Challenges of the Implementation of an Engineering Course in Problem Based Learning

Nowadays, there are more than a thousand engineering courses in Brazil and the number of scientific studies involving problem-based learning in engineering is endless. These initiatives are rather recent and mostly restricted at least in some courses of the specific engineering. Within the PBL line, other variations on the methodology have been developed. Eberlein et al. (2008) present the characteristics of three common methodologies used in teaching science, comparing and contrasting them in order to enable a possible choice or combination in particular situations. The three methodologies that these authors present are: Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) and Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), all of them being based on active learning and student-centred.