The Secret to Great Learning Design? Focus on Problems, not Solutions
What a recent resurgence of research into problem-based learning has taught us about the value & impact of problem-based approaches
In the last few months, there has been a noticeable resurgence in research into the value and impact of problem-based learning strategies.
In this week’s newsletter, I’ll give you a whistle-stop tour of:
what problem-based learning;
why I think we’re seeing a resurgence of interest in it;
what the research has found, and how to apply it in your work.
Let’s go 🚀
Problem-Based Learning 101
Problem-based learning is an instructional approach that engages students in active, collaborative, and self-directed learning by exploring complex, real-world problems (rather than sitting and listening to a stage on the stage).
In a Problem-based learning scenario, students work in small groups and, under the guidance of a facilitator or instructor, identify, research, and analyse a problem before proposing and evaluating potential solutions and reaching a resolution.
The goal is to help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills while at the same time acquiring relevant domain knowledge.
Problem-based learning is not new: it can be traced back to the late 1960s, when it was first experimented with by Medical & Physics educators who found that problem-based methods were a more effective way to teach students not just domain knowledge but also how to apply it reliably out in the real world..
Further research and experimentation of the problem-based method by people like Eric Mazur at Harvard in the 1990s helped to confirm the positive impact that a problem-based approach has on:
learner intrinsic motivation;
learner knowledge acquisition;
learner skills development;
learning transfer;
learner satisfaction.
A Resurgence in Interest
During my weekly review of peer-reviewed research on instructional design, I have seen a noticeable increase in research projects designed to test and measure the impact of problem-based instructional strategies.
Why the resurgence of interest and research into research into problem-based learning (PBL)? Here’s my take:
Changing educational needs: As the global economy and job market continue to evolve, there is a growing emphasis on skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. PBL's proven ability to deliver on these skills may drive renewed interest in researching and implementing this instructional approach.
Advances in technology: The increasing availability of digital tools and content - including AI - has the potential to enhance PBL by facilitating collaboration, expanding access to resources, and providing new opportunities for students to engage with real-world problems. I predict that more researchers (me included!) will dedicate time to examining the intersection of AL and PBL, in the process evaluating the effectiveness of AI-enhanced PBL.
Shifts in educational paradigms: In education systems globally and in both K12 and Higher Education, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of student-centered, active, and experiential learning approaches in promoting deeper understanding and more meaningful engagement. This trend may also have contributed to a resurgence in PBL research, as educators and researchers look for ways to support these types of learning experiences.
What Does the Most Research Say, and How to Apply It
There’s a lot I could cover here! Here are five of the most interesting research projects published on problem-based learning in the last few months:
📚 Online and active learning design in large-size classes: a phenomenological study, Research on Education and Media Vol. 14, N. 2, (2022)
This qualitative and quantitative study investigated how active and collaborative learning design impacted university students’ satisfaction with large-size online classes.
The data collected showed that the use of active and collaborative learning approaches impacted positively on learners’ motivation and mastery of the topic.
The experiment replaced lectures with case-study-based problem sets which were tackled in groups then resolved via whole class demonstration and feedback from the instructor.
The study found that problem-based collaborative design approaches can make distance learning significantly more attractive for the students.
Design Implications:
Instead of defaulting to online lectures, take a problem-first approach to online learning experience design.
Have students explore and tackle challenges in groups, come to a conclusion and then get exposed to a “resolution” - i.e. instruction and explanatory feedback from an expert.
For a great example of this in action, check out Mazur’s work on Peer Instruction. This podcast episode is a great intro to his work and how and why it works:
📚 Students’ Problem Solving Skills in Learning Using Physics E-Learning Based on Google Classroom, Journal Pendidikan Fisika dan Teknologi (JPFT), December 2022
This study found that by engaging in online problem sets rather than in online content (e.g. lectures), learning gain was on average 78.5% - a 61.3% increase compared with “chalk and talk” in-classroom teaching of the same subject.
The study concluded that problem-based proved highly effective at improving students' knowledge, understanding and competencies (e.g. problem-solving ability) compared with “chalk and talk” lecture based approaches.
Results indicate that part of the equation for increased learning among the test group was an increase in learners’ appetite to spend more time on task when that task was problem-solving rathe than consuming content.
Design Implications:
When designing for the online context, take a problem-based approach where students explore and tackle challenges in groups before receiving instruction.
Where possible, make use of the opportunity that online learning has to extend “time on collaborative tasks”; even where this is optional, it can have a positive impact on learners’ motivation and achievement.
📚 Redesigning the learning environment: student motivation and personal responsibility for learning. Current Psychology (2022)
The quasi-experiment was conducted in a single high-school for two-years and compared the motivation of learners who took part in problem-based classes to those who took part in traditional, knowledge-transmission classes.
The research findings indicate a significant advantage in levels of intrinsic motivation for the students of the innovative Constructivist environment.
Based on what we know about the positive impact of intrinsic motivation and self-led learning on learner achievement, the study predicts that those who experience constructivist learning approaches will outperform academically those students who who took part in traditional, knowledge-transmission classes.
Design Implications:
Use problem-based approached to increase learners’ intrinsic motivation to learn.
Research shows that when learners are intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated, they are far more likely to persist and achieve.
Use specific strategies like Mazur’s Peer Instruction Framework (above) to test the impact of PBL impact on learner motivation and achievement. These approaches can be especially powerful in large scale courses where the teacher:learner ratio is limited.
📚 What’s better than the asynchronous discussion post? Sameshima & Oraise, Journal of Applied Teaching & Learning 5:2 (2022)
While online instructors widely rely on asynchronous discussion posting to engage learners, discussion posting has been widely criticised for inauthentic dialogue & a lack of impact.
The Slides Strategy, utilizes a collaborative slide deck where learners work together to create a presentation on a problem-based task by researching it, collecting data and agreeing an approach as a group.
Swapping a discussion area for a structured problem & collaboration space (in this case, Google slides), improved learner understanding of the material, increased a sense of community, and provoked rich, critical “higher order’ dialogue.
Design Implications:
Avoid using unstructured, “bolt on” discussion spaces to deliver learner connection & motivation.
Provide structured spaces where learners work together on a clearly defined challenge with clearly defined outputs.
Drive learner mastery & motivation by enabling them to remember & understand through application, evaluation & creation activities (not sitting & listening and then completing a quiz).
📚 Resolving the wicked problem of quality in paramedic education: the application of assessment for learning to bridge theory-practice gaps, Quality in Higher Education, (October 2022)
A critical study of the lack of the so-called “theory-practice gap” - aka a lack of work-ready capability among graduates.
Research found that, while capability building is a wicked problem that cannot be absolutely solved with a golden bullet, PBL strategies lead to more successful skills development among students than “chalk and talk” approaches.
Design Implications:
Adopt a Theory-In-Context approach to learning design, where all theory is accompanied by a relevant real world example and immersive “close to real” activity.
Design assessments which fuse theory and practice & require students to to produce an output or demonstrate a behaviour in response to a real or close to real scenario.
That’s all, folks! You can find a full list of all research referenced in this article (plus a short summary of their findings) below.
If you have questions, comments or challenges, use the comments box below or message me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you!
If you like this, you might want to sign up for my Learning Science Digest - a monthly digest of the most important learning science research and how to apply it to your learning design practices.
Happy designing,
Phil 👋
References + TLDR
📚 Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.
This review synthesizes research findings on PBL, indicating that PBL can foster intrinsic motivation in learners, as they find real-world problems more engaging and relevant to their lives. The author also suggests that PBL supports deeper understanding and flexible knowledge development. Additionally, the review highlights the development of problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.
📚 Gijbels, D., Dochy, F., Van den Bossche, P., & Segers, M. (2005). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis from the angle of assessment. Review of Educational Research, 75(1), 27-61.
This meta-analysis investigates the effectiveness of PBL in comparison to traditional teaching methods. The authors find that PBL students perform better in applying their knowledge to practical situations and exhibit improved problem-solving skills. However, traditional instruction students may outperform PBL students in the acquisition of factual knowledge.
📚 Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem-based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational Technology, 35(5).
In this article, Savery and Duffy discuss the constructivist framework underlying problem-based learning. They argue that PBL leads to increased learner motivation and engagement, as students take ownership of their learning and work collaboratively to solve real-world problems. The authors also highlight how PBL supports the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-directed learning skills.
📚 Strobel, J., & van Barneveld, A. (2009). When is PBL more effective? A meta-synthesis of meta-analyses comparing PBL to conventional classrooms. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 3(1), 44-58.
This meta-synthesis examines various meta-analyses comparing PBL to traditional teaching methods. The authors find that PBL is generally more effective for long-term retention of knowledge, skill development, and learner satisfaction. However, they note that the effectiveness of PBL may vary depending on the specific context, subject area, and implementation.