what are the disadvantages of problem solving method

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5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Problem-Based Learning [+ Activity Design Steps]

Written by Marcus Guido

• Teaching Strategies

• Advantages of Problem-Based Learning
• Disadvantages of Problem-Based Learning
• Steps to Designing Problem-Based Learning Activities

Used since the 1960s, many teachers express concerns about the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in certain classroom settings.

Whether you introduce the student-centred pedagogy as a one-time activity or mainstay exercise, grouping students together to solve open-ended problems can present pros and cons.

Below are five advantages and disadvantages of problem-based learning to help you determine if it can work in your classroom.

If you decide to introduce an activity, there are also design creation steps and a downloadable guide to keep at your desk for easy reference.

1. Development of Long-Term Knowledge Retention

Students who participate in problem-based learning activities can improve their abilities to retain and recall information, according to a literature review of studies about the pedagogy .

The literature review states “elaboration of knowledge at the time of learning” -- by sharing facts and ideas through discussion and answering questions -- “enhances subsequent retrieval.” This form of elaborating reinforces understanding of subject matter , making it easier to remember.

Small-group discussion can be especially beneficial -- ideally, each student will get chances to participate.

But regardless of group size, problem-based learning promotes long-term knowledge retention by encouraging students to discuss -- and answer questions about -- new concepts as they’re learning them.

2. Use of Diverse Instruction Types

You can use problem-based learning activities to the meet the diverse learning needs and styles of your students, effectively engaging a diverse classroom in the process. In general, grouping students together for problem-based learning will allow them to:

• Address real-life issues that require real-life solutions, appealing to students who struggle to grasp abstract concepts
• Participate in small-group and large-group learning, helping students who don’t excel during solo work grasp new material
• Talk about their ideas and challenge each other in a constructive manner, giving participatory learners an avenue to excel
• Tackle a problem using a range of content you provide -- such as videos, audio recordings, news articles and other applicable material -- allowing the lesson to appeal to distinct learning styles

Since running a problem-based learning scenario will give you a way to use these differentiated instruction approaches , it can be especially worthwhile if your students don’t have similar learning preferences.

3. Continuous Engagement

Providing a problem-based learning challenge can engage students by acting as a break from normal lessons and common exercises.

It’s not hard to see the potential for engagement, as kids collaborate to solve real-world problems that directly affect or heavily interest them.

Although conducted with post-secondary students, a study published by the Association for the Study of Medical Education reported increased student attendance to -- and better attitudes towards -- courses that feature problem-based learning.

These activities may lose some inherent engagement if you repeat them too often, but can certainly inject excitement into class.

4. Development of Transferable Skills

Problem-based learning can help students develop skills they can transfer to real-world scenarios, according to a 2015 book that outlines theories and characteristics of the pedagogy .

The tangible contexts and consequences presented in a problem-based learning activity “allow learning to become more profound and durable.” As you present lessons through these real-life scenarios, students should be able to apply learnings if they eventually face similar issues.

For example, if they work together to address a dispute within the school, they may develop lifelong skills related to negotiation and communicating their thoughts with others.

As long as the problem’s context applies to out-of-class scenarios, students should be able to build skills they can use again.

5. Improvement of Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills

Successful completion of a problem-based learning challenge hinges on interaction and communication, meaning students should also build transferable skills based on teamwork and collaboration . Instead of memorizing facts, they get chances to present their ideas to a group, defending and revising them when needed.

What’s more, this should help them understand a group dynamic. Depending on a given student, this can involve developing listening skills and a sense of responsibility when completing one’s tasks. Such skills and knowledge should serve your students well when they enter higher education levels and, eventually, the working world.

1. Potentially Poorer Performance on Tests

Devoting too much time to problem-based learning can cause issues when students take standardized tests, as they may not have the breadth of knowledge needed to achieve high scores. Whereas problem-based learners develop skills related to collaboration and justifying their reasoning, many tests reward fact-based learning with multiple choice and short answer questions. Despite offering many advantages, you could spot this problem develop if you run problem-based learning activities too regularly.

2. Student Unpreparedness

Problem-based learning exercises can engage many of your kids, but others may feel disengaged as a result of not being ready to handle this type of exercise for a number of reasons. On a class-by-class and activity-by-activity basis, participation may be hindered due to:

• Immaturity  -- Some students may not display enough maturity to effectively work in a group, not fulfilling expectations and distracting other students.
• Unfamiliarity  -- Some kids may struggle to grasp the concept of an open problem, since they can’t rely on you for answers.
• Lack of Prerequisite Knowledge  -- Although the activity should address a relevant and tangible problem, students may require new or abstract information to create an effective solution.

