Creating A Problem Based Learning Experience

In my previous blog, What is Problem-Based Learning (PBL), I talked about what PBL is and the basic overview of how to implement PBL. Here I am going to go more in-depth on how to design a PBL lesson. PBL lessons can take as much or little time as you'd like depending on the depth and scope of the problem. PBLs are commonly on the longer side, depending on the problem. You want to think about this when you are beginning the planning process. A key thing to remember is Problem Base Learning is different from Project Based Learning. But they both have similarities and will commonly overlap. To learn more about their similarities and differences, click here.

Additional Problem-Based Learning Tips and Project Ideas 

When planning a PBL, you want to consider multiple things. First and foremost, you want to generate or find your problem. Throughout this post, I will be referencing a Car Retrieval Mission I had created: "BREAKING NEWS! Just in from William Penn, it has been reported a massive sinkhole has consumed 3 cars outside of room E129! William Penn is calling on you, their highly skilled engineering students, to develop solutions to safely remove the cars from the sinkhole.” This problem was developed as there was a sinkhole in the parking lot outside my classroom. Leading to a theoretical problem that the sinkhole consumed cars in the parking lot. This problem affects them as we frequently use that door to go outside for learning or brain breaks, and many of my students are into cars. Now that the problem is established, you want to start the planning. 

Before I went any further, I hit a bump in the road. I knew right off the bat that students would not be able to create a full-scale machine to remove a car, so I thought, how can I do this on a small scale? Landing on, students will have to pick matchbox cars out of a coffee can, causing as little damage to the car as possible. Then I could start evaluating what my students know. 

What do students already know and what will they need to learn? It is important to assess what students know and what they are going to need to learn. My students had just learned about simple and compound machines, so they could take that knowledge and apply it. To help students get a jump start on the research and evaluation, I showed footage from the sinkhole that consumed 8 cars at the National Corvette Museum in 2014. Something that I had not accounted for the first time presenting this problem was many of my students had not constructed something before. Initially, I kept in mind it is the first significant project students are working on and using the materials in my classroom. But had not figured that many students had not used nuts and bolts to hold together metal components before. So I had to allow additional time for that small learning curve. Through additional research, students would have to research and learn various configurations on how to combine simple machines to lift the vehicle out of the sinkhole. The problem and student knowledge have been established now it is on to how the students will document their findings. How do I want the students to document their findings? Within my classroom, I use the Design Process. As this was their first PBL, I made sure to create a document with a spot for everything I was looking for. Students had a place to put their research, three sketches, and final sketch along with calculations as they had to use at least three simple machines and calculate out the mechanical advantage. All were contained within a design brief they handed in. How do you want the students to present what they have learned and be evaluated? For this, PBL students would have to demonstrate their machine to the class, explaining how their machine operates and how they landed on that solution. Additional questions to take into consideration when planning a PBL are the following:

• What skills will students need to have in order to work in groups successfully?
• How will students be assessed?
• What roles will students have when they are working in groups?
• What common questions will students ask?

When designing PBL’s you will not always start with the problem. Sometimes if there is something specific you want the students to learn, you will work backward through the process if you know what knowledge you want the students to apply.

There is a little about the design process I used to create one of my PBL’s. Hope this helps you design and implement a PBL in your classroom.

Below is a brief video covering constraints and criteria for three different age groups.

Not sure how to implement PBL for various ages?

References 

Criteria & Constraints 11/9 Asynchronous School. (2020). YouTube. Retrieved June 18, 2023, from https://youtu.be/6VAq5iwN2k4. 

Problem-based Learning. Planning & Teaching Strategies | | Course Hero. (n.d.). https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/educationx92x1/problem-based-learning/ 

Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning. Education World. (2011, August 27). https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/virtualwkshp/virtualwkshp002.shtml 

STEM Challenges - The Differentiating Magic of Criteria & Constraints Lists. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved June 18, 2023, from https://youtu.be/LLai3909pG0.