Problem Based Learning - Getting your feet wet

PBL is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a

subject through the experience of problem solving.
Students learn thinking strategies and domain/content knowledge.
Teacher acts as facilitator or tutor.
BASIC STEPS -START SMALL
#1

What is the problem?

Begin with teacher designed problems that encompass your current unit
of study. This is the context in which the unit will be taught.
As you are planning this problem-based unit Examine the delivery model you previously conducted; stay within the
same basic time frame.
Utilize existing activities that can support the PBL format.
Eliminate previous activities that are redundant or dont fit with this
approach.
Present the problem to the students.
This should be a whole group lesson/discussion.
Make sure the problem is something relatable to your student population.
The problem does not need to be world-changing. It can be relatively
small but still important to address.
Your students may or may not have the necessary content background
knowledge at the onset of the problem.
#2 What do we already know?

Generate a list of things they already know about the problem.

Conduct a whole class discussion, especially in elementary and middle
grades
Teacher guides the list generation.
Students record the list.
Disagreement about content of previous knowledge list is acceptable.
#3 What do we need to know?

This step is done after it has been explained in detail how the solution is to
be presented.
Provide a detailed rubric.

Generate a list of questions regarding those things students need to

know in order to solve the problem.

Use the rubric as your guide for what they need to know
Have students determine and define any unfamiliar terminology in both
the problem and connected issues and content.
Provide as much teacher facilitation as needed while the comfort level
with this process builds.
After these questions have been generated, divide these questions
among the groups and group members.
Each group member is required to research assigned questions and
include cited sources.
After the research period is completed, each student will teach what
was learned about his/her question(s) to the group members.
#4 How is the solution to be presented?

Present solutions in an authentic manner that parallels how that type of

solution would be presented in the real world.
Provide a detailed rubric of presentation expectations.
This is separate from the research/activity rubric.
Provide suggested or limited presentation formats for the first time PBL.
Allow students to determine how the solution could be presented when
they become more proficient in the PBL process.