Education Shortform
Problem-Based Learning
In brief
Problem-based learning provides learners with realistic problems to solve, rather than teaching information more directly.
For example, medical students could be presented with cases of particular disorders to investigate, in preference to listening to lectures or reading about those disorders.
This pedagogy is active, engages learners emotionally, and allows them to collaborate in groupwork. However, it has been criticised as being inefficient in terms of the amount learned in a given time.
A variation of the same idea would be project-based or inquiry-based learning, i.e. setting extended research projects for learners to engage with. The extended independent essay in the International Baccalaureate is an example, as is an undergraduate dissertation.
These typically sit alongside lectures/classes and reading. However, many doctoral degrees assess learning purely on the basis of a research project.
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This is one of a series of shortform education articles. You can download a simplified summary of my ‘A–Z of Educational concepts’ here.
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