Engaging Students through the Use of Problems

Dr. Stefanie Chye & Mr. Stanley Goh
Centre for Educational Development
Republic Polytechnic , Singapore

What is a problem?

A problem is ordinarily an obstacle that makes it difficult for one to achieve something, be it an objective or particular task. When applied to an educational context, problems have the potential to bring about a certain amount of self-directedness and engagement with the topic that a non-problematic discussion or lesson may not achieve.

Problems harness the tension and cognitive dissonance that are inherent in their construction to push learners towards constructing their own responses to the problems in an effort to ease the dissonance that develops. This additional layer of initial discomfort with not knowing what and how one is to learn would tend to push students towards finding ways and means of solving the problem and in so doing, learn more about the topic at hand. Problems that are grounded in authentic contexts provide opportunities for students to make connections between as well as to apply conceptual knowledge to the real world. They encourage student engagement through linking classroom learning to students' own experiences thus making it more meaningful.

Here are some examples of problems that have been used:

(i) Time Management is a Misnomer!

(ii) The Prophets