Problem-Based Learning: A Teacher's Guide

Written by Allison Scott

What is Problem-Based Learning?

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching approach that encourages students to work in groups to solve a problem. It helps students learn how to collaborate in these groups, solve open-ended problems strategically, and develop oral and written communication skills. PBL flips the script of traditional teaching by presenting the problem first and having the students solve it versus the teachers teaching material and then introducing a problem to be solved.

PBL can be incredibly beneficial in developing numerous skills including communication, comprehension, and information recall. Students are forced to understand the problem at hand in great detail. They have to communicate with their classmates to answer any unknowns and identify the best plan to solve the problem. They need to recall information they already know about the situation and apply whatever is relevant to the situation at hand. From there, students need to evaluate potential solutions and weigh the pros and cons of each option. Finally, the students will solve the problem using their chosen method and report their findings to justify their reasoning and incorporate their research.

This style of learning ingrains information in the minds of students because they are experiencing each step of the process versus simply regurgitating information taught to them. That allows them to have an easier time recalling information as they navigate similar problems in the future, further solidifying the effectiveness of this teaching approach. It also has numerous real-world applications that help set students up for success in their future careers.

Student-Centered Problem-Based Learning

Traditional teaching approaches often feature the teacher standing at the front of the classroom and sharing information with students to listen to, write down, and review before being tested. They must memorize the information and then apply it to the exam on the material. PBL, on the other hand, is an approach that puts students at the center of their learning experience. They are presented with a problem and told to work together to solve it instead of being told information and then presented with a problem to solve like in traditional teaching approaches. This creates an environment in which students are the focal point, and their ability to work together and navigate the problem-solving process is vital to their education.

For teachers, it can be an encouraging approach to educating students. Because there is more focus on students and their ability to create and follow a process to solve the given problem, teachers can serve more as leaders throughout the process than instructing the class altogether. Teachers are in a position to answer questions as they come up and consult on the situation at hand, leaving more time to collaborate with other teachers and understand the intricacies of the learning process. Aspiring teachers may even encounter PBL questions on teaching exams like the Praxis exam and the CBEST test, further establishing the approach as something educators should be aware of. While the questions will likely vary from year to year, there could be ones about the approach or the efficacy of PBL and why it benefits students by putting them at the center of their academic experience.

Goals of Problem-Based Learning

Like other methods of teaching and learning, PBL has the goal of creating more well-informed students who better understand the topics they study. There is a particular focus on both soft and hard skills in PBL, too. Some of the main skills students will experience include:

• Communication: Working in groups inherently requires communication skills, especially in a multicultural classroom. Students must articulate their knowledge, thoughts, and opinions on how to approach the problem at hand with others in their group.
• Time Management: While PBL problems often have more time allotted to find a solution than other teaching approaches, there is not an endless amount of time available. Students need to be both efficient and effective in their processes to succeed.
• Compromise: Naturally, not all students in a group will agree on the best approach to solving the problem at hand. That requires them to work together to come to an agreement everyone is okay with.
• Critical Thinking: Students must analyze the situation and think through various possible solutions to find the right one.
• Research: While some students may come into the group knowing a lot about the topic, most students will likely need to learn more about the problem or potential solutions before deciding which to pursue.
• Analysis: Being able to take information and break it down into more understandable pieces is a skill that takes time to develop. This ability to analyze a situation and be content with the result is something many students will gain from PBL.

Problem-Based Learning Steps

While students can make some adjustments to the process, most PBL experiences follow a similar flow:

PBL Project Examples

Another perk of the PBL approach is that it can be adapted for multiple age, skill, and ability levels. As such, there are a substantial number of problems that can be used to teach important topics to students. A few examples of questions that can be used in the PBL approach to teaching include:

1. Create a Home Layout: For younger kids, asking them to do something requiring the use of spacial awareness and functionality can provide them with applicable skills in the future. This request can play to a lot of different strengths, too. The strategic students may suggest a more functional layout that best takes advantage of the space. The creative-minded students may propose a layout that looks the best and is aesthetically pleasing. And both can be right, making this a great prompt for PBL.
2. Make a Business Plan: For older students, this broad PBL prompt can inspire collaboration and help foster creativity. Student groups would need to decide on what type of business they want to create, if they would provide a product or service, how they would finance said business, if it would be online or brick-and-mortar, and more. All of these questions cater to different learning levels and require contributions from all students.

With the flexibility of PBL, there are many options educators can explore that align with different learning levels, resources, and timelines. As such, PBL can be an excellent option for teachers of all grade levels to consider.

Benefits of Problem-Based Learning

Dating back to the 1960s, problem-based learning has quite a history. Originally used at the college level, PBL was then adapted for grade school learning levels in the 80s and 90s, further establishing it as a viable option for educators to put to use. In the time since, it has only developed to become an increasingly popular approach to education.

