How to make learning a fun and engaging process? Is there a way to encourage students to learn new things? Well, there are various techniques to arouse interest and motivate students to indulge in active learning. This blog discusses one such method called ‘problem-based learning.’ Problem-based learning is a student-centric approach wherein students are provided with real-life situations or hypothetical problems to learn about the subject matter. This encourages students to think independently along with developing their critical-thinking and analytical skills. Instead of rote or passive learning, students actively participate in the learning activity.
4 Stages of Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning involves four stages, mainly:
- Problem Identification
The first step for the students is to identify the underlying cause and define the problems when they are provided with real-life scenarios.
- Problem Analysis
After recognising the problem, the next step is to learn and think about how to approach the problem.
- Discovery and Reporting
Learners conduct research and gather information about the problems and their solutions. The information gathered is reported for the next step.
- Solution Evaluation
Every possible solution is picked up and executed one at a time. The results are noted down and compared to obtain a more efficient solution.
Why Use Problem-Based Learning?
There are many advantages to choosing problem-based learning (PBL) over traditional methods:
- PBL fosters critical thinking by allowing them to think about the problems and solutions deeply.
- It encourages self-directed learning as learners try to resolve issues on their own.
- It keeps students motivated and improves their interest in learning.
- PBL increases collaboration and teamwork since most projects involve group projects.
- The skills and mindset developed will help in other aspects of life.
- PBL enriches knowledge and improves retention capabilities.
- It builds transferable skills like self-awareness, communication, leadership, and problem-solving qualities.
Also read: Explore how to choose the right stream after 10th grade!
Challenges in Using Project-Based Learning
Implementation of PBL can be tricky at times. Some of its challenges include:
- Prolonged Process: PBL can be time-consuming for learners as problem identification, research, and solution analysis take a lot of time.
- Increased Workload: Apart from the regular academics, students have to put in efforts to explore various solutions.
- Team Issues: In PBL, students often work in groups. So there are high chances of clashes and disagreements among team members.
- Burden for Teachers: Teachers have to spend time and energy to give assignments and do their own research.
- Limited Access: PBL requires intensive research. But the limited access to research tools or funds can hinder the learning process.
- Evaluation Problem: this method differs from traditional assessment. Hence, making the evaluation of a child’s skills and knowledge difficult.
- Excessive Importance: Overemphasis on the problem-solving process may divert students from learning the core concepts and academics.
Tips to Overcome Issues in PBL Implementation
Given below are some tips that can be applied for effective implementation of PBL:
- To keep students focused on the process, clear initial guidelines should be provided, like research materials or tips on how to approach the problem.
- Integrate PBL with traditional teaching methods to impart core concepts of the subject.
- Include PBL in a maximum of one to two semesters to decrease the workload of students.
- Additional staff support and training has to be provided to teachers to make the process of teaching easy.
- A clear marking system has to be designed that takes into account the knowledge and skills of the students.
- Allotting a mentor to every group can reduce stress and conflicts among the students.
- Assign small projects initially so that students get a hang of the process.
Application
Students have to be provided realistic problems that exist in the outside world. Give a brief description of what, why and how of the problem. Ask them to submit a draft of whatever they have understood. It helps educators to find the gaps and provide support accordingly. Keep a tab on the group effort, and regular review of the progress helps in correcting the mistakes.
A few examples of PBL are given below:
- In a civil engineering course, the teacher gives students a case of a collapsed bridge. Students are asked to form groups and find out the underlying cause and find the solution to reconstruct it.
- The ethics professor asked the students to research whether the use of driving cars is ethical. He insisted they list out the pros and cons along with arriving at the appropriate solution.
- The environment teacher gave a project to study excessive plastic pollution in the country. She urged the students to search for cost-effective alternatives and how the present pollution can be reverted.
Getting Started with Problem-Based Learning
Some of the best practices of teachers or educators are:
- Providing projects that align with the interests of the students.
- Forming effective teams and checking on them frequently.
- Leveraging the use of AI to craft potential problems.
- Explaining topics with the help of videos, infographics, etc.
- Choosing problems that are realistic and in a way can help society.
Conclusion
The immense benefits of problem-based learning make it unique and easily applicable. The active engagement of students in learning improves their retention ability, motivating them to develop lifelong love for learning. These problem-solving, innovative and logical thinking skills will come in handy beyond academics. They can be applied in real-life challenges as well. Therefore, schools should incorporate this style of teaching by introducing more practical experiments and laboratories.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The seven jumps of PBL include: clarification of terms, defining the problem, brainstorming ideas, organizing the information, formulating objectives, conducting independent research, and sharing the results with the group.
The term ‘project-based learning’ was coined by Howard Barrows. But the idea was first described by John Dewey, who proposed PBL as ‘learning by doing.’
The PBL aims to develop critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and independent thinking skills. It’s motive is the active engagement of students in the learning process.
