Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method that is increasingly spreading around the world in both higher and school education.

Whenever PBL is applied, the ways of conventional teaching are turned upside down. The traditional procedure is: first, present the information to the students; second, search for a proper application of the solution to a problem. The alternative procedure of PBL is: first, introduce a problem to the students so they can identify their learning needs; then, they research and gather the required information; finally, they turn back to the problem being able to solve it.

The problems that are presented in a PBL context are real problems, complex, challenging, either selected or designed by the teacher according to the specific learning outcomes to be achieved.

From the outlining of the original problem all the way to its solution, students work actively and collaboratively in small groups, which are guided by the teacher. During this learning experience, students share not only the chance to acquire the knowledge related to the subject area, but also the chance to develop and practice skills, as well as observe and reflect about the attitudes and values - things that could hardly be developed in the traditional (lecture-based) method.

Students in PBL courses also have a hands-on opportunity to grasp the benefits of working cooperatively and engaging in their own learning processes.