VI.3. Problem-based learning: what and how students learn?
Psychological research and theory suggest that when students face a problem solving process, they acquire both content and cognitive methods, strategies.
The PAT is designed to teach students the following:
- Flexible knowledge base
- Effective problem-solving skills
- Self-directed learning process skills
- Effective collaboration abilities
- Inner motivation to learn
The problem-solving learning approach has a long history, one of the teaching methods that are based on smaller topics or projects. Kilpatrich (1918, 1921) and Dewey (1938) argued the importance of the experience-based learning methods. The problem-based learning (PAT) is part of this approach, in which experience, meaningful educational processes take place.
During PAT, the students solve problems and evaluate their own experiences. The PAT helps active learning, as it confronts the students with the world’s real problems and makes them responsible of their own learning. Therefore it has a double advantage, to build leaning strategies and acquire knowledge.
The educators are interested in this method because the emphasis to motivate the students lies on the active transferable knowledge and its possibilities. The teacher facilitates the learning process without passing on knowledge.
PAT and other experience based approaches:
The problem based learning is a so-called focus learning because it is organized around experienced learning (tests, explanations and solutions) based on real problems. During PAT, the students work in smaller, cooperating groups and first figure out what knowledge they need to solve the problem. The teacher meanwhile directs the students only as a helper to assist them to acquire the learning themselves.
Such task usually looks like this:
Presented with a problem-script, the students examine it based on the described facts, focusing on the relevant topics. The summary of these facts help the students to describe the issue. During the process, when the students understand the problem, they set up hypotheses about possible solutions. An important point of this process is to evaluate the gaps of knowledge that relate to the problem. These inherent knowledge gaps could indicate problems in learning which the student can address during his so-called self-directed learning –SDL.
By solving each problem, the students can revise their own acquired knowledge. In the process, the teacher incites the students to require cognitive knowledge through problem solving and cooperation. Since the students set up their goals and strategies by themselves, they also gain lifelong learning skills in the process.
The PAT was originally developed in medical schools and applied from secondary schools to vocational training studies.
Summarizing table for the material
Figure 7. source: Hmelo-Silver, C.E. (2004)
Figure 8. source Hmelo-Silver, C.E. (2004)
Facts
- Storage of hazardous chemicals
- Number of people living nearby
Ideas
- Minimize the stored inventory
- Safety training
- Development of alarm and warning system
Knowledge shortcomings
- What are the regulations to store cyanide?
- What are the possible technologies to store hazardous chemicals?
Plan of action
- Search out the proper authorities to learn the regulations
The PAT is a study method which includes the fixed educational and project-based learning.
The PAT itself deals with realistic, every day, so-called ill-structured (i.e. achieve the desired solution is not clear) problems, such as medical diagnoses or homework (tasks) solutions. In this scenario, the problem is in the center which encourages acquiring learning strategies.
Flexible knowledge base:
Common sense dictates that to acquire a flexible knowledge base and effective problem solving skills, one must create an environment which provides an opportunity to do so.
Effective problem solving skills:
This requires adequate meta-cognitive and problem solving practices. For example, the deductive-conclusive reasoning is accepted in medical problem solving, while the analogue (one-way conclusion) or the theme centered argument is more appropriate in architecture. The meta-cognitive skills suggest that an individual is capable to control his problem-solving ability, to analyze the processes and evaluate the fulfillment of the achieved objectives.
Self-directed learning method skills:
The meta-cognitive techniques are also important in reaching the third goal. These help to acquire the autonomous learning skills. Therefore, they have to reach their own decisions as to which steps need to be taken. Finally, when the plan is ready, the students must be able to observe and evaluate whether their goals have been met.
Effective collaboration abilities:
The fourth goal is the implementation of a well-functioning team player role. It includes a “common denominator” (common ground) to reach, to resolve differences, to discuss the actions of the group, and finally to agree. These tasks require an open dialogue about ideas and obligations from each member of the group.
Internal motivation to learn:
The ultimate goal of the PAT is to help the students to be internally motivated. This comes to surface when they solve problems that interest them.
Creating a problem to solve is an easy thing when medical students are involved, since they are motivated by the desire to become doctors.
Similarly, secondary school students will become more motivated and acquire cognitive skills that will help them to accomplish complex tasks with ease and confidence.
Many components of the PAT motivate to learn. Students are more motivated when they appreciate what they learn and they can incorporate their knowledge into meaningful tasks. They also feel inspired if they feel that the outcome of their studies is under their control.
The role of the teacher:
A good problem is an important but not sufficient condition for effective PAT’s. The critical center for the good functioning PAT is the leadership. In the PAT, the teacher/leader is an expert student who is able to present good, useful strategic models for learning and thinking. The leader places the student’s learning onto a platform, as a model, mainly with the use of questioning strategies. Later, the leader gradually takes the model back from the platform as students become more experienced with the PAT, and eventually taking over the leadership.
The leader’s responsibility plays a role in two points:
- Helps to pass the stages of the PAT and monitors the processes taking place
- With monitoring, he ensures that every student is integrated in the tasks and encourages them to express their thoughts and reflect on the ideas of others.
In the leading role it is also important to know when to ask questions, when the student departs from the subject and the PAT process comes to a halt. A leading PAT expert (Gmelo-Silver, 2002) explained in his study that he played his role mainly with meta-cognitive questions. He played with issues which focused the students’ attention on the given subject, steered them in one direction and managed to force out a plausible explanation. Hearing their reasoning, he asked questions which steered the students to the limits of their knowledge facilitating their learning process.
Another way to use the PAT is when the leader pays attention to each member of a small group and he spends time with each student according to their needs.
This is called “migratory management” – that is when the leader takes into account the needs of the groups and considers the energy spent according to their progress.
Reflection in PAT
An important point in PAT is to help students to understand the relationship between learning and reaching the goal of problem-solving.
This takes place at the end of problem-solving when the students summarize what they have learned, how they cooperated with the group and effectively managed their own learning. Often the students criticize themselves because this process shows them what they have not learned yet.
Both negative and positive remarks provide information to improve, increase the efficiency of their cooperation and self-directed learning, and i.e. visit the old textbook which contains the necessary information.
Most groups need help to reflect. A leader can help with this but with bigger groups or younger students there are other methods as well. One factor to help reflection is a well-built journal.
In summary, the PAT is a pedagogical technique which puts the learning into context with problem-solving. It allows students to recognize how to apply their newly acquired knowledge to approach new problems. It forces them to ask questions on what are necessary to know. The PAT provides the students a chance to reflect, become quick thinkers and be able to use their knowledge through action.