Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning is an approach to learning that uses problems or challenges as the focus for learning. Students work in groups or teams to solve or manage these situations, but they are not expected to acquire a predetermined series of ‘right answers’. Instead, they are expected to engage with the complex situation presented to them and decide what information they need to learn and what skills they need to gain in order to manage the situation effectively. There are many different ways of implementing problem-based learning, but the underlying philosophies associated with it tend to be student-centred.

Problem-based learning is an approach to learning that has grown in breadth and depth across the world since the 1970s, and there are many blueprints for it. This entry ...