Teaching biological evolution can be difficult on a number of levels, be it student confusion arising from prior conceptions and the controversy surrounding evolution, or simply because the material is complex. Games and simulations can help to convey complex topics and also to increase variety in teaching methods. Here I describe a card game that…

This paper addresses one of the major confusions in the study and practice of problem-based learning today, namely the use of the term "problem-based learning" to refer to both the small-group tutorial method pioneered by McMaster University and Maastricht University in medical education, and the problem-oriented project-work method…

Virtual exchange is gaining popularity in formal and non-formal education, partly as a means to internationalise the curriculum, and also to offer more sustainable and inclusive international and intercultural experiences to young people around the world. This volume brings together 19 case studies (17 in higher education and two in youth work) of…

Innovation and entrepreneurship are vital for economic growth, as was already asserted by Schumpeter in 1934. In a recent survey carried out by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2006) a picture emerges of The Netherlands as lagging behind when it comes to starting a company, whereby start-ups of students coming…

This article describes Espace (Electronic System for Peer Assessment and Coaching Efficiency), a student peer-feedback tool that enhances the educational quality of assignments without overburdening faculty or adding administrative costs. Developed and tested by four universities in the Netherlands, Espace focuses on qualitative feedback and…

Compares the academic achievement of students from two Dutch medical schools, one employing problem-based learning (PBL) and one using non-PBL methods. No systematic differences were found on total test scores. Differences were demonstrated only at the level of individual questions. Results indicate that PBL and non-PBL instructional methods have…

In a problem-based curriculum, students generate learning issues that are the guidelines for individual study. This study investigates the essential characteristics of learning issues and the importance they have in each year of training. Findings indicate that a useful learning issue contains a keyword that demarcates the content of a topic to be…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been recognized as an important educational strategy and has been adopted in many medical schools. There is confusion, however, about what constitutes PBL. Describes 11 steps in the continuum between PBL and information-oriented learning, task-based learning being the final step at the problem-based end of the…

Several years of experience in training lecturers for developing and tutoring project-based learning (PBL) courses have resulted in a 'practise as you preach' based and flexible training programme. This programme was successfully incorporated in the teacher training programmes of the University of Twente and other universities and polytechnics in…