PBL

=Problem Based Learning= **Monitor:** Robin

Problem-based learning involves giving open-ended problems with no "right" answers to a small group (3-5) of students with the teacher acting as a facilitator.
 * Description**

**Possible Benefits**
 * develop critical thinking skills
 * increase motivation
 * improve collaboration skills
 * help student consolidate a wide range of concepts
 * apply knowledge rather than simply memorize

**Possible Problems**
 * Does not work well if students do not have appropriate background knowledge


 * Concrete Examples**

//Example// 1 - Fermi Problems These are the classic ill-structured PBL problems. Here are some samples
 * 1) How many much pizza does the UOIT university population east in a year? Give you answers in square metres.
 * 2) How much food does the city of Toronto Waste in one year?
 * 3) How much water (in liters) does Canada use in a one month?
 * 4) How far does the elevator in the CN Tower travel in a years (in Km)?

Example 2 - Case Studies Case studies are rich problems that don't have right or wrong answers. They can be used in a number of disciplines such as medicine, law, education, and business. Here are a few examples:
 * 1) Medicine
 * 2) Health
 * 3) __Business__


 * WBLT Examples**


 * //Example 1// - Forest Ecosystem **
 * This Gizmo allows student to explore a number of factors than can influence the forest ecosystems - While it seem for of an experiential WBLT, a teacher can turn it into a PBL learning experience by asking open ended questions like: **


 * 1) Which factor has the biggest impact on the long term survival of the forest ecosystem in this Gizmo?
 * 2) What new elements could you introduce that would have a significant impact on the forest ecosystem?
 * 3) What is the impact of hunting on this ecosystem? Please explain your answer.

Example 2 - Energy Skate Park This WBLT allows a students to examine the relationship among Kinetic, Potential, and Thermal Energy. Again, the key to invoking PBL learning is to ask the right type of questions like:
 * 1) How are Kinetic, Potential, and Thermal energy related to each other?
 * 2) What factors influence how long a skateboarder can continue in the real world and why? Pick a set of factors that would result in the longest skateboard run?

Behaviorism described at Learning-Theories.Com
 * References**