Problem-Based Learning (PBL) originated at McMaster University in the late 1960s to enhance students' motivation and critical thinking through collaborative, real-world problem solving. The PBL process involves selecting roles within groups, engaging in brainstorming, and utilizing structured sessions for understanding and synthesizing information, followed by evaluation of student performance. While PBL fosters skills such as self-directed learning and teamwork, it presents challenges like time constraints, difficulty in assessment, and a transition from traditional teaching methods.

1. M R . A B HI N A V B HA T T
PROBLEM BASED
LEARNING

2. HISTORY:
 Problem based learning (PBL) was pioneered in the
medical school program at McMaster University in
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in the late 1960s by
Howard Barrows and his colleagues. The PBL
curriculum was developed in order to stimulate the
learners, assist the learners in seeing the relevance of
learning to future roles, maintain a higher level of
motivation towards learning,

3. cont…
and to show the learners the importance of
responsible, professional attitudes. PBL was adopted
by the medical school programs & other health
sciences, math, law, education, economic, business,
social studies & engineering.

4. PROBLEM BASED LEARNING

5. DEFINITION :
PBL is a method in which students work
collaboratively to solve real- world problems. A
students- centered approach, PBL encourages critical
thinking as students investigate issues, gather
material, analyzes & evaluate information & develop
solutions to problems.

6. REAL LIFE SITUATION
COMPETENT
MAKING DECISIONS
PROBLEM

7. SUBJECT BASED LEARNING
• CLASS ROOM
• REAL LIFE
INCOMPETENT
CONFUSION
PROBLEM

8. PURPOSES:
1) To gain an understanding of principle that
underlines phenomenon.
2) Help to aim at problem analyzing skills training in
particular professional situation.
3) To exercise that students learn to take decision
independently.
4) Help to activate prior knowledge & to integrate that
knowledge.

9. CHARACTERISTIC OF PBL:
 Student- centered & experiential
 Inductive
 Problems are complex & ambiguous & requires
meta- cognition
 Collaborative & interdependent.

10. PRINCIPLES:
 Understanding comes from our interaction with the
environment.
 Cognitive conflict stimulates learning.
 Knowledge evolves through social negotiation and
evaluation of the viability of individual
understanding

11. MEMBERS:
1) The group leaders
2) The scribe
3) The group members
4) Tutor
5) The chair man

12. ROLE OF THE MEMBERS:
A) Role of the group leader
 Keep discussion goal oriented
 Guiding the PBL steps
 Clarifying discussion
 Stimulation participation
 Guiding documentation
 Argument mediator
 Motivator
 Equal participation
 Complete record
 Time gate keeper

13. CONT…
B) Role of the scribe:
 Records points
 Helps group to order their thoughts
 Participates in discussion
 Records resources used by the group
 Making clean and short notes
 Summarizing information
 External memory
 Not to be selective

14. CONT…
C) Role of the tutor:
 Encourages group members to participate
 Assist chair with group dynamics and keeping to time
 Plays a key role in PBL
 Is the back bone of PBL
 Makes learning student centered
 Facilitates learning instead of dispensing knowledge
 Guides never directs
 Committed to the groups learning

15. CONT…
 Active listening
 Must keep the process alive and on the track by non
directive stimuli.
 Should be able to handle small group dynamics
 To allow the group to take over, manage and
encourage students to attain a deeper level of
understanding.
 Ability to asses students ability and problems
 To ensure all students are involved.

16. CONT…
D) Role of chair man:
 Heads the group through the process
 Encourage all group through the process
 Maintain group keeps to task in hand
 Ensure group keeps to task in hand
 Ensure scribe can keep up & is making an accurate
record

17. CONT…
E) Role of the group members:
 Follow the steps of the process in sequences
 Participates in discussion
 Listens to & respect contribution of others
 Shares information with others
 Asks open questions
 Research all the learning objectives
 Active participation
 Answering questions
 Make decisions

18. STEPS:
Problem based learning consists of 2 sessions.
Session I:
The group selects a group leaders and a scribes. Both
group leaders & the scribes rotate among members
during the study block. This session is known as the
brain storming session.
The group leader co-ordinates the session activities.
The session has 7 jumps.

