Is Problem-Based Learning the best way to learn problem solving? Urban Myths about Learning & Education

Problem-based learning is often celebrated for encouraging active engagement, collaboration and authentic learning. But does giving students a complex problem necessarily mean that they will learn more deeply?

De Bruyckere, Kirschner and Hulshof (2015) challenge this assumption. They point to Maastricht University, a well-known example of problem-based education, where students work in small groups on professionally relevant problems, activate their prior knowledge, identify gaps in their understanding, engage in self-study and then return to discuss and apply what they have learned. Importantly, however, this process is facilitated and structured rather than simply leaving students to discover everything independently.

A key issue is working memory. Working memory has a limited capacity, and novice learners can easily become overloaded when they must simultaneously understand a new problem, search for possible solutions, weigh alternatives, and keep track of their reasoning. Without sufficient prior knowledge or guidance, much of their cognitive effort may be spent searching for how to solve the problem rather than developing a meaningful understanding of the underlying concepts (Kirschner et al., 2006).

This is why problem-based learning may be particularly effective when students already possess enough background knowledge to apply, connect, and refine what they know. When they are encountering material for the first time, explicit instruction, worked examples, and structured guidance may provide a stronger foundation.

So perhaps the key question is not:  “Should we use problem-based learning?” but rather: “Do our students already have the knowledge and support they need to learn from this problem?”

What do you think? When does problem-based learning work well in your teaching, and when do your students benefit more from structure and guidance first? Let us know through teaching-times-ces@utwente.nl!

References

• De Bruyckere, P., Kirschner, P. A., & Hulshof, C. D. (2015). Urban myths about learning and education. Academic Press.
• Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75–86.