Good Example Of Essay On Problem-Based Learning

Introduction

Engineers normally use critical thinking skills in their professional and academic practices. Problem-based learning plays a crucial role in promoting critical thinking in the engineers' practices. This essay discusses the advantages of problem-based learning to the engineers and compares the problem-based learning method to the traditional methodology of teaching those students who are passive learners. PBL (Problem Based Learning) is a student-centered pedagogy that helps the students to learn more about a subject by creating problems and learning from the experiences of creating such problems. The PBL enables the students to learn the domain knowledge and the critical thinking strategies (Bell, 2010). The PBL method aims at helping the students to develop intrinsic motivation, flexible knowledge, effective collaboration methods, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning methods. Accordingly the PBL is an active style of learning that enables the students to work in groups and guide them on how to identify the things they already know from books. PBL was introduced by the McMaster University that was found in Canada in the 1960's.PBL has gained prominence in Engineering studies because of its efficiency in meeting the needs to the dynamic society (McPhee, 2009). The PBL offers a paradigm change from the traditional method and philosophy of learning because the traditional methodology of learning is lecture-based (Kwan, 2009).

Benefits of BPL

PBL drives learning because the students are required to identify solutions to various engineering problems.PBL poses problems to students who look for new knowledge that helps in seeking solutions to the engineering problems. The introduction of engineering problems before the commencement of learning motivates the engineering students to learn new engineering knowledge that will help in solving the various issues.PBL equips the engineering students with problem-solving skills and provides them with an opportunity to be practical in their academic and professional practices (O'Brien, Millis & Cohen, 2009).
PBL helps the engineering students to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills and once they have developed these skills they carry them for live.PBL plays an instrumental role in searching for the solutions to problems that people face daily.PBL focuses on a wide spectrum of the instructional methods, and it encourages self-directed inquiries from the students. PBL influences the patterns and controls of decisions making for the engineering students. PBL presents the real life problems in a way that they are encountered by the engineering practitioners and as such it is based on problems.PBL focuses on the solving of problems because it encourages the students to apply the problem-solving skills as it is required in the real practice. The instructor only plays the role of facilitating the development and application of the problem-solving processes.PBL is student-centered because it makes the students responsible for the entire learning process and as such the students do not become dependent on the instructors.PBL encourages self-direct learning because students conduct intensive research in a bid to find solutions to various problems (Mills & Treagust, 2003).PBL encourages reflection at the end of the learning process, and this facilitates the application of knowledge in real life scenarios.PBL equips the students with three useful attitudes namely wholeheartedness, open-mindedness, and responsibility. PBL encourages the students to review, evaluate, describe and analyze various engineering problems with the aim of formulating viable solutions to them. Accordingly, PBL enables the students to be critical when reflecting on the issues of engineering practice.PBL empowers the students to plan and initiate the process of learning and as such, the students diagnose their needs of learning, formulate the goals of learning, identify the learning resources and choose and implement the relevant learning strategies (Bridges et al.,2013).PBL enables students to learn without a lot of help from the instructors.PBL enables the students to encounter the engineering problems before any studies, and the problem is presented in the same way as it occurs in reality.PBL enables the students to reason and to apply their knowledge in real-life situations.PBL plays an instrumental role in the learning process of engineering students by enabling them to be independent and self-directed learners.
PBL makes the students be all round because it equips them with skills to work in groups and to work as individuals.PBL allows the students to negotiate the meaning of knowledge and to express themselves well in the engineering language.PBL plays a significant role in developing crucial skills in students such as persuading, listening and presenting. Working in groups develops maturity in the individual students and enables the students to develop leadership skills as well. The design of PBL in engineering helps students to develop competencies that help them to be effective in their professional activities.PBL enables the students to participate and to adapt to various changes in their professional lives by guiding them on how to handle various professional problems (Mills & Treagust, 2003).PBL guides the students on how to make reasonable decisions and how to be creative by encouraging the holistic approach, collaborative productivity, practice empathy and meta-cognitive reflection.PBL activates prior knowledge for students and enables them to apply the theoretical knowledge they learn in class. PBL reduces the students' chances of forgetting and facilitates fast retrieval of information.PBL encourages elaboration through discussions with classmates, exchanging views with peers and peer teaching. Accordingly, BPL encourages deep and active learning approaches in engineering (O'Brien, Millis & Cohen, 2009).

Comparison of PBL with the Traditional method

There have been various discussions concerning PBL’s effectiveness in achieving learning outcomes in engineering studies. Comparisons of the traditional learning method and PBL indicate that PBL is superior when it comes to engineering studies because it focuses on skills, activates long-term retention and activates prior knowledge in students.PBL in is more effective in promoting learning and conceptualization in the engineering students than traditional learning (Kwan, 2009).
The Traditional method transmits theoretical skills and knowledge to the engineering students. Conversely, PBL is problem-centered, and it equips the students with skills that are relevant to solving engineering students. The traditional method does not expose students to the problems that they are likely to encounter in the real practice. Conversely, PBL exposes students to problems that are encountered in real life, and this prepares them for their future careers (McPhee, 2009).
The traditional method does not equip students with the skills of solving practical industrial problems. Conversely, PBL is practical, and it prepares students on how to deal with the practical industrial issues. Traditional learning does not equip students with inquiry skills such as weigh alternatives, critical questioning, examining arguments and looking for the relevant evidence. Conversely, PBL equips the students with crucial inquiry skills that make their learning practical (Bell, 2010).
PBL is problem-based, but the traditional method is based on lectures.PBL focuses on solving problems whereas the traditional method does not focus on the practical industrial problems.PBL is student-centered, but the traditional method is centered on the instructors who control the entire learning process.PBL encourages self-directed learning. Conversely, the traditional method does not encourage self-directed learning because the instructors control the entire learning process (McPhee, 2009).

Conclusion

This essay has discussed the advantages of problem-based learning to the engineering students and has compared the problem-based learning method to the traditional methodology of teaching.PBL motivates students intrinsically, enlightens them about the best methods of collaboration and encourages them to adopt self-directed learning methods. PBL enhance critical thinking in the engineering students when it comes to solving engineering issues.PBL equips students with skills to work in groups and to work as individuals; thus it allows them to negotiate the meaning of knowledge and to express themselves well. PBL is problem-based, and it focuses on solving problems .PBL is a student, and it encourages self-directed learning. PBL helps students to identify problems; explore the causes of the problems; research and analyze the engineering problems; develop solutions and implement.

References

Bell, S. (2010). Project-based learning for the 21st century: Skills for the future. The Clearing House, 83(2), 39-43.
Bridges, S. M., Green, J. L., Botelho, M. G., & Tsang, P. C. S. (2013). Blended learning and PBL: An interactional ethnographic approach to understanding knowledge construction in-situ. Essential Readings in Problem-Based Learning.
Kwan, A. (2009). Problem-based learning. The Routledge International Handbook of higher education, 91-107.
McPhee, A. D. (2009). Problem-based learning in initial teacher education: taking the agenda forward. The Journal of Educational Enquiry, 3(1).
Mills, J. E., & Treagust, D. F. (2003). Engineering education—Is problem-based or project-based learning the answer?. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 3(2).
O'Brien, J. G., Millis, B. J., & Cohen, M. W. (2009). The course syllabus: A learning-centered approach (Vol. 135). John Wiley & Sons