The potential of action learning (AL) for academic development has not received a lot of attention. Building from two case studies in which AL has been used in different ways in research-intensive universities in Australia and the UK, we suggest that the approach may be of benefit to developers in the changing landscape in which they are expected…

The transition from traditional instruction to a problem-based approach to learning requires many changes for educators and for students. The aim of this project was to develop an online problem-based learning (PBL) resource centre to provide academic staff from across