Problem based learning is a method of learning where the instructions given are student centered, in which the students solves the problems collaboratively and reflect on their experiences. Considerations should be done on what the students need to learn as well as the leaning environment. A good problem based learning problem has got the following characteristics. First, a problem that is effective must involve the interests of the students and lead to motivation on the students that stimulates for deeper understanding of the introduced concepts. It relates to the interests and the world of the students.
Second, a problem that is good should induce students to become decision makers or make judgments based on information, facts, rationalization or logic. They require the students to make justification on reasoning and decisions based on the learned principles. Third, to work through a good problem effectively, cooperation is needed from all group members. The complexity and the length of the problem results from what students have realized as divide and conquer effort. If this is adopted by the students, no problem will be solved at all. Fourth, the beginning questions in the problem contain one or more of the following features so that in a group the students are drawn to the topic of discussion.
These features of the questions are: the questions should have connections to the previous learning, no limitation to one answer that is correct. This is to mean the questions are open ended, and they should have issues that are controversial and that will elicit options that are diverse. These features keep the students working as a group, drawn on the knowledge and ideas of each other rather than making them to work alone at the problem onset. The last characteristic of problem in the problem based learning is the incorporation of the curriculum of the standards and the objectives into the problem.
This means that other concepts of curriculum areas are also connected to the problem. During the learning process under the problem based learning, the students are presented with scenarios which are real life. The students attempt to solve complex and the multi-faceted problems with the already known information. What needs to be learned is determined by the students. The students also make the determination of what they do not know and how to go about it (Hmelo, 2000, pp.
61).