The evolution of PBL and its adaptability has seen it evolve in the time since its creation, making it a well-established option for teachers to consider. When it comes to the benefits of problem-based learning, there are a few that stand out. Each benefit will differ based on the student or teacher evaluating the teaching approach. Depending on learning styles, teaching styles, the size of the class, and the age of the students involved, it can be an immensely beneficial approach to academics.

Luckily, there are advantages for both students and teachers that can make learning much simpler.

PBL Benefits for Students

In a classroom setting, PBL can help students in many ways. From developing interpersonal skills to problem-solving and research, the benefits are vast. However, there are long-lasting advantages that students should keep in mind, too. For students who end up working in corporate America, PBL is very applicable for many roles. It is common to be given a problem and required to come up with a solution to solve it. Whether it is a business problem or concerns about an internal work process that needs to be revisited, the experience of having a PBL background can make work efforts tremendously easier.

Other roles post-graduation also benefit from the skills acquired in PBL. Students who go on to become teachers, doctors, lawyers, or nearly any other profession can take skills acquired in their academic careers and apply them to real work scenarios. For example, the entire field of medicine is effectively one big problem. Doctors and nurses are required to evaluate a patient and their symptoms, recall what they know about possible diagnoses related to those, and then research to learn more. From there, they have to determine a course of treatment, likely from a bigger group of options, and enact the one they believe will work best.

Many other fields follow suit, making PBL an incredibly applicable skill in the classroom and the world outside of academics. Not to mention that problem-solving as a skill on its own has many unique benefits. From dealing with adult life situations to navigating big financial decisions, there are many ways PBL experience can be applied.

PBL Benefits for Teachers

Educators can benefit from a PBL approach to teaching, too. While each classroom will likely experience different benefits, the following can be present with PBL:

Higher Engagement

Because students are asked to collaborate and problem-solve in a group setting to work toward the same problem, students are more likely to be engaged. They have to work together to find the right solution or answer to the problem at hand, and some social pressure to be engaged exists, too. Of course, more engaged students make teaching a more fun career and experience.

Creativity is Encouraged

Teachers also benefit from the creativity students are able to put to use. Regardless of the strengths and weaknesses of students, there is some aspect of the problem-solving process that they will be able to contribute to. For this reason, there is a higher likelihood that students will enjoy class, benefiting teachers.

Prepared Graduates

Since PBL applies to so many career paths, teachers can know with confidence that their students are better prepared for whatever future path they choose. This makes the process of teaching that much more rewarding.

Simplified Grading

Depending on how the PBL situation is presented, teachers may be required to do less grading. When students work through their problems and find possible solutions, they do so as a group. Often they are not doing busy work or other activities that require a lot of grading. As a result, teachers can focus on helping students work through their problems and troubleshoot any issues.

Drawbacks of Problem-Based Learning

Of course, no approach to teaching has only benefits. Like any other style of teaching, PBL has potential drawbacks. Some of those can include:

Trouble with Group Work

While there is a lot to learn from working in a group toward a common goal, there can be some difficulties for students and teachers. It can be difficult for students who struggle with social interactions to feel comfortable and confident learning in a group. Similarly, it can be a challenge for teachers to identify students who may be struggling and require additional help when the final product from the group is good.

Lack of Accommodations

Teachers have various learning levels in their classrooms each year as well as students with autism, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities, meaning they need to plan accordingly to help students achieve to the best of their ability. Problem-based learning can make that more difficult because there are limitations to what can be done. Teachers could put kids at the same level together in a group, but that limits exposure to other approaches to learning that kids at other levels may bring. The opposite is also true.

Book Ended Work

The format of PBL requires a decent bit of work upfront and a lot of work at the end to review what students have come up with. However, there is a bit of time in the middle that can be left with less to be done. Of course, there may be consulting or answering questions required to help guide students, but the uneven distribution of work can make things more difficult for educators. This is especially true if there are delays or absences — due to weather or students needing to be excused — that can make catching up challenging.

Project-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning

What is project-based learning, and how does it differ from problem-based learning? With similar names, there can be some confusion about the differences between project-based learning and problem-based learning. Project-based learning is when educators provide an assignment of tasks to help guide and inform the creation of a final product. Problem-based learning is when educators provide a problem that guides what students study. However, when comparing project-based learning versus problem-based learning, there are a few variances that stand out.

One difference is the focus of each approach. Problem-based learning has a heavy focus on students learning from the process of determining a solution to the problem at hand. Whether or not the information shared in the final product is excellent is less of a concern for students and educators employing PBL. On the other hand, project-based learning has a stronger focus on the end product. Students are working on open-ended assignments, some containing multiple problems, to create an end product. This serves as the focal point and purpose of project-based learning.

Another difference is the sources of information. Problem-based learning can be based on existing knowledge of a topic that students already have and research they conduct as a group. Project-based learning is more based on gathering information from instructors, experts, peers, and research as needed that help inform a successful end product. As with anything, there are pros and cons to each approach, and educators should focus on what approach will help their students learn the most and leave with knowledge they can apply in the future.