The Concept of Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Schools
By Sandy Hooda
As the world evolves from the industrial age into the knowledge age, problem based learning (PBL) is gaining global traction. Know all about the concept of PBL here.
Only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, according to Gallup's new 142-country study on the State of the Global Workplace. This closely resembles the traditional classroom where the majority of the learners do not feel engaged. Traditional teaching methods are no longer successful because they do not involve experimentation, innovation and collaboration. The learning itself remains largely uninteresting. Low levels of interest lead to low levels of motivation, attention and retention. According to research there is a direct correlation between motivation and academic achievement. There is no denying the existence of a strong correlation between engagement at school and engagement at work.
Today’s closed classrooms remain individualistic where only individual’s (and not the team’s) success is measured. We now know that in the real world we are required to operate in groups. We also know that the real world does not reward just what we know, instead it rewards what we can do with what we know. The ability to apply knowledge to find new and better ways of doing things holds the highest premium. The greatest minds in the world - be it engineers, scientists, managers, artists, entertainers or writers are all rewarded for their innovative mindset.
Even today, most schools operate in the realm of teaching content and recalling it during tests and exams. Ironically, according to research, life skills lead to happiness and better incomes, much more than content based tests do.
Change is coming. Progressive schools (and parents) around the world are adopting research based methods such as problem based learning (PBL), inquiry based learning, experiential learning and expeditionary learning which are better at preparing our children for tomorrow’s workforce.
Problem based learning (PBL) was propounded by John Dewey in the late nineteenth century. Dewey believed that ‘education needed to focus on actual experimentation’. He encouraged ‘experimentation and abhorred dogmatic principles and practices’ such as rote learning. Problem based learning is gaining global traction as the world evolves from the industrial age into the knowledge age.
PBL begins with a driving question which is about solving a real world problem. The driving question could be ‘how to solve the drinking problem in Gurugram’. The learners would begin by researching various sources of knowledge that could include books, reports, internet or experts. They would work together in teams supported by teachers (or facilitators). The learning would be cross-disciplinary involving a range of subjects which would be carefully aligned with the needs of the national curriculum. They would have to come up with original ideas and real world solutions. In this case it could be creating an innovative water purification plant that would have practical use. The project would be presented to and be critiqued by their parents, community and real world experts. Feedback would be solicited in order to develop a culture of constant improvement. Essential skills of collaboration and complex problem solving would be developed while ensuring all the elements of the curriculum are covered.
The non negotiables of PBL are that learning would need to be learner oriented and learner driven, and be about solving real world problems and developing real world skills. According to ASCD.org ‘the roots of problem-based learning can be traced to John Dewey's belief that teachers should teach by appealing to students' natural instincts to investigate and create’. This redefined role of a teacher makes PBL very difficult to implement. Teachers capable of teaching PBL need to have innate creativity. They need to be lifelong learners themselves. Since teaching is cross-disciplinary, the teachers themselves need to be effective collaborators. They also need to unlearn traditional teaching methods and go through exhaustive coaching - both in technical skills as well as in emotional intelligence.
PBL can be fully tuned to align with the national curriculum of a country. In our context, it can be aligned both with CBSE as well as ICSE. Parents who want their children to learn in a progressive environment no longer need to be confined to IB which is more expensive and not fully aligned with entrance processes of Indian colleges. Learning outcomes under PBL can be mapped with the CBSE syllabus so that the majority of curriculum gets covered.
The benefit of PBL is that learners enjoy and own the learning process. They do so because they have a powerful context to their learning which is far better aligned with their interests. Learners learn to innovate, experiment and solve complex problems. They develop all the skills that according to OECD and The World Economic Forum will be at premium over the course of the next 15-20 years. PBL uniquely builds the mindset and skill-set that ensure that our children thrive in a rapidly changing world.
About the Author:
Sandy Hooda
Sandy Hooda is the Co-Founder – Vega Schools. Vega is being positioned at the mid to mid-high end audience. Vega School’s Sohna Road campus has a student strength of 400. The school’s second branch, which is currently being developed on the Gurugram Faridabad Road is supposed to have a student capacity of 2250 students.