19. CONT…
7 steps of PBL:
a. Clarity
b. Defining
c. Analyzing
d. Shift & sort
e. Identify learning objectives
f. Go & learn
g. Come back & talk

20. CONT…
Session II (presentation):
Regroup, synthesize new information & agree on
whether item identified & can be explained to the
satisfaction of all members. If not, return to 5, review
what has been learned during study of the problem.
Begin new problem when group is satisfied with
solutions for previous problem.

21. CONT…
 Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on the basis of their
performance & placed in one of the following
categories:
E- Excellent
D- Distinction
P- Pass
F- Fail
A- Absent

22. Original problem statement
Redefine problem
Develop general specifications
Brain storm alternatives
Select most viable alternatives
Check problem definition
Redefine & add sepcification
Brain storming again if necessary
Untill problem is appropriately solved
SOLUTION

23. ADVANTAGES:
 Higher comprehension
 Critical and creative thinking
 Self directed learning
 Project management
 Problem solving skills
 Interpersonal skills & team work
 Self motivated attitude
 Good mastery of content
 Develop analytical thoughts

24. CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING..

25. CONT…
 Increased clinical skills
 Bridges the gap between theory & practice
 Fosters concretively in learning
 Able to adapt to rapid changes in the world
 Continue to be useful in the professional life

26. DISADVANTAGES:
 Transition is difficult for students and faculty
 Increased time to teach content
-increased prep time
 Finding problems- writing problems
 Faculty lack of skills as facilitators

27. LIMITATIONS:
 Designing a good problem is difficult & require time.
 Valid assessment of the program may not be always
available.
 Tutors role is to guide the student to meet the
objectives set for the students learning.
 PBL sessions are time consuming
 As far as academic achievement is concern
traditional method serves better & it is impossible to
cover whole syllabus by means of PBL.
 It is difficult to generate appropriate problems.

28. CONT…
 Changing role of the student that is previously
students were accustomed with traditional method
of teaching & sudden change to PBL leads the
students to "simple wonder around something". This
usually happens in first year students who often
express difficulty with self directed learning.

29. JOURNAL:
 Albanese, Mitchell, Norman, Schmidt,
Vernon & Black (1993) conducted a study on
case- method in the teaching of medical ethics using
PBL which clearly indicates that learners prefer this
method to the conventional, lecture based method. It
had a significant increase in the development of
moral reasoning & decision making about value issue
in medical students.

30. CONT…
Problem based learning -Five easy steps (according to Queen's
University)
1.Read the problem
2.Brainstorm
3.Identify/ discussion/ assign
4.Individual reading- research- preparation
5.Return review case so far
 Report and discuss
 Assess progress- continue page/ next
 Self- evaluation- how did things go?
 Any suggestions for next time?
 Next problem

31. CONT…
The first group session
- Be sure you have the necessary information
- Seating arrangements
- Tutor introduction
- Student information
-Review the objectives of PBL and the evaluation
process.
- Choose a "secretary"
- Starting the case
- By the end of the session

32. CONT…
Before the end of the session, the students in the group need
to clarity their plans for their own learning between session
by:
 First: Identifying all of the significant issues arising from the
hypothesis.
 Second: Settling on a "do- able" list of learning tasks for the
next session, deciding which issues everyone will tackle and
which will be divided up.
 Third: Decided what specific questions individuals will try to
answer.
 Fourth: Deciding on the "enquiry strategy"- how they will
address these learning issues.

33. CONT…
Question tutors may ask during PBL
 Appropriate question is one of the most important means of
facilitating learning
 Question may elicit a students reasoning process
 The tutor encourages students to make connections
 Tutors emphasize open- ended questions
 Questions can direct
 Tutors should emphasize mechanisms & causes of patients
problems.
 Tutors should periodically ask students to explain & define
medical terminology used.

34. CONT…
 Tutors should ask higher order questions.
 Some other helpful questions are:
 Why is the mechanism action of this drug?
 What is the evidence that treatment makes any
difference?
 How do you decide which lab tests to do?

35. THANK YOU