Problems

“The first thing you’ll notice is the noise. It is often difficult to hear yourself think, and conversing even with those close at hand takes persistence and a strong voice. Once you get used to the noise, you’ll also notice the groups of students strewn throughout the auditorium: sitting in misshapen circles near the podium, propped up against the wall on the mezzanine, leaning every which way in the theater seats to see and hear one another” (Peters, 2006, p.1).

The inspiration to transition from more traditional styles of teaching to problem-based learning (PBL) is often ignited by the desire to encourage students to go beyond superficial learning. The design and/or selection of an appropriate problem is crucial to driving more in-depth learning and faculty should be familiar with potential problem sources and how to design new and revise existing problem scenarios. Problems can be sourced from relevant news stories, journal articles, books, textbook problems, case studies, and practice experience of the faculty member and presented in a variety of formats (Barrett & Moore, 2011). While some faculty may find it beneficial to review and revise existing problems created by other faculty members, others may prefer the opportunity to exercise creativity and design a new problem. Problems should be presented in a storytelling fashion to foster interest and facilitate discussion.

Duch et al (2001) provide the following suggestions for problem development:

• Choose a central idea or principle that is a core objective for your course. Consider a typical textbook problem or assignment you typically use to support students learning the identified concept and list the learning objectives addressed by that problem or assignment.
• Consider a real-world context for the desired concept.  The existing problem or assignment can be revised to fit the real-world context and faculty may integrate their own practice experience to enhance the connection with future practice.  If the faculty member does not possess sufficient practice experience themselves, speaking with other professionals in the field can support problem development. Revisit the desired learning objectives to ensure the problem adequately addresses each and consider the potential for additional knowledge or skill gains (e.g. research skills, collaboration skills).
• Determine how the problem will be presented to the students.  Some problems are best presented all at once, while others are better suited for multistage presentation.  Course level, pre-existing knowledge, and the problem’s complexity are all factors to consider when determining how the problem is presented.
• Develop a facilitator guide, where appropriate, detailing plans for using the problem in the course.  The facilitator guide may also include suggested probing questions to ensure the group progresses through the PBL cycle without spending too much time investigating irrelevant information.
• Identify resources students may need to get them started working through the problem. Students will need to identify additional resources on their own but may need focused support to reference sources outside of the internet.

Faculty may find the following template helpful to identify practice experience scenarios appropriate for problem sources.

The University of Delaware offers an open-access repository of diverse problems referred to as the PBL Clearinghouse.

References:

Amador, J.A., Miles, L., & Peters, C.B. (2006). The practice of problem-based learning: A guide to implementing PL in the college classroom. Anker Publishing Company, Inc.

Barrett, T. & Moore, S. (Eds.). (2011). New approaches to problem-based learning: Revitalising your practice in higher education. Routledge.