What does it look like in the classroom?

Purpose of this Site

What is PBL?

Why PBL?

Theory
Research

PBL in the classroom

Group Dynamics

Individual Roles

Role of instructor

How to do PBL

Example Problems

Resources

Schools using PBL

PBL at Stanford

PBL Organizations

Ways to learn PBL

Schmidt and Moust from the University of Maastricht describe the main frame of the process of PBL as iterative and cyclical in nature.

1. Students approach the problem, without any prior background research.
2. In the small group tutorial, they analyze the problem based on prior-knowledge.
   They elaborate on the knowledge through discussion.
   They develop new knowledge structures.
   They formulate their own learning objectives.
3. Students proceed to a period of self-directed study. This helps them to develop, fine-tune, and restructure the existing knowledge structure.
4. Students then return to the small group tutorial, where they integrate and apply the knowledge they gained during self-directed study in order to problem-solve.

Students will then return to the first step and continue to cycle until the problem is fully addressed.

From Processes that Shape Small-Group Tutorial Learning: A Review of Research by Henk G. Schmidt and Jos H.C. Moust, Paper presented at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 1998.

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