The multidisciplinary approach to pharmacy education used at the University of Southern California is characterized by problem-solving curricula, instruction by faculty from a diverse group of disciplines, small-group instruction with mixed disciplines, real-world case studies, evaluation by testing with new problems, and progressive conceptual…

In an integrated four-course sequence, Colorado School of Mines engineering and science students work on open-ended, real-world problems prepared by government agencies and private companies that interact as clients with student teams. The program fosters intellectual development, teamwork, and communication skills. (Author/MSE)

Students of the pedagogy of teaching have found that cooperative/problem-based learning activities engage the learner, promote ownership of the material, advance the development of higher-level cognitive skills and increase retention better than more passive learning activities. Despite broad recognition within the political science discipline…

Some educators suggest that schools shift their teaching paradigm to one of environments in which students take command of their own education, wherein learning is more authentic and students can do what Piaget suggests learning results from--acting upon reality. This book outlines six curricular models based on Gardner's multiple intelligences…

In a world with increasingly global economies and competition, students need to learn how to think critically and analytically, and to apply the imagination to solve complex problems. Problem-based learning (PBL) does just that, helping students identify problems, pose questions, research answers, report results, and create a stake in learning.…

This collection of papers presents a variety of field-tested examples that use problem-based learning (PBL) for teacher education in many professional development settings. It describes PBL activities for preservice, novice, and experienced educators at all levels. The eight chapters describe teacher educators' experiences using PBL in their…

Using collaborative critical reflection as an index, this study examines the asynchronous and face-to-face discourse of 28 suburban Chicago elementary teachers developing problem based learning (PBL) curriculum. Statistical analysis of the corpus produced by the 2 mediums shows that the asynchronous online network emerges as the medium of choice…

This program is a self-guided professional development experience that explains how to use multiple intelligences (MI) theory to improve teaching, learning, and achievement in middle and high school classrooms. The program consists of one manual and six VHS videos, each of which corresponds to one of the six modules listed in the table of…

At the University of Newcastle (Australia), architecture students' design projects, a central feature of the professional program, are based on design problems requiring integration of information from varied disciplines and therefore, rigorous planning and scheduling. The problem-based learning approach has helped improve student outcomes and has…

Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) School Leadership Project has adopted as a central educational strategy, problem based learning and its sub-model, problems of practice, in its program to prepare school leaders. Problems of practice is an active learning model that involves students in taking responsibility for their learning by immersing…

This paper includes four cases that may be incorporated into a variety of preservice teacher education classes such as foundations of education, current issues in education, curriculum methods, administration and supervision, or classroom management. Each case includes discussion questions, a fact sheet, and references. The four cases are: (1)…

A model of classroom characteristics and interaction is used to examine the roles of group size, problem types, and student behaviors, central concerns in problem-based learning, in medical education. The model incorporates six classroom dimensions, including four process variables (classroom organization, learning task, teacher's instruction,…

A University of Toronto pharmaceutics course which organizes information about physical chemistry around real problems, presented as case studies or laboratory projects, is described. Problems were addressed in class discussions or by unsupervised eight-student groups using self- and group evaluation procedures. Results are discussed, and three…

Provides an example of the integration of science and mathematics learning of one high school physics student in a constructivist classroom. Discusses the student's integration of mathematical and nonmathematical representations and of different mathematical representations in a nonuniform acceleration experiment. Describes a model for integrating…

This paper describes the use of a participatory action research model to teach undergraduate social work research and statistics. Strategies of the model include (1) integration with social work education, (2) policy analysis, (3) literature review, (4) collaboration with practitioners, (5) collaboration with the target population through…