You can partially mitigate these issues by actively monitoring the classroom and distributing helpful resources, such as guiding questions and articles to read. This should keep students focused and help them overcome knowledge gaps. But if you foresee facing these challenges too frequently, you may decide to avoid or seldom introduce problem-based learning exercises.

3. Teacher Unpreparedness

If supervising a problem-based learning activity is a new experience, you may have to prepare to adjust some teaching habits . For example, overtly correcting students who make flawed assumptions or statements can prevent them from thinking through difficult concepts and questions. Similarly, you shouldn’t teach to promote the fast recall of facts. Instead, you should concentrate on:

• Giving hints to help fix improper reasoning
• Questioning student logic and ideas in a constructive manner
• Distributing content for research and to reinforce new concepts
• Asking targeted questions to a group or the class, focusing their attention on a specific aspect of the problem

Depending on your teaching style, it may take time to prepare yourself to successfully run a problem-based learning lesson.

4. Time-Consuming Assessment

If you choose to give marks, assessing a student’s performance throughout a problem-based learning exercise demands constant monitoring and note-taking. You must take factors into account such as:

• Completed tasks
• The quality of those tasks
• The group’s overall work and solution
• Communication among team members
• Anything you outlined on the activity’s rubric

Monitoring these criteria is required for each student, making it time-consuming to give and justify a mark for everyone.

5. Varying Degrees of Relevancy and Applicability

It can be difficult to identify a tangible problem that students can solve with content they’re studying and skills they’re mastering. This introduces two clear issues. First, if it is easy for students to divert from the challenge’s objectives, they may miss pertinent information. Second, you could veer off the problem’s focus and purpose as students run into unanticipated obstacles. Overcoming obstacles has benefits, but may compromise the planning you did. It can also make it hard to get back on track once the activity is complete. Because of the difficulty associated with keeping activities relevant and applicable, you may see problem-based learning as too taxing.

If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages -- or you just want to give problem-based learning a shot -- follow these steps:

1. Identify an Applicable Real-Life Problem

Find a tangible problem that’s relevant to your students, allowing them to easily contextualize it and hopefully apply it to future challenges. To identify an appropriate real-world problem, look at issues related to your:

• Students’ shared interests

You must also ensure that students understand the problem and the information around it. So, not all problems are appropriate for all grade levels.

2. Determine the Overarching Purpose of the Activity

Depending on the problem you choose, determine what you want to accomplish by running the challenge. For example, you may intend to help your students improve skills related to:

• Collaboration
• Problem-solving
• Curriculum-aligned topics
• Processing diverse content

A more precise example, you may prioritize collaboration skills by assigning specific tasks to pairs of students within each team. In doing so, students will continuously develop communication and collaboration abilities by working as a couple and part of a small group. By defining a clear purpose, you’ll also have an easier time following the next step.

3. Create and Distribute Helpful Material

Handouts and other content not only act as a set of resources, but help students stay focused on the activity and its purpose. For example, if you want them to improve a certain math skill , you should make material that highlights the mathematical aspects of the problem. You may decide to provide items such as:

• Data that helps quantify and add context to the problem
• Videos, presentations and other audio-visual material
• A list of preliminary questions to investigate

Providing a range of resources can be especially important for elementary students and struggling students in higher grades, who may not have self-direction skills to work without them.

4. Set Goals and Expectations for Your Students

Along with the aforementioned materials, give students a guide or rubric that details goals and expectations. It will allow you to further highlight the purpose of the problem-based learning exercise, as you can explain what you’re looking for in terms of collaboration, the final product and anything else. It should also help students stay on track by acting as a reference throughout the activity.

5. Participate

Although explicitly correcting students may be discouraged, you can still help them and ask questions to dig into their thought processes. When you see an opportunity, consider if it’s worthwhile to:

• Fill gaps in knowledge
• Provide hints, not answers
• Question a student’s conclusion or logic regarding a certain point, helping them think through tough spots

By participating in these ways, you can provide insight when students need it most, encouraging them to effectively analyze the problem.

