Problem-Based

Learning
Presented by
Amanda Ballard

True learning is based on

discovery . . . rather than the
transmission of knowledge.
John Dewey

Shape of the Day

What is Problem-Based Learning?

Why PBL?
Components of a PBL unit
A Sample PBL Unit
How to Design & Teach a PBL unit

What is PBL?
Inquiry-based
Begins with an ill-structured problem

The Ill-structured Problem

Is based on
desired learning outcomes
learner characteristics
compelling, real world situations

Role of the Teacher

Designs the problem

Anticipates teaching & learning events
Investigates & gathers resources
Models and coaches students

Role of the Students

Confront the problem

Determine know / need to know
Define the problem
Design a plan to solve the problem
Gather information
Construct potential solutions
Select & present the best fit

Advantages of PBL
Any subject, any grade
Learner-centred
Students acquire content knowledge,
skills and attitudes
Assessment as Learning

Bottom Line:
PBL fosters life-long learners,
and
life-long learners make good citizens!

Why Students Like It

Learning is driven by challenging,
open-ended questions
Students collaborate
Students learning is self-directed
Its authentic & relevant!

History of PBL
1960s Discovery learning
1970s McMaster University medical school
1985 Illinois Mathematics and Science
Academy
1990s Medical schools across North America
and Europe
2000s and beyond Elementary schools,
middle schools, high schools, universities and
professional schools

What is behind PBL?

Based on the constructivist theory of
learning
Promotes active learning by
challenging students to learn to learn
Inquiry-based
Well-constructed problems stimulate
students curiosity and engagement

Where does PBL fit?

Inquiry Learning

Cooperative/
Collaborative
Learning

Project-Based
Learning

Problem-Based
Learning

Case Studies

Whats the Difference?

Project-Based
Learning
Individual or group
Teacher defines the
problem
Teacher identifies
action steps
Create a product

Both
Teacher as guide
Students at centre
Real-world
connections
Active learning
Self and peer
assessment

Problem-Based
Learning
Groups
Students define the
problem
Students identify
action steps
Create a solution
Metacognition

Bottom Line: In Problem-Based Learning, students have more control

over their own learning and the processes involved.

Components of a PBL Unit

Stakeholder
Ill-structured Problem
Teacher as Coach
Constraints
Formative Assessment
Problem-Solving
Metacognition
Assessment

Student As Stakeholder
Increases ownership
Provides a form of apprenticeship in a
discipline
Perspective-taking
A key decision maker
Must be someone with Authority,
Responsibility, and Accountability

The Ill-structured Problem

Needs more information before it
becomes clear
Can be solved in more than one way
Has more than one resolution
Changes sometimes with new
information
Is ambiguous and unclear

Teacher As Coach
Metacognition
Guide-on-the-side

Constraints
A well-designed problem is constrained
to the issues on which the teacher
wants students to focus

Assessment
How will I know if students are learning
what I want them to learn?
Many familiar assessment tools can be
utilized to monitor students group work
(skills), critical thinking (metacognition)
and learning (facts)

Problem-Solving
Students will need to find potential
solutions to the problem and determine
which solution is the best fit

Metacognition
Students think about their thinking
What do I think the problem is? Why
do I think that? Has my perspective
changed? How?

G.R.A.S.P.S.
G
R
A
S
P
S

Goal
Role
Audience
Situation
Product or Performance
Standards/Criteria

Sample Problem

The Flow of the Problem

The Flow of the Problem

Understand
the Problem

Meet the problem

Know/Need to Know
Define the Problem Statement

Explore the
Curriculum

Gather Information
Share Information
Generate Possible Solutions

Resolve the
Problem

Determine Best Fit Solution

Present the Solution
Debrief the Problem

Understand the Problem

1. Meet the problem
Students are introduced to the problem

Sample Problem
Who killed Simon & Piggy?

Metropolitan Police
Kings Cross
_____________________________
Date: April 30, 1955
To: Investigative Team
From: Chief of Police
Subject: Deaths of Simon and
Piggy
See attached letter.
Open an investigation immediately.

Dear Chief
G

ordon,

W e, the pa
rents of the
students of
School for B
Kings Cros
oys, hereby
s
file this com
demand tha
plaint and
t the police
investigate
Piggy and S
the deaths
imon.
of
It is a comp
lete travesty
that these tw
not make it
o boys did
home after
m
iraculously
horrific plan
surviving th
e crash on
e
the island.
all of the bo
A
ft
er the crash
ys went on
,
to spend w
island. The
eeks on the
y managed
to organize
hunt for foo
themselves
d and build
to
s
helters and
each other.
take care o
Yet, someh
f
ow, two of th
strongest b
e oldest an
oys died on
d
the island.
It is inexplic
able that su
ch a thing s
We deserve
hould happ
answers, fo
e n.
r ourselves
children. T
and for our
he surviving
boys are tra
their experi
umatized b
ence and w
y
ill
never be th
least we ca
e same. Th
n do is help
e
them unders
of their frien
tand why tw
ds did not m
o
ake it home
.
We await y
our prompt
reply regard
this compla
ing the statu
int.
s of
Sincerely,
The parents
of the King
s Cross Sch
ool for Boys

Understand the Problem

2. Know/Need to Know
Students determine what they know and
what they need to know to solve the
problem
Students start to identify action steps
toward solving the problem
Note: in some cases students may need
more information or background
knowledge to define the problem

Learning Issues Board

Hunches:

Simon and Piggy died on the island

They were stranded on the island
They got sick or injured and couldnt get help

What We Know
2 boys died Piggy &
Simon

Need To Know
What are they
traumatized about?

