Teaching and learning practices need to be revisited to revitalize education. The mundane rote learning due to excessive standardization, pedagogical red tape and routinization often become surfeited and such experiences are discussed by students and teachers alike across the globe. The focus has to shift from content and transmission to problem,…

This article analyzes the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) in music teacher education. A qualitative action-research took place at the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia (IF), in Northeast Brazil, including Music Education students and selected staff. The pedagogical intervention was carried out by in-class…

Mercer University School of Medicine utilizes a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum for educating medical students in the basic clinical sciences. In 2014, an adjustment was piloted that enabled PBL cases to align with their corresponding cadaver dissection that reviewed the content of anatomy contained in the PBL cases. Faculty had the option…

This article identifies the profiles of students whose performance is improved by the PBL method, and the influence of certain student-dependent factors that lead to improvement. Effects on performance vary from one student to another, so we distinguish between outcomes among low-performing, average-performing, and high-performing students. To…

Danish PBL-based higher education institutions espouse the qualities of problem-based projects but actual practice shows a somewhat different picture. The predominant use of project catalogues and the formal requirements imposed by accreditation inhibit central intentions behind problem-based project work and there is now a danger of employing the…

"Connected Mathematics Project" (CMP) is a math curriculum for students in grades 6-8. It uses interactive problems and everyday situations to explore mathematical ideas, with a goal of fostering a problem-centered, inquiry-based learning environment. At each grade level, the curriculum covers numbers, algebra, geometry/measurement,…

The use of virtual simulations in Legal Education as a method for learning is relatively rare despite much theoretical support that exists for the benefits in learning. There is also some apprehension on the use of technology in legal education. Both of these are likely due to the lack of solid evaluations concerning the overall impact in…

As the practice of e-learning continues to proliferate, online educators, especially in the computing disciplines, are facing special challenges, due to the lack of relevant literature, the technical nature of the courses, and the perceived need for direct student support mechanisms. This paper presents a constructivist instructional approach to…

The study described in this report included 128 high school economics teachers from 106 schools in Arizona and California, half of whom were randomly assigned to the "Problem Based Economics Instruction" condition and half of whom were randomly assigned to the comparison condition. High levels of teacher attrition occurred after…

This paper reviews empirical studies that have evaluated the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on school-aged pupils, in order to summarise how it has been implemented and to assess its effects on academic and personal development. Following electronic searches of PsychINFO, the British Education Index and the Cochrane review database, six…

Video games and problem-based learning (PBL) are both significant trends in progressive approaches to education. The literature demonstrates a fit between the two approaches, indicating they may be mutually beneficial. With limited literature on implementing games in the classroom, and a growing body of researchers highlighting the importance of…

In highlighting the importance of problem-based learning in the development of 21st century skills, (Yun Jo) An (2013) identified the challenges faced by novice teachers in its implementation and suggested strategies to support them. This commentary explores two aspects mentioned in the article, assessment and the role of collaboration, and argues…

In problem-based learning (PBL), students working in collaborative groups learn by resolving complex, realistic problems under the guidance of faculty. There is some evidence of PBL effectiveness in medical school settings where it began, and there are numerous accounts of PBL implementation in various undergraduate contexts, replete with…

Many different versions of Problem-based Learning (PBL) are used today. To be consistent in evaluating the effectiveness of PBL, the focus in this paper is on what Howard Barrows called authentic PBL (aPBL). In aPBL students are empowered with the learning process; key distinguishing features are that the students teach each other the new…

When a course designed around cooperative, problem-centered instruction attracts learners with a wide range of experience in the topic, should learners be grouped heterogeneously or homogeneously in terms of their relative expertise? In this study, learners were randomly distributed between the two types of groups; learning gains, satisfaction,…