6. Have Students Present Ideas and Findings

If you divided them into small groups, requiring students to present their thoughts and results in front the class adds a large-group learning component to the lesson. Encourage other students to ask questions, allowing the presenting group to elaborate and provide evidence for their thoughts. This wraps up the activity and gives your class a final chance to find solutions to the problem.

Wrapping Up

The effectiveness of problem-based learning may differ between classrooms and individual students, depending on how significant specific advantages and disadvantages are to you. Evaluative research consistently shows value in giving students a question and letting them take control of their learning. But the extent of this value can depend on the difficulties you face.It may be wise to try a problem-based learning activity, and go forward based on results.

Create or log into your teacher account on Prodigy -- an adaptive math game that adjusts content to accommodate player trouble spots and learning speeds. Aligned to US and Canadian curricula, it’s used by more than 350,000 teachers and 10 million students. It may be wise to try a problem-based learning activity, and go forward based on results.

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Problem-Solving Strategies and Obstacles

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Sean is a fact-checker and researcher with experience in sociology, field research, and data analytics.

JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images

• Application
• Improvement

From deciding what to eat for dinner to considering whether it's the right time to buy a house, problem-solving is a large part of our daily lives. Learn some of the problem-solving strategies that exist and how to use them in real life, along with ways to overcome obstacles that are making it harder to resolve the issues you face.

What Is Problem-Solving?

In cognitive psychology , the term 'problem-solving' refers to the mental process that people go through to discover, analyze, and solve problems.

A problem exists when there is a goal that we want to achieve but the process by which we will achieve it is not obvious to us. Put another way, there is something that we want to occur in our life, yet we are not immediately certain how to make it happen.

Maybe you want a better relationship with your spouse or another family member but you're not sure how to improve it. Or you want to start a business but are unsure what steps to take. Problem-solving helps you figure out how to achieve these desires.

The problem-solving process involves:

• Discovery of the problem
• Deciding to tackle the issue
• Seeking to understand the problem more fully
• Researching available options or solutions
• Taking action to resolve the issue

Before problem-solving can occur, it is important to first understand the exact nature of the problem itself. If your understanding of the issue is faulty, your attempts to resolve it will also be incorrect or flawed.

Problem-Solving Mental Processes

Several mental processes are at work during problem-solving. Among them are:

• Perceptually recognizing the problem
• Representing the problem in memory
• Considering relevant information that applies to the problem
• Identifying different aspects of the problem
• Labeling and describing the problem

Problem-Solving Strategies

There are many ways to go about solving a problem. Some of these strategies might be used on their own, or you may decide to employ multiple approaches when working to figure out and fix a problem.

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that, by following certain "rules" produces a solution. Algorithms are commonly used in mathematics to solve division or multiplication problems. But they can be used in other fields as well.

In psychology, algorithms can be used to help identify individuals with a greater risk of mental health issues. For instance, research suggests that certain algorithms might help us recognize children with an elevated risk of suicide or self-harm.

One benefit of algorithms is that they guarantee an accurate answer. However, they aren't always the best approach to problem-solving, in part because detecting patterns can be incredibly time-consuming.

There are also concerns when machine learning is involved—also known as artificial intelligence (AI)—such as whether they can accurately predict human behaviors.

Heuristics are shortcut strategies that people can use to solve a problem at hand. These "rule of thumb" approaches allow you to simplify complex problems, reducing the total number of possible solutions to a more manageable set.

If you find yourself sitting in a traffic jam, for example, you may quickly consider other routes, taking one to get moving once again. When shopping for a new car, you might think back to a prior experience when negotiating got you a lower price, then employ the same tactics.

While heuristics may be helpful when facing smaller issues, major decisions shouldn't necessarily be made using a shortcut approach. Heuristics also don't guarantee an effective solution, such as when trying to drive around a traffic jam only to find yourself on an equally crowded route.

Trial and Error

A trial-and-error approach to problem-solving involves trying a number of potential solutions to a particular issue, then ruling out those that do not work. If you're not sure whether to buy a shirt in blue or green, for instance, you may try on each before deciding which one to purchase.

This can be a good strategy to use if you have a limited number of solutions available. But if there are many different choices available, narrowing down the possible options using another problem-solving technique can be helpful before attempting trial and error.

In some cases, the solution to a problem can appear as a sudden insight. You are facing an issue in a relationship or your career when, out of nowhere, the solution appears in your mind and you know exactly what to do.

