zoology 2nd M

Obstacles for PBL:
1. No proper training of teachers.so planning will be difficult.
2. Limited time (no enough time to complete task).

3. Completion of syllabus on time (teachers try to complete their syllabus and do not
perform activities).
4. No activities are performed in schools as they are considered as time wastage.
5. Deficiency of resources to perform activities in classroom.

Approaches for PBL:

1. Teacher should act as model. Teacher should perform the task before giving them.
2. Teacher should act as coach to help them in their problems.

3. Teacher should just fade out. And left the students independent so that they may share
their things with each other and learn from each other.

Tanzeel ur Rahman BS Zoology 2nd M