With PBL, the trainer’s role (insert supervisor or manager as needed) shifts from that of
an absolute expert (“sage on the stage”) to that of a facilitator (“guide on the side”).5
Whether working with a group or working independently, PBL prompts learners to
collaborate with others while at the same time supporting self-directed learning. PBL
helps learners develop skills for productive work and integrates them into lifelong
learning. A consensus among agencies employing a problem-based learning model is
that employees begin the process of taking personal responsibility for their learning.
They don’t wait for training to be formalized or spoon feed to them. They recognize a
void and work to fill that void.
Writing Problem-Based Learning Exercises
Known as Problem-Based Learning Exercises, or PBLEs, ill-structured problems are the
foundation upon which the new law enforcement training model rests. The
characteristics of ill-structured problems are:
• They are not easily solved – in fact, the problem can have more than one answer
• The learner initially lacks essential information that he or she must obtain to
solve the problem
• The learner must consider a variety of facts and issues
• The learning occurs in the context of solving the problem and that learning has a
real life context
• The learner learns and employs a process that he or she can apply to future
problems
In crafting ill-structured problems it is important to avoid making the PBLE a pure
research product. There must be the element of a real-life problem that does not have
just one answer. The learner should not be able to just go to the web, do some
research, and turn in a paper. The clever feature with PBLEs that have more than one
answer, is that when a learner turns in a product that is not on the right track you send
it back to them and challenge them to find an alternate answer or approach. Or, you
instruct them from the outset to provide two possible solutions to the problem. This
forces them to work beyond their comfort zone and promotes development of critical
thinking skills.
Carefully designed PBLEs can also help develop leadership skills that facilitate
collaboration, a requirement among today’s law enforcement personnel. A collection of
sample problem-based learning exercises is attached to this document.