Insight can occur when the problem in front of you is similar to an issue that you've dealt with in the past. Although, you may not recognize what is occurring since the underlying mental processes that lead to insight often happen outside of conscious awareness .

Research indicates that insight is most likely to occur during times when you are alone—such as when going on a walk by yourself, when you're in the shower, or when lying in bed after waking up.

How to Apply Problem-Solving Strategies in Real Life

If you're facing a problem, you can implement one or more of these strategies to find a potential solution. Here's how to use them in real life:

• Create a flow chart . If you have time, you can take advantage of the algorithm approach to problem-solving by sitting down and making a flow chart of each potential solution, its consequences, and what happens next.
• Recall your past experiences . When a problem needs to be solved fairly quickly, heuristics may be a better approach. Think back to when you faced a similar issue, then use your knowledge and experience to choose the best option possible.
• Start trying potential solutions . If your options are limited, start trying them one by one to see which solution is best for achieving your desired goal. If a particular solution doesn't work, move on to the next.
• Take some time alone . Since insight is often achieved when you're alone, carve out time to be by yourself for a while. The answer to your problem may come to you, seemingly out of the blue, if you spend some time away from others.

Obstacles to Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is not a flawless process as there are a number of obstacles that can interfere with our ability to solve a problem quickly and efficiently. These obstacles include:

• Assumptions: When dealing with a problem, people can make assumptions about the constraints and obstacles that prevent certain solutions. Thus, they may not even try some potential options.
• Functional fixedness : This term refers to the tendency to view problems only in their customary manner. Functional fixedness prevents people from fully seeing all of the different options that might be available to find a solution.
• Irrelevant or misleading information: When trying to solve a problem, it's important to distinguish between information that is relevant to the issue and irrelevant data that can lead to faulty solutions. The more complex the problem, the easier it is to focus on misleading or irrelevant information.
• Mental set: A mental set is a tendency to only use solutions that have worked in the past rather than looking for alternative ideas. A mental set can work as a heuristic, making it a useful problem-solving tool. However, mental sets can also lead to inflexibility, making it more difficult to find effective solutions.

How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

In the end, if your goal is to become a better problem-solver, it's helpful to remember that this is a process. Thus, if you want to improve your problem-solving skills, following these steps can help lead you to your solution:

• Recognize that a problem exists . If you are facing a problem, there are generally signs. For instance, if you have a mental illness , you may experience excessive fear or sadness, mood changes, and changes in sleeping or eating habits. Recognizing these signs can help you realize that an issue exists.
• Decide to solve the problem . Make a conscious decision to solve the issue at hand. Commit to yourself that you will go through the steps necessary to find a solution.
• Seek to fully understand the issue . Analyze the problem you face, looking at it from all sides. If your problem is relationship-related, for instance, ask yourself how the other person may be interpreting the issue. You might also consider how your actions might be contributing to the situation.
• Research potential options . Using the problem-solving strategies mentioned, research potential solutions. Make a list of options, then consider each one individually. What are some pros and cons of taking the available routes? What would you need to do to make them happen?
• Take action . Select the best solution possible and take action. Action is one of the steps required for change . So, go through the motions needed to resolve the issue.
• Try another option, if needed . If the solution you chose didn't work, don't give up. Either go through the problem-solving process again or simply try another option.

You can find a way to solve your problems as long as you keep working toward this goal—even if the best solution is simply to let go because no other good solution exists.

Sarathy V. Real world problem-solving .  Front Hum Neurosci . 2018;12:261. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00261

Dunbar K. Problem solving . A Companion to Cognitive Science . 2017. doi:10.1002/9781405164535.ch20

Stewart SL, Celebre A, Hirdes JP, Poss JW. Risk of suicide and self-harm in kids: The development of an algorithm to identify high-risk individuals within the children's mental health system . Child Psychiat Human Develop . 2020;51:913-924. doi:10.1007/s10578-020-00968-9

Rosenbusch H, Soldner F, Evans AM, Zeelenberg M. Supervised machine learning methods in psychology: A practical introduction with annotated R code . Soc Personal Psychol Compass . 2021;15(2):e12579. doi:10.1111/spc3.12579

Mishra S. Decision-making under risk: Integrating perspectives from biology, economics, and psychology . Personal Soc Psychol Rev . 2014;18(3):280-307. doi:10.1177/1088868314530517

Csikszentmihalyi M, Sawyer K. Creative insight: The social dimension of a solitary moment . In: The Systems Model of Creativity . 2015:73-98. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9085-7_7

Chrysikou EG, Motyka K, Nigro C, Yang SI, Thompson-Schill SL. Functional fixedness in creative thinking tasks depends on stimulus modality .  Psychol Aesthet Creat Arts . 2016;10(4):425‐435. doi:10.1037/aca0000050

Huang F, Tang S, Hu Z. Unconditional perseveration of the short-term mental set in chunk decomposition .  Front Psychol . 2018;9:2568. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02568

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Warning signs and symptoms .