Plane crashed

Where was the pilot?

Boys spent weeks on

How did they die?

island
They found food and
shelter

Were there any

predators on the
island?

Plan of Action
Read the novel

The Kicker!
On day 2, students receive a memo
from the Crown Council asking for a
recommendation regarding who should
be charged for the boys deaths.

Understand the Problem

3. Define the Problem Statement
Students write a statement defining the
problem
Students add to learning issues board,
identify learning objectives and make a
plan

Problem Definition
Determine whether or not charges should
be laid in the deaths of Simon and Piggy
and against whom, while being just and
fair and responding to the parents
demand for answers.

Learning Objectives
Read and understand texts
Understand both literal and symbolic
meanings
Use oral language
Select and use a range of reading strategies
Interpret, analyze and evaluate ideas
Write and represent ideas

Explore the Curriculum

1. Gather information
- Darwin
- Golding

Leadership
styles

Explore the Curriculum

2. Share Information
Presentations, Jigsaw

Explore the Curriculum

3. Generate Possible Solutions

 Who could be held responsible for

Simon and Piggys deaths?
Ralph: failed as leader
Jack: led boys into savagery
Beast/Fear: caused boys to go crazy

Resolve the Problem

1. Determine Best Fit Solution
Evaluate the options and choose the
best one

*Remember, there is no right answer

Resolve the Problem

2. Present the Solution
Students present their proposed solution
to the class
Students defend their position using
criteria which are meaningful to the
discipline

Resolve the Problem

3. Debrief the Problem
Students compare the different solutions
proposed by each group
What are the pros/cons of each?
What would you have done differently?
Do you think your presentation was
effective?

Examples of PBL
Across The Curriculum
Lord of the Flies (English)
The Ebola Problem
(Math/Socials/Science)
The Black Death (Social Studies/Math)
Mosquito Coast
(Geography/Science/Math)
Genetic Disorder Problem (Science)

Designing a PBL Unit

Not a Topic, a Problem

Not the Civil WarThe Draft Riot
Not Acids and BasesAcid Spill on the
Highway
Not art historyDegenerate Art during
World War II

Not a Topic, a Problem

Not the Civil WarThe Draft Riot
Not Acids and BasesAcid Spill on the
Highway
Not art historyDegenerate Art during
World War II

Where to start

Look in the news, textbook, fiction, tv, life

Take your summative assessment activities and
work backwards
Make cases out of word problems or essay
questions
Example: In essay format, discuss what you think Golding
says about civilization and civilized behaviour in Lord of
the Flies

Adapt a project
Example: Genetic Disorder Problem

Designing a PBL Unit

Determine content what you want
students to learn
Identify the stakeholder
Create the problem
Layout the plan & identify the
constraints
Plan assessment

Determine Content
Social
Studies

What fish look like

Design a fish farm
First Nations Art
Stories and Legend
Protest songs

First Nations Culture

Careers
Geography
Conservation
International Issues/ Trade

Salmon

Fine Arts

Science

Ecology & ecosystems

Tools & technology
Pollution
Lifecycle

Identify the Stakeholder

Fishermen
Consumers
Fish farmers
Conservationists
Land developers
Mayor of small fishing village
Aquarium

Write Problem Introduction

You are a land developer who has just discovered
that you will not be able to build on a parcel of land in
which you have already invested a large sum of
money. Plans have been drawn up and workers
have been hired. You must find a way to develop the
land or risk losing your money and reputation.
Follow-up with minutes from public hearing
explaining the issue with developing this particular
area of land: it is home to a salmon spawning stream
that would be threatened by development

Map Out The Problem

Take a look at your lecture notes for the
subject/issue and identify resources that
students could use
Make a list of possible activities
Determine the skills you want students to
learn and how you will teach them
Make sure the problem is constrained to just
the issues you want students to explore

Plan Assessment

Facts
Skills
Analysis
Reflection

Ideas: Problem Log, Portfolios, Rubrics

Learning Strategies

Note-taking organizers
Reading strategies (e.g. Shower of Stars)
Teacher as expert
Jigsaw
Graphic Organizers (web, t-chart)
Adding Up Logically: Making Inferences
Presentation Outline
Reflection Journals

Differentiation
You can use the same tools that you would
use in any other lesson
Many of the learning strategies are tools to
differentiate
Examples: providing research materials,
breaking the problem into steps/tasks,
graphic organizers with fill-in-the-blanks,
researching in pairs, vocabulary list

Samples & Resources

Genetic Disorder Problem

1. Understand the Problem
As the head cytologist in a fertility ward, you have
just performed a test on a pregnant woman who is
having complications with her pregnancy. The
couple had trouble conceiving and are worried about
losing the baby. They want to know what is
happening and what it means for future pregnancies.
The test results are back. You have a photograph of
the chromosomes removed from a single embryonic
stem cell taken from the 3 week old embryo.

2. Explore the Curriculum

How will we find out whats wrong with
the unborn patient?

3. Resolve the Problem

What will you tell the couple about the
diagnosis, how it happened and what
to do about future pregnancies?

Questions
??