Problem-based learning is a student-centered activity in which students learn about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem. It focuses not only on problem solving, but it allows learners to develop skills used for their future practice. Its goals: to increase student motivation, activate prior knowledge, inspire creative thinking, facilitate the application of knowledge, and develop critical, collaborative, analytic, reasoning, self-monitoring, independent learning, decision-making, networking and communication skills. The instructor should facilitate and coach without giving solutions. He represents the content expert available if needed, and he gives feedback to students along the way. The students have to identify their learning needs, work in team to find a solution, which means also managing the activities and their timing.

To identify a good problem:

  • describe it in an unorganized, unsynthesized way;
  • leave it open-ended;
  • make it interdisciplinary;
  • choose it task oriented;
  • focus on current events, student lives, actual occurrences and builds on the previous knowledge of the students.


Keep the following aspects in mind:

  • prepare a good introduction (catch the attention, challenge and motivate);
  • check the availability of resources;
  • choose appropriate content (according to the student group);
  • set the learning objectives (by solving the problems, students should accomplish their learning objectives);
  • declare the expected outcome(s);
  • prepare guiding questions (improvisation is key but be prepared with a set of guiding questions);
  • assign assessment tasks, if needed (better if formative and not summative);
  • give students a reasonable time frame.

Click on the image below to download the template of this activity.


problem based learning template