The primary goals of this research were to investigate the development of computational thinking (CT) skills among elementary students and to identify areas for improvement in their CT practices. Empirical investigations, accomplished in a learner-centered, problem-based learning curriculum for sixth-graders, sought to examine student proficiency…

In this article, we explore Terry Wood's participation in the Purdue Problem-Centered Mathematics Curriculum Project, along with the rich and enduring personal and professional friendships that she built with the classroom teachers who were so important to the project. We highlight connections between these working relationships and the research…

Project Citizen is an interdisciplinary curriculum for students, youth organizations, and adult groups that encourages citizens' competent and responsible participation in local and state governments in about 35 countries worldwide. In this article, based on an example of Project Citizen activities done with university students, the application…

Collaborative, project-based learning models have been shown to benefit student learning and engagement in the STEM disciplines. This case study evaluates the use of highly collaborative project- and problem-based learning models in introductory courses in the geosciences and biology. In the geosciences, we developed project-based modules with a…

The focus of this research project was to examine how problem- based learning (PBL) impacts students' interest and knowledge in computer science (CS) at the elementary level. By focusing on a problem that emphasizes social activism, we hypothesized that PBL CS could increase interest for students. We employed an iterative design-based research…

The purpose of this study was to validate a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in teaching legal aspects of recreational sport to college students, and to examine students' abilities to acquire well-structured knowledge and knowledge use flexibility as learning outcomes of the PBL process. Student satisfaction in learning about the law related…

Several years ago, we developed a paper for the ASCUE [Association Supporting Computer Users in Education] conference about using live projects in the classroom. The Purdue Polytechnic and our department Computer and Information Technology (CIT) have always encouraged the use of team projects throughout our curriculum. As mentioned in the original…

Argumentation is an important component of scientific education (Osborne, 2010). However, how students create and evaluate competing arguments in scientific investigations is a complex construct, which presents significant challenges for assessment. We engaged 349 middle and high school students in a virtual scientific investigation based on an…

Few of the papers published in journals and conference proceedings on problem-based learning (PBL) are empirical studies, and most of these use self-report as the measure of PBL (Beddoes, Jesiek, & Borrego, 2010). The current study provides a theoretically derived matrix for coding and classifying PBL that was objectively applied to official…

As one of the national leaders in innovative public education strategies focused on future talent development, Indiana is positioned to create a sustainable, collaborative strategy for K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instruction, curriculum, and career exploration and exposure. To provide a comprehensive, coordinated,…

We designed a professional development (PD) teacher-mentor program that used problem-based learning (PBL) to accomplish two goals. First, teachers explored how PBL could be used effectively in their classrooms to change the way they think about teaching to include literacy development in content areas. Second, PBL was the basis for PD training to…

Background: A growing number of educators have started exploring student-centered approaches to improve students' learning and satisfaction with courses and programs. While prior research shows a positive impact of such strategies on student learning, further exploration of the perceptions of traditional, lecture-based and other more inquiry-based…

Higher education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) faces a number of challenges. There are many calls for STEM education to make significant changes moving forward, including calls for competency-based learning and greater integration of the humanities. These efforts require systemic change. Systemic change has significant…

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion--that which contributes to learning--is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL)…