Abstract
Several potential advantages for students' learning are claimed for PBL (Problem-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning). Well-designed application of PBL is said to motivate students' learning, improve usability of acquired knowledge, and make self-directed learners. It is employed in foreign universities as a capstone course that integrates knowledge distributed from multiple courses, and in medical education extensively, but not so much in other domain and typically in Japanese universities as a whole. We recognize some reasons that prevent effective application of PBL especially in university setting in Japan. We discuss these obstacles systematically based on some literature review.