Mayer RE. Thinking, problem solving, cognition, 2nd ed .

Schooler JW, Ohlsson S, Brooks K. Thoughts beyond words: When language overshadows insight. J Experiment Psychol: General . 1993;122:166-183. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.2.166

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Problem Based Learning Advantages and Disadvantages

Problem based learning is a technique of learning where the students learn about the subjects through conceptual problem solving mechanisms.

It is open ended in nature and can be used by a wide number of students at the same time. Problem based learning was first originated from McMaster University and has since then spread through many parts of the world, like Europe and Asia.

Students are required to solve a question by using concepts and skills and discuss how they can use these for further purposes.

Structure of Problem Based Learning (PBL):

PBL can have many forms according to Atherton J.S (2005). A good PBL can have the following factors:

• Problems should associate with real life problems.
• Unlike the normal method learning, where students try to solve questions based on the available knowledge that they have received; In PBL, students try to solve questions without any prior knowledge, and they can find answers through the exploration of several options provided by the question.
• At the beginning of the learning process, problems are given to the students in the form of PBL intentionally.
• Problem based learning should support studying through effective teamwork and that it should alliance friendly, that is, the problem should study in such a manner that each aspect of the question should be divided among the team so that everyone can gain from it.
• The teacher becomes a coordinator who acts as a supervisor, a source guide and becomes an advisor for the students.
• Problem based learning requires lots of time, and each PBL should give time for the students to learn and participate.
• PBL is most effective if it crosses multi-disciplinary disciplines. This helps PBL to be effective in a large number of areas.

Why Problem-Based Learning (PBL)?

A PBL course design in such a way to provide students with authentic, hands-on real life problems and practices that encourage students to think outside the box.

The students grouped to form groups that usually supervise by the teacher or any teaching associate from their respective departments.

In traditional learning methods, pupils often burden by the topics they teach and the whole studying experience becomes boring and cumbersome.

Moreover, students expect to study and memorize topics, which do not even seem relevant to the day to day life activities. This makes studying just a mere tool for getting a job and nothing more.

Students don’t feel any enthusiasm towards studying and do not show any interest in taking the initiative to study what teaches in the classroom.

The main reason for this issue is that no effective discussions are going on within the classroom about the topics, and the students cannot share their ideas on how they can use a certain topic that they studied and apply it to real-life problems.

The main advantage of PBL is that it makes the whole learning experience interesting. PBL is a challenging program because they need to understand the design of the organization and how it works by the motivation of the whole team.

The information provided is apparent; the students feel a need to search for information when they solve and discuss problems. Hence students can feel genuinely interested in learning.

Types of PBL:

There are mainly 3 types of PBL. Those are:

1. Problem stimulated PBL (PS PBL):

PS PBL uses relevant knowledge and information to solve problems. These are used to emphasize the three basic goals:

• Development of domain specific skills.
• Development of problem solving skill.
• Interpretation of domain-specific knowledge

2. Student centered PBL (SC PBL):

SC PBL has the same factor as PS PBL, and it also adds one more factor; updating life-long skills. This factor is beneficial for people who have been teaching and practicing in a certain filed, for a long time.

Constantly updating their skill set is important. This applies to individuals such as doctors, engineers, and executive professionals.

3. Case-based PBL :

Determine what type of solution present, what should use to solve the given scenario and focus and stress on that topic to study.

Search for alternative methods and see how the scenario can solve more efficiently. This method also knows as learning by design.

How Does PBL Work?

The first step in PBL is setting up groups. These groups consist of a group of students, a supervisor or a consultant and they usually discuss what scenario they are facing, i.e the problem presented.

The problems presented can vary from a well organized structure in an economic aspect to discussing medical issues and emergencies.

Hence it develops your ability for self-studying and keeps you ready for an emergency or any crisis.

