Problem Based Learning

A method to organize the learning process in such a manner that the students are actively enganged in finding answer by themselves. Through time, great teachers and pedagogues have always understood the effectiveness of these principles. Socrates made a point of questioning the student in order to activate latent knowledge, and the Chinese philosopher Confucius stressed the importance of involvement with a few often quoted lines:

Talk to me ....... and I will forget
Show me ......... and I will remember
Involve me ....... and I will understand
Step back ........ and I will act

Other principle on learning process given by Montessori child is by a motto “my playing is my learning.” Different with Killpatrick, working in early parts of the last century, he is considered to be the originator of the project method in education. Killpatrick’s statement is that the effectiveness of projects depends on “learning as wholehearted doing.”

To engaged student of course depends on the particular situation and the age of the students. Nevertheless, educational concepts like ‘discovery learning,’ “learning by doing,” “experiential learning,” and "student-centered learning” clearly suggest exploiting human traits like curiosity and the sense of mastery and self determination.

Among the educational innovations, the one labeled Problem Based Learning (PBL) eventually became quite well known and successful. The term Problem Based Learning was originally coined by Don Woods, based on his work with Chemistry students in McMaster’s University in Canada.