Problem Based Learning

Problem Based Learning (PBL)

A couple of years ago I went to a training on Problem Based Learning (PBL). It completely changed the way I taught. It works for all grade levels K-12. PBL is "designed to create learning through experience and the reinforcement of existing knowledge." (CERTL) You begin by giving your students a problem. They create a list of things they know and need to know based on the problem you have given them. Once they ask the "right" questions, you can give them more information based on the problem. The students continue to make lists of what they know and what they need to know until they have all the information they need to solve the problem. By using PBL students learn through experience. They are EXTREMELY engaged throughout the entire process, and I found that learners who need a little more motivation didn't need it when it came to PBL. They jumped right in with the rest of their classmates.

There is a website with quite a few pre-made PBL lesson plans, but you must have a username and password to access them. Come see me for a username and password and the website.

Click on the CERTL icon for more information.