PBL doesn’t advocate memorizing topics since the topics that studied understood and interpreted in such a way that it should use to solve the scenario presented.

PBL constitute of different phases, these are:

First, the group will discuss what they already know. This can write down and reflect upon. Then discuss the problem present, point out what all scenarios are surrounding the given scheme.

Hence, agreement on what kind of problem it is made. Furthermore, this analysis decides what different aspects of the plot should be studied and investigated.

The problems all take as assumptions at first and are clear accordingly when new knowledge and information found.

The next method for solving the problem deciding what all factors should require to solve the problem. That comes under the heading “ What do we need to know about the problem?” .

Point out what all factors are there, which needs to solve to finish the problem.

In this process, the group divide into different subgroups and each sub-group is concentrating on the different factors needed. This is called a brainstorming session .

The new and previously understood ideas share within the group, by writing down the points found, on a whiteboard or a paper, where everyone can see. This process can further develop by systematically outlining the result.

This phase requires the individuals to discuss the various hypothesis that presented, and how they can be solved. This comes under the heading, “ what should we do?” .

With the given information, keep track of what all books should read, who to consult about the acquire information, what books to follow about the plot.

This method encourages the group to identify and follow the different study techniques.

Students expect to collect information from various sources such as videos, books, interviews, journals and the group supposes to meet at regular intervals to discuss the usefulness of the solutions acquire and how it should use to solve the problem.

Advantages of Problem Based Learning:

• PBL replaces the traditional lectures with assistive learning, facultative mentoring, discussions and on site experience. This promotes deep learning within the individual. Hence the students’ knowledge grows as more and more discussions are made.
• Direct teaching is reduced. This promotes students to take up their initiative in learning. This increases the feeling of motivation within the student. Hence, making the learning experience more interesting.
• Problem based learning requires prior knowledge for the completion of problems. Hence, constant updation and revision of basic knowledge are done. This keeps the student more firm in the basic foundation of the subject.
• Problem based thinking often stimulates critical thinking . The students try to think about the various aspects of the project rather than following what teach through lectures. The students pursue to think about how, where and why aspect of the problems introduced.
• Problem based learners tend to be more skilled and competent in collecting information than traditional learners. This is because traditional learners tend to only stick to books that prescribe in the curriculum and they do not try to explore various sources. On the other hand, problem based learners tend to be more practical and PBL encourages them to think outside the box.
• PBL relate to life based skills and practices, hence these skills can also transfer to individuals through proper training and practices. Therefore, such skills can act as an aid in real life situations like in corporate jobs or the medical field.
• The problems introduced in the PBL curriculum are all open-ended questions. This gives room for more discussions and understanding about the concepts and more data retrieval can be done. Moreover, such questions do not have a right or wrong answer. The most suitable and feasible answers take into consideration. Hence, there might also be a chance to have more than one answer to a question. This encourages individuals to study the facts more clearly.
• Another main factor of PBL is that it requires good communication skills . Pbl increases the social skills of the individuals as it involves the comparison of peer skills and also insightful discussions. There is no form of hierarchy, and all the individuals treat as same. This also makes the students develop their confrontational and persuasive skills.

Disadvantages of Problem Based Learning:

• A good problem based learning design requires a large amount of time and work. It requires constant monitoring and noting down the student throughout the process. This is a bit time consuming in nature since most of the questions asked are usually open-ended and it takes time to collect materials and information about it.
• Not all teachers can be good advisors, for PBL they need dedicated, hardworking and trained facilitators. Moreover, good PBL trainers are satisfying to work with and are self – motivational for the students and fellow teachers.
• Problem based learning requires more staff and more contact hours for preparation, discussion and comparison of answers. Students and the advisors supposed to do timely and seasonable meetings once in a while.
• It’s a known fact that PBL doesn’t provide that many facts when compared with the traditional method, so many of the teachers hesitant to take up this form of teaching. PBL is more suitable for subjects that do not require much prior knowledge about the subject. For example, for teaching literature or for using PBL in arts facilities.
• For the PBL curriculum to be effective, it requires multiple disciplines to integrate, so that the students can get different aspects of a situation. Hence, proper research and excessive amounts of an organization required. This makes it more time consumable and is not suitable for fast pace courses. The course also needs to validate before presenting it before the students.
• Assessing a certain student within a team is always tough for the coordinator. They have to consider different aspects such as the output obtained as a whole for the team, the level of enthusiasm shown by each individual, the activeness shown by a certain student. A clear assessment criterion or a standard for marking students in a group is always important.
• PBL is also difficult for the institution because they have to change the course depending upon the lecturer. Since the whole PBL curriculum is an image of their ideals and how they should train the students.
• More and more coordinators required to assess and guide students along the way and also they need people to create as many difficult situations as possible.

