PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING: LEARNING BY DOING

Faculty are faced with determining how to present course material so that students not only gain knowledge of the discipline, but also become self-directed learners, who develop 21st Century problem-solving and Higher Order Thinking skills they can apply in future courses and in their careers.

Confronted with these challenges, Leadership in Educational Administration and Development (LEAD) faculty have begun to use problem-based learning techniques in their courses. In problem-based learning (PBL) courses, students work with classmates and Mentor Principals to solve complex and authentic problems that help develop content knowledge as well as problem-solving, reasoning, communication, and self-assessment skills.

These problems also help to maintain student interest in course material because students realize that they are learning the skills needed to be successful in the field. Most faculty and students consider the benefits to be substantial.

This presentation will identify the central features of PBL, provide some guidelines for planning a PBL course, and discusses the impact of PBL on student learning and motivation in our Educational Administration program at Southern Utah University.