Characteristics of Good PBL Problems

1
Characteristics of Good PBL Problems

• Relate to real world, motivate students
• Require decision-making or judgements
• Multi-page, multi-stage
• Designed for group-solving
• Initial questions open-ended, encourages
  discussion
• Incorporates course content objectives, higher
  order thinking

2
Blooms Cognitive Levels

• Knowledge - remember facts, concepts,
  definitions
• Comprehension - explain, interpret
• Application - apply concept to a new
  situation
• Analysis - break material into parts to see
  interrelationships
• Synthesis - Produce something new from
  component parts
• Evaluation - Make a judgement based on criteria

3
Level One

• Typical end-of-chapter problem
• All information needed is given in problem
• Blooms knowledge or comprehension level

4
Level Two

• Adds story-telling to end-of-chapter problem
• Adds motivation, requires students to go beyond
  rote learning
• May include decision-making
• Information to solve included in chapter
• Blooms comprehension or application

5
Level Three

• Good PBL problem with multi-page, multi-stage
  construction
• Not all information given in chapter or even
  book.
• Challenges students to Bloom higher levels of
  thinking

6
Choose a major concept or principle that you
teach.
7
Choose a story-line or real-world application
of that concept or principle.
8
Outline or structure the problem. What initial
questions will motivate students to discuss the
issues?