Module 1 – Introduction to Problem-Based Learning

The purpose of this online training programme is to inspire and enable teachers within Caribbean
universities to strengthen the impact of urban planning programmes on sustainable urban
development through a stronger application of Problem Based Learning (PBL).

Looking at contemporary challenges in urban development, our claim is that there is a need for new
forms of knowledge and new ways of applying knowledge. The main global problems we are all
facing everywhere in the planet include climate change, increasing inequality, poverty, war and
violence. All these problems are the result of the knowledge we, as a human civilization, have
created. Therefore, it is not the existing knowledge that is going to provide the answers to all these
problems, but from new forms of knowledge.

PBL offers opportunities to make our students better prepared for contemporary urban problems.
Urban problems, such as environmental, social, political or health problems, are typically “wicked
problems” (see figure 1), which require solutions that fall out of the typical textbook solutions. As
problems are wicked, different disciplines tend to see the nature of problems in cities quite
differently. For instance, traffic jams are seen as a road capacity problem by most traffic engineers,
as a problem of road pricing by economists, as a governance problem by political scientists, and as
a health and environmental problem by environmental scientists. As each discipline aims to solve
these problems within its own disciplinary frameworks, only partial solutions are generated that in
the longer run are not sustainable. Urban problems, therefore, need to be approached in a holistic
way in which different disciplinary perspectives are integrated through a problem-oriented
perspective.

Figure 1: Illustration of traditional versus wicked problems. Source: www.philosophersinamerica.com

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It is from this perspective that Citylab CAR invites engaged teachers to take part in a transformation
process aimed at supporting that future urban professionals (our students) improve their problem-
oriented and interdisciplinary competences through project work with active collaboration with
external stakeholders.

About PBL
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has been a subject of investigation and teaching practice for many,
many years. Some of its initial applications date back to the 1950s and 60s, when these started to
be used in medical schools. Since then, the approach has spread widely around the globe, both at
the different levels of educational practice and in different fields. Today, the approach is used in
primary, secondary and tertiary education, as well as in different disciplines. Consequently, the
approach belongs to neither a unique level of education nor a specific field.

PBL is an active pedagogical learning method at the center of which is the student. This represents
a substantial change for many of our educational practices, where the teacher is normally at the
center. In traditional classroom lectures, the teacher possesses the knowledge and transmits this
knowledge to the students. In this model, the student plays the role of listener. PBL breaks with this
traditional model and gives the student the position of importance. Moreover, PBL changes the
paradigm of how knowledge is accepted. In the traditional paradigm, the student learns a specific
theory which is to be applied in the future, while in PBL, the students build the necessary knowledge
to resolve a specific situation that they are facing at the time. This allows them to create knowledge
and develop competencies and skills that can be used in the future in similar situations.

There are a variety of definitions for PBL, but for the moment we will use just one, other definitions
can be found in the reference materials. Savery (2006: 12) defines PBL as an: “instructional (and
curricular) student-centered approach that empowers students to conduct research, integrate
theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined
problem”.

The premises of PBL

Below, we list a few fundamental premises of PBL according to Savery and Duffy (1996):
1. Knowledge is built, not transferred, this construction is from the individual and group
interaction with the environment (context).
2. The knowledge is anchored in the context, therefore the context is relevant to understanding
and tackling a given situation.
3. The cognitive conflict when faced with new situations promotes learning.
4. Each phenomenon can cover different perspectives, recognizing, analyzing, discussing and
accepting different individual and group interpretations allows for knowledge to be developed.

The characteristics of PBL

The following characteristics of PBL are closely related to the premises described above. The central
element of PBL is the problem, which is not precisely a problem, but rather a real life situation that

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may be taken as an element to begin the learning process. According to Revans (2011), the father
of action learning, people are ready to learn, when faced with a problem that cannot be resolved
with the knowledge they have. Since we do not know the solution to the problem, we start looking
for new sources of information and knowledge to resolve it.

Another fundamental aspect of the PBL is that the student learns from and with other people.
Working in groups allows the students to perform tasks that would be impossible to complete
individually. These small groups (between 4 and 7 students) work together with a facilitator, who,
in some cases, is also called supervisor. The aim of the combination of the group work and the
facilitator is to have the students appropriate the learning.

Teamwork encourages collaborative learning. Discussions and debates, when defining and resolving
the problem promote sharing knowledge and building joint knowledge, since the basis for
negotiations and interactions must be formed with the classmates, with the teacher and with
theories, techniques, and so on.

A third element is returning the responsibility for learning to the student. In PBL, the student is
responsible for learning and the role of the facilitator is to guide and not to lead, the group members
work to assist each other in the learning process. The student should identify the gaps in knowledge
and define a strategy to obtain this knowledge.

The fourth element refers to certain skills and competencies that go beyond the subject matter
specific to a discipline. These competencies are critical thinking, team work, collaborative learning,
problem solving, reflection and communication.

PBL methods
The above-mentioned factors are key aspects in PBL. Nevertheless, the approach could be
implemented in many different forms, the different PBL methods thus arise. Different models and
approaches are applied at different universities. In the videos you can see examples of how Aalborg
University (Denmark) the University of Maastricht (Netherlands) interpret and apply PBL principles
in their educational programmes. Both of these universities have implemented PBL as a
foundational principle for their educations, and as a result, these universities have developed their
own framework. In many other educational settings, PBL is applied in a variety of ways. Within the
context of CITYLAB CAR, the intention is that each of the enrolled universities should develop their
own PBL framework based on their conditions and aims.

References

Revans, R. (2011). ABC of action learning. Routledge.

Savery, J.R. (2006). Overview of Problem-based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions.

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), pp. 9-20.

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Savery, J. and Duffy, T. (1996). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist
framework. In: Wilson, B. (ed.), Constructivist learning environments: Case studies in instructional
design, pp. 134-147. Englewood Cliffs: Educational technology publications, Inc.