Topic > Legionnaires' Disease: Problem-Based Learning - 909

These individuals will enter the workforce equipped with the ability to solve problems without needing someone to guide them through the process. This is the benefit of problem-based learning: it prepares students to be effective citizens and employees. Educators are aware that students may not become doctors or public health officials. They will branch into many occupations that will require a wide variety of aptitudes. Problem-based learning is a way to prepare these students to deal with any problem they may encounter in the future, regardless of profession (Utecht, 2003). Since PBL aims to develop critical thinking, research skills, cooperation and collaboration, effective communication and analytical skills, the planned activities must reflect real-life scenarios. These problems should not be well structured. In life the problems we face are not clearly defined or well structured. PBL problems should be the same. This allows students to develop the ability to think about a problem, decide what they know, what they need to know and how they can gather the necessary information. It is also important that PBL problems are complex enough that there is no single or specific right answer. Students must not only analyze the problem, they must also analyze the solution to see if