PROBLEM-BASED. WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE CASE?

Hi everyone...

We are now at the final stage of ramadhan - the last precious ten days of the month. Anyhow wish you well in finishing it.

Many of us wondering why in learning people now concern about learning through problem. Why is it so important? What was wrong with other types of learning? Or are we just following the trend?

Let me discuss a bit about this.

Yesterday I was talking with my kids about going to the "bazaar ramadhan" - a place which only comes up during ramadhan selling various kinds of "kuih". Their mom complaining about the idea what to have for fasting break. I think this is happening to all mothers that always making their own for break. 

I was suggesting for us to go to the bazaar looking for idea or something that we can have for our fasting break. We agreed that it is hard to get some ideas what to have without going to the bazaar because by going we can see lot of choices of food and beverages. It is a real situation about what to have really. Eventually we managed to pick our choices for the break - lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is what I mean by real situation. After we went to the bazaar then we managed to decide what to have and why. But before that it was hard. We actually need a real situation for us make choices and decisions. In fact real situation make the learning fun and interesting. We need those food and beverages choices before we can make our own pick.

That is why problem-based learning is interesting. I am not saying that making decisions for food is not really a problem and cannot be categorised as problem-based learning. But what we need to understand is that in problem-based learning we should always strive to consider a real problem in the learning. Then we can make the learning fun and more meaningful. 

Artificial problem can be helpful but not as meaningful as the real one. As such in helping children in their learning we should encourage them to learn through real situation and problems. The "simulation" stage will then be more interesting and effective for their learning.

We actually have thousands of real problem and incidents everyday that we can use for in encouraging our children's learning. It is just a matter of how we see the real life problems as part of the learning.

That's all for now.

Thank you.