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

At this point, it is wise to predetermine the student group sizes.

#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.

#1

What is the problem?

Continued

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 worldchanging. 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 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.

#3 What do we need to know?

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.

In a Nut Shell