PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING - WHERE DID IT COME FROM, WHAT DOES IT DO, ANDWHERE IS IT GOING

Problem-based learning, unbeknownst to many educators, has been around for two decades. A brief history of the evolution of PBL shows innova tion comprised of four elements: an ill-structured problem, substantiv e content, student apprenticeship, and self-directed learning. Researc h evidence supporting its effectiveness is not numerous but tends to s upport that PBL is better than traditional instruction on a number of variables, including long-term information retention, conceptual under standing, and self-directed learning. PBL can be modified with integri ty into elementary, middle, and high school classrooms for the gifted.