Abstract
Problem-based learning (PBL), initiated when learners meet an ill-structured problem, develops skills and subject-matter content needed by students to make the transition from novice to more expert problem solver. However, the construction of problem-based learning units can be a formidable task. After a brief comparison of the characteristics of well-structured and ill-structured problems, the authors outline a systematic, user-friendly process for finding potential PBL topics; constructing brainstorming maps to explore the possibility of each topic becoming the focus for a PBL unit; and, then, designing the student's role, the situation he or she meets at the opening of the unit, and the unit's assessments.
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