Problem-based learning (PBL) has long been a regular feature in professions outside K-12 education and is growing in social studies education in recent years. PBL is built around student inquiry into an “ill-structured” or “messy” problem (Wieseman and Cadwell, 2005, p. 11). These inquiries are open ended, largely autonomous and student driven (Savin-Baden, 2014). The collaborative nature of PBL scenarios allows students to work with real-world concepts and skills to solve problems (Ferreira and Trudel, 2012). This paper aims to discuss these issues.
This paper describes an innovative strategy for PBL learning, an Escape the Room (ETR) activity centered on historical content knowledge – in this case, the First World War. The activity incorporates a series of ill-structured problems with the First World War as its historical context.
The paper concludes with a discussion of the utility of PBL activities like “ETR” and possible applications in the classroom for teachers.
There has been significant research in PBL activities but little in the specific application of “ETR” scenarios, a rising trend in commercially available activities. The potential for student inquiry and engagement is a rich field for social studies educators.
