ABSTRACT
Problem-based learning (PBL) has a long tradition of specialized instruction in postsecondary academic institutions, especially medical, nursing and allied health education (Berkson, 1993; Bruhn, 1997). PBL can be defined as an approach to learning and instruction in which students tackle problems in small groups under the supervision of a teacher. In this context, a problem consists of the description of a set of phenomena or events that can be perceived in reality. These phenomena have to be analysed or explained by the tutorial group in terms of underlying principles, mechanisms or processes. The tools used in order to do that are discussion of the problem and studying relevant resources (Schmidt, 1993). According to Bruhn (1997), PBL occurs when students are put in a task environment that allows them to carry out all the cognitive steps that would represent a real-life situation. Students are prompted by teachers to learn what they need to know in order to solve the problem. Their own questions become hypotheses, prompting more inquiry and questions. Students develop critical reasoning processes and an appreciation of the range of information needed to answer their questions and how the information is interrelated. What is important to emphasize, however, is that PBL is only a strategy and that teachers must define their objectives and expected outcomes (Norman and Schmidt, 1992).
