Features for Suitable Problems: IT Professionals’ and IT Students’ Opinions

One cannot be a problem solver without deep understanding of what constitutes a problem. Failing to recognise and define problems presents obstacles in constructing and applying knowledge in problem solving. This has been the motivation for the authors to re-examine in the context of IT (Information Technology) the concept, nature and types of a problem. The most and least important features of a problem are scrutinized, considering the problem-based learning experts’ opinions and a collection of IT students’ viewpoints. The authors (i) identify and critically comment on the features of a problem that are still needed in problem-based learning, and (ii) provide insights and guidelines on the position and use of problems for IT curriculum designers and IT professionals in problem-focused higher education.