Problem based learning is also an essential way of teaching because it prepares the students on how to be ready to face the outside world and how to be an effective and valuable member of society. This also encourages others – the public to also be a part of the experience.

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• Effective Teaching Strategies

Problem-Based Learning: Benefits and Risks

• November 12, 2009
• Maryellen Weimer, PhD

Problem-based learning, the instructional approach in which carefully constructed, open-ended problems are used by groups of students to work through content to a solution, has gained a foothold in many segments of higher education.

Originally PBL, as it’s usually called, was used in medical school and in some business curricula for majors. But now it is being used in a wide range of disciplines and with students at various educational levels. The article (reference below) from which material is about to be cited “makes a critical assessment” of how PBL is being used in the field of geography.

Much of the content is relevant to that discipline specifically, but the article does contain a useful table that summarizes the benefits and risks of PBL for students, instructors, and institutions. Material on the table is gleaned from an extensive review of the literature (all referenced in the article). Here’s some of the information contained in the table.

Benefits of Problem-Based Learning

For Students

• It’s a student-centered approach.
• Typically students find it more enjoyable and satisfying.
• It encourages greater understanding.
• Students with PBL experience rate their abilities higher.
• PBL develops lifelong learning skills.

For Instructors

• Class attendance increases.
• The method affords more intrinsic reward.
• It encourages students to spend more time studying.
• It promotes interdisciplinarity.

For Institutions

• It makes student learning a priority.
• It may aid student retention.
• It may be taken as evidence that an institution values teaching.

Risks of Problem-Based Learning

• Prior learning experiences do not prepare students well for PBL.
• PBL requires more time and takes away study time from other subjects.
• It creates some anxiety because learning is messier.
• Sometimes group dynamics issues compromise PBL effectiveness.
• Less content knowledge may be learned.
• Creating suitable problem scenarios is difficult.
• It requires more prep time.
• Students have queries about the process.
• Group dynamics issues may require faculty intervention.
• It raises new questions about what to assess and how.
• It requires a change in educational philosophy for faculty who mostly lecture.
• Faculty will need staff development and support.
• It generally takes more instructors.
• It works best with flexible classroom space.
• It engenders resistance from faculty who question its efficacy.

Reference: Pawson, E., Fournier, E., Haight, M., Muniz, O., Trafford, J., and Vajoczki, S. 2006. Problem-based learning in geography: Towards a critical assessment of its purposes, benefits and risks. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 30 (1): 103–16.

Excerpted from The Teaching Professor , February 2007.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Problem-Based Learning in the Workplace

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a way to train students or employees by challenging them instead of lecturing to them. College for America says PBL engages workers because it's hands-on, instead of abstract, so they can see how useful the material they're learning is. Before you implement PBL in your company training, however, you should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of problem-based learning.

In PBL, your employees learn by doing. You give a team of employees a problem such as marketing a new product or streamlining administrative processes and then watch them tackle it. For serious employee buy-in, the problem should be something relevant to their daily work.

Definition of Problem-Solving Method of Teaching

The Center for Teaching Innovation says the definition of the problem-solving method of teaching is a student-centered approach. Rather than sit and listen to a teacher explain things, students teach themselves by working in groups on an open-ended problem.

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The University of Iowa says, for example, that a conventional anatomy class might show the ligaments of the knee and ask students to identify and label them. A PBL approach presents them with a video clip of an athlete being injured and asks them to analyze it: How will the injury affect the knee? Which ligaments are involved? A unit on engineering and levers might give them a problem that has to be solved by building and deploying levers.

The Center for Teaching Innovation says PBL is not just about learning the subject but is also about the skills the learning exercises teach. Typically students have to define the problem, research it, evaluate solutions, choose one and report on the results. Among the skills involved are:

• Working in teams
• Leading and managing project teams
• Good communication between team members
• Critical thinking
• Evaluating team processes and seeing where they need improvements
• Researching
• Problem solving, a valuable skill in any field

PBL on the Job

College for America says PBL may be even more useful in the workplace than in schools. Adult employees have little patience for sitting around being taught stuff if they can't see how it applies to their jobs. Education through problem solving makes the lessons applicable. This should rank high when you're listing the advantages and disadvantages of the problem-solving approach.

A sample PBL exercise could involve devising a marketing plan for a new product line. The exercise could include a SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – a survey of your customers and your budget for expansion. Based on that, a team would draw up the marketing plan. Another PBL challenge could involve streamlining operations.

The advantage of PBL in the workplace is that, as in the classroom, it involves learning by doing. Rather than listen to someone break down the key components of a marketing plan, your employees are working together to make a plan happen. Whatever information they learn, they're more likely to retain it that way. At work, PBL enables you to evaluate your team. The marketing plan exercise, for example, can show if any of your staff have a flair for that kind of work.

The Comm Lab website says another advantage of problem-based learning is that it's flexible. Your business may need training on a variety of topics but whether the training is general employee stuff or super-niche, it's always possible to apply a problem-based learning approach. The Instructional Design website adds some more advantages:

• Problem-based learning is non-linear. Your staff will have to explore multiple avenues and ideas, approaching them in whatever way seems to make sense. That gives them more flexibility than a more narrowly focused method.
• It's personalized. Working in teams will give each employee a chance to exercise their strengths – researching, generating ideas, writing – and apply them to a joint solution.
• A good problem-based challenge doesn't leave employees flying blind. It has enough of a structure that they have a good idea of the destination and at least some concept how to get there.

Getting It Right

Just like any training method, the difference between a success and a buzzword is how well your company applies PBL. It's important to fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of problem-based learning to apply it effectively. College for America says, for instance, that PBL needs a clear goal and that the goal needs to tie in with skills and competencies required at work. Giving your marketing team an engineering problem won't engage them as much as something related to their jobs.

The State University website says there are other factors to consider when designing a PBL program:

• The problem should be complex and open-ended rather than a yes/no solution.
• The challenge should require participants with multiple different skill sets.
• The results should be measurable. A regular class in marketing might end with a written test on the concepts. A marketing PBL should have some kind of clear end result to shoot for.
• The challenges shouldn't be too closely tied to a specific discipline. You want your team to become better problem solvers, not just good at solving problems in, say, network connectivity.

Pros and Cons

The StuDocuBlog says that PBL's advantages include practitioners retaining what they learn for longer. The actual hands-on experience burns it into their brains in a way a mere lecture can't. It improves teamwork and interpersonal skills. However, it takes more effort to make PBL work than you'd have to expend on regular training. You have to come up with a challenge and then pay attention to how well your team performs. Simply checking off a box saying they completed the required training isn't enough.

The Edutopia website says for your school or organization to use PBL effectively, you have to be clear on the end game. In the classroom, problem-based learning works if it engages students in the subject matter they're supposed to learn; the same is true at work. Whether you want better customer service, fewer manufacturing errors or quicker turnarounds on orders, your PBL training should be tailored to those ends.

Another problem is in the teamwork element. One of the points of PBL is to have your people improve their team skills, but you still need to judge them as individuals. You give the entire team a problem, but if you evaluate performance based solely on the team's work, you won't be able to judge individual performance. It's important to know which employees did what, and how effectively.

One factor to consider is whether your company culture lays the groundwork for this kind of team-building training. Problem-based learning is designed for collaborative environments. If your workplace is more cutthroat and individualistic, you may need to change the culture before you throw your staff into a PBL experience.

• Center for Teaching Innovation: Problem-Based Learning
• University of Iowa: Subject-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning
• CommLab India: 5 Reasons to Design Training With a Problem-Based Approach
• StuDocuBlog: The Pros and Cons of Problem-Based Learning
• Edutopia: 5 PBL Pitfalls to Avoid
• Instructional Design Australia: What Is Problem Based Learning and Why Should We Use It?
• State University: Instructional Design: Problem Based Learning

A graduate of Oberlin College, Fraser Sherman began writing in 1981. Since then he's researched and written newspaper and magazine stories on city government, court cases, business, real estate and finance, the uses of new technologies and film history. Sherman has worked for more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, and his magazine articles have been published in "Newsweek," "Air & Space," "Backpacker" and "Boys' Life." Sherman is also the author of three film reference books, with a fourth currently under way.