PROBLEM BASED LEARNING

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of problem solving. Students learn both thinking strategies and domain knowledge. The PBL format originated from the medical school of thought, and is now used in other schools of thought too. The goals of PBL are to help the students develop flexible knowledge, effective problem solving skills, self-directed learning, effective collaboration skills and intrinsic motivation. Problem-based learning is a style of active learning.

History

PBL was pioneered in the medical school program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in the late 1960s by Howard Barrows and his colleagues. Traditional medical education disenchanted students, who perceived the vast amount of material presented in the first three years of medical school as having little relevance to the practice of medicine and clinically based medicine.The PBL curriculum was developed in order to stimulate the learners, assist the learners in seeing the relevance of learning to future roles, maintain a higher level of motivation towards learning, and to show the learners the importance of responsible, professional attitudes.

Demands of Implementing

Implementing PBL in schools and Universities is a demanding process that requires resources, a lot of planning and organization. Azer discusses the 12 steps for implementing the "pure PBL"

1. Prepare faculty for change

2. Establish a new curriculum committee and working group

3. Designing the new PBL curriculum and defining educational outcomes

4. Seeking Advice from Experts in PBL

5. Planning, Organizing and Managing

6. Training PBL facilitators and defining the objectives of a facilitator

7. Introducing Students to the PBL Program

8. Using 3-learning to support the delivery of the PBL program

9. Changing the assessment to suit the PBL curriculum

10. Encouraging feedback from students and teaching staff

11. Managing learning resources and facilities that support self directed learning

12. Continuing evaluation and making changes (pg. 809-812)