Problem Solving Skills in Education
Give a man a fish and he'll be full for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll be full for a lifetime. This is the philosophy behind the problem-based learning (PBL) model, a series of methods that teaches students problem-solving skills that can be applied to problems in real-world contexts. Problem-based learning is a student-centered, experiential, and collaborative educational practice.
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History of PBL
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In the late 1950s, the medical faculty at Case Western Reserve University decided to do a curriculum reform that ultimately led to a PBL approach. Other medical institutions began to adopt and evolve the PBL method. Many medical schools had realized that lectures and tests were less effective for teaching medical practice than hands-on experience, and sought to remedy this by changing their curriculum to teach problem-solving skills instead.
PBL Today
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Since Case Western Reserve's breakthrough, many other disciplines have adopted a Problem-Based Learning approach to education, including engineering, architecture, law, economics, business, and elementary and secondary schools. Current PBL approaches are usually context-based, meaning that students learn to solve problems unique to their discipline. This contextualizing of problem-solving skills ensures that students build a skill set specific to their professional degree. In elementary and secondary education, problem-solving skills can be taught across the curriculum and in the context of conflict resolution.
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How PBL Works
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In a typical PBL classroom, the instructor presents students with a real or hypothetical problem. The instructor models and facilitates the analysis of a problem, teaching critical thinking skills. The instructor also facilitates experiential problem-solving activities, asking students to discuss outcome goals and multiple approaches or solutions to the problems. Ideally, students are asked to attempt to solve the problem via multiple approaches, often in collaboration with their peers and instructor. Once the problem has been solved, students are asked to reflect on the process in order to reinforce the skills they have learned.
Advantages of PBL
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According to James Rhem of the National Teaching and Learning Forum (NTLF), teaching problem-solving skills through Problem Based Learning orients students toward "meaning making" rather than fact memorization. Students learn critical thinking and analytical skills that help them entertain multiple possibilities and determine the best decision. PBL curricula also teach positive goal-oriented methods of approaching problems that allow students to successfully overcome obstacles in work and life. According to NTLF, PBL approaches result in students with higher levels of comprehension and better social skills than other students. Ultimately, students who learn problem-solving skills become resourceful, self-directed learners who can adapt to a range of situations and think critically about any issue.
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References
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