Problem- and task-centered approaches often refer to educational technologies designed to situate instruction in authentic or meaningful settings. Such approaches are organized around questions specific to the discipline where technology can serve as a medium for problem solving.

Problem- and task-centered principles are used to facilitate learning in a wide range of disciplines, such as medicine, science, law, business, and mathematics. For example, problem-centered learning in medicine requires students to work in groups to acquire skills needed to diagnose patient cases and integrate clinical knowledge required in practice. Inquiry-based learning in the sciences or humanities requires students to formulate explanations for a phenomenon under investigation by defining a question, seeking evidence, and outlining an argument. In legal and business education, case-based learning is used to encourage ...