This document discusses problem-based learning (PBL) as an educational strategy and the PBL cycle. It describes PBL as student-centered and involving collaborative learning through problems as starting points. The key phases of the PBL cycle are presented as: 1) introducing an open-ended problem, 2) brainstorming, 3) defining learning objectives, 4) individual self-study, 5) sharing new knowledge in a tutorial, and 6) evaluating the problem-solving process. The roles, assessment approaches, and benefits of PBL are also summarized.

1. Satu Öystilä & Matleena Laakso 2015
The Principles of Problem-based Learning and
the Phases of the PBL Cycle
Eduta Oy
Puh. +35850 564 4887
info@eduta.fi
www.eduta.fi

2. PBL as a strategy of the pedagogical development
process
• Curriculum
development
• Collaborative learning
process
• New learning culture
• The change of the
teacher role

3. PBL as an educational strategy
• PBL currculum is organized according to the subject
frame or a defined interdisciplinary
• The aims are:
– Learning in small groups (tutorials)
– Self-directed learning
– Critical thinking
– Life-long learning
– Self and peer assessment
– Inquiry-based learning

4. PBL as an educational strategy
• Student-centred learning environment
• Individual and collaborative learning processes in
the PBL curriculum
• Less contact teaching and more facilitation

5. Constructive Alignment in PBL Curriculum
PBL curriculum:
– The substance and the
aims
– Collaborative learning
methods and
individual learning
processes
– Both summative and
formative assessment
– Interpersonal skills
– The organizational
culture
Constructive alignment
The aim
and the substance
Learning methodsAssessment and
evaluation
Constructive
alignment

6. Constructing theme-based PBL curriculum
qualification 1
qualification 2
qualification 3
qualification 4
qualification 5
qualification 6
qualification 7
qualification 8
qualification 9
qualification 10
• Theme A
• Theme B
• Theme C
subject 1
subject 2
subject 3
subject 4
subject 5
subject 6
Subject 7
subject 8
?

7. Studies
Course
PBL Cycle
The structure of the problem-based curriculum

8. How to implement problem-based curriculum?
1. Team, where all the expert groups are
representative
2. Formulation of all the qualifications, which are
relevant in the work life (core qualifications)
3. Specification of the learning areas
4. Specification of the themes
5. Definition the contents and subjects of each
theme
6. Designing the learning cycles

9. PBL is inquiry-based learning I
1. The learners are responsible for their own learning
and the group work - the ownership of the learning
2. Using problems (cases, scenarios, triggers) as
starting points for learning

10. PBL is inquiry-based learning II
3. Integrating different knowledge areas and themes
4. Collaboration is essential part of learning and
assessment
5. Shared knowledge construction and independent
knowledge acquisition are separated
chronologically

11. PBL is inquiry-based learning III
6. Shared knowledge construction produces shared
understanding and meaning negotiation
7. The self and peer assessment are included in the
process

12. PBL is inquiry-based learning IV
9.PBL curriculum improves interpersonal skills and
work life competencies of learners
10. PBL is a strategy, not only a learning method

13. Assessment
Learning process
Problem solving process
Group process
Starting point
Brainstorming
Best ideas
Learning objects
Knowledge
sharing
Visual
synthesis
Self-study
PBL learning task
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Tutorial I
Tutorial II

14. PBL cycle, 1. tutorial
6-10 students and the PBL tutor (facilitator),
working time 2 hours
The PBL tutorial is not the same as PBL but
the small group study phase of the PBL
curriculum
2 tutorials: The PBL object in the first tutorial
and the synthesis in the second
The indvidual learning phase and the data
acquistion between the tutorials

15. The roles in the PBL tutorial
The grouping and the ground rules for the tutorial
The discussion leader
- leading the discuss
- taking care of the the timetable
The recorder
- writing up ideas/synthesis
The observer
- observing members of the tutorial and giving them
feedback

16. PBL-tutorial 1. phase: PBL starting point
• To become familiar with the starting point/case
• Different ways to present the starting point: a
case, a story, a cartoon, a drama, etc.
• The starting point is a surprise
• The starting point is not a question

17. Different types of starting points
• scenario: gives the perspcetive to the future
• case: a concrete case of the real life
• trigger: for example a picture
• problem: leading the collaborative problem
solving
• impulse, stimulus: a starting point to the
brain storming

18. PBL tutorial 2. phase: Brainstorming
Brainstorming
• Producing new ideas
• Connecting the knowledge achieved earlier
• Activating
• Innovative connections
• No critisism
• No long explanations
• No analysing

19. PBL tutorial, 3. phase: choosing the ideas
Everyone has 5 points in order to choose the
best ideas

20. PBL tutorial, 4. phase: defining the learning object
Picking up the ideas which have most points
and defining the learning object together

21. PBL tutorial, 5. phase:
defining the shared PBL learning task
Just one and shared PBL task:
• What should we learn?
• What do we know already?
• What we do not know?
• What is most important?
• What is most interesting?
• How do we acquise the new knowledge?
• Which are the best references?
• How much time do we have?

22. Assessment and feedback in PBL tutorials
The learning process, the problem solving and the
group process.
• What are we observing?
• The observer gives the feedback individually to
each member of the group and to the tutor
• ”Just nice or okay” is not feedback
• The feedback is not the truth
• Everyone listens the feedback without
interrupting
• After the round everyone has the possibility to
comment the feedback

23. PBL-tutorial, 6. phase: self-study
Each member of the tutorial group writes an
individual PBL learning task and sends it to all
other members and the tutor before the deadline.
Each member and the tutor read all the tasks
before the next tutorial
Preparing to the tutorial is essential

24. The PBL tutorial, 6. phase: self study
Teaching
Lectures
Seminars
Small group work
Exercises
Reading the books,
articles
Writing the essay
Working life
Learning at work
Excursions
Benchmarking
Expert interviews
Discussions
Media, Social media
Library
Internet

25. PBL tutorial 7. phase: knowledge sharing
• New roles
• The short starting round (star ideas, 1
minute/member)
• Dialogic reflections
• Argumenting
• It is important that everyone has orientated
and learned the task
• The recorder writes up the core points

26. PBL tutorial, 8. phase: the visual synthesis
• Modelling shared learning
• Problem solving and learning process becomes
evident
• The summary and the comparison with the
starting point
• Visualising gives the shared symbol to the
common process
• It is also possible to make a theoretised modell

27. The observer´s feedback and self assessment
1. tutorial:
• How did you give new perspectives to the group
work?
• How did you continue the others´ ideas?
• Did you present innovative ideas?
2. tutorial:
• How did you question?
• How did you support others?
• How did you learn from others?

28. The final review:
• Did you deal with the right issues?
• How did you find the atmosphere of the tutorial?
• Did you say what you wanted to?
• Have you been heard?