Problem-Based Learning for Personal Growth

Balanced research and practice

Problem-based learning (PBL) motivates and challenges learners through engagement in real problems in which they see themselves as stakeholders. PBL also presents an authentic context to achieve personal growth objectives for self and social awareness, management, relationship-building, and responsible decision-making. This session presents a unique tool, The Five-P Planner, for designing engaging PBL/personal growth tasks. The five planning elements can be used to craft a problem scenario that is prompted by a local need or issue with a personalized purpose in which students have an authentic part to play in creating a professional product that meets the proficiency criteria. The resulting investigations develop both academic and social and emotional learning goals. Given the many competing curriculum priorities in schools today, designing PBL tasks to accomplish both academic and personal growth goals through an approach such as the Five-P Planner is an innovative practice. Examples and a template will be shared.