Problem-based learning in virtual GIS learning- environments

Many studies, one of the most recent and controversial being PISA (Artelt et. al., 2001), show us the phenomenon of inert knowledge. This phenomenon is defined as knowledge, a person can reproduce, but not apply to a certain problem. Often, the information is presented in an abstract way without any connection to the context in which the knowledge should be applied. Therefore, knowledge stays isolated in a person’s mind. To avoid this phenomenon, a new form of teaching is appropriate, referred to as problem-based learning. Before starting to explain this concept, two main views of teaching and learning are presented