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Inna Pomorina

Using Problem-based Learning

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Tell me and I will forgetShow me and I will rememberInvolve me and I will understandStep back and I will act

(Chinese proverb)

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The principal idea behind PBL is...

“that the starting point for learning should be a problem, a query, or a puzzle that the learner wishes to solve.”

(Boud, 1985:13)

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What are the Common Features of PBL?

• Uses problems as a stimulus and focus for student activity

• The curriculum is centred on key problems which occur in practice

• Starts with the problem and not with disciplinary knowledge

• Students acquire knowledge and skills

• Various learning resources available

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I've taughtSnoopy to

whistle

I can'thear himwhistle

I said that I'dtaught him, not that

he'd learned

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PBL: the process

• Students work in small groups with or without tutor

• They are presented with a problem

• They organise ideas and previous knowledge

• Students pose questions, defining what they know and don’t know

• They assign responsibility for questions

• They discuss resources

• They reconvene, explore newly learned information, refine questions.

Problem-solving process in tutorials1. Starting point

How do the group interpretthe starting pointClarify terms and conceptsnot readily available 2. Brainstorming

Free associationsconcerning thestarting point

3. a) SystematiseOrganise connectionsand categories intoproblem areas

b) Scrutinise & evaluateScrutinise and evaluateknowledge of the groupin relation to the problemareas

4. Define problemsDefine one or moreproblems/questions

5. Learning needsFormulate learning needsin relation to the problem(s)chosen to study

7. Consider and elucidate theory/factsUse the newly acquired informationand knowledge to elucidate theproblem(s) formed more deeply (general level)

6. Self studyCollect knowledge in relation

8. Apply knowledgeApply the acquiredknowledge to thesituation presented inthe starting point Evaluation

Problem-solvingSelf-directed learning

The group-work

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Example of PBL task: Keep it Rolling

• ‘If money grew on trees, we would all be rich.’ (English saying)

• ‘Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon’ (Milton Friedman)

• Russia has experienced several outbursts of hyperinflation in the 90s. In Serbia, during the years of 1992-4, money supply more than doubled every 2 or 3 months, because the government was using the ‘printing press’ to finance its war expenditures

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Facilitator’s role

• Though Friedman may overdo it a little bit, his quote does have a considerable intuitive appeal. How to formalise that?

– Have to clarify what market we are talking about

– Study the determinants of supply and demand on that market and the nature of equilibrating mechanism

– One of the conclusions will be that an expected increase in the future money supply already causes inflation today

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Characteristics of PBL assessment

• An assessment system based on problems

• The assessment of the acquisition and application of knowledge

• The assessment of integrated knowledge

• Assessment of group and individual learning activities

• Process or product?

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Why use PBL?

• PBL fosters a deeper approach to learning

• PBL promotes more versatile studying methods and PBL students are more likely to use different resources to study

• PBL develops greater knowledge retention and recall skills

• PBL students tend to exhibit stronger application of knowledge skills – (research evidence)

• From the teacher’s perspective, PBL appears to be very satisfying method of teaching

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PBL sites

• http://www. /deliberations/home.html

• http://interact.bton.ac.uk/pbl/index.php

• http://www.udel.edu/pbl/

• http://www.samford.edu/pbl/res_websites.html

• http://www.uchsc.edu/CIS/PBL.html

• http://www.economics.ltsn.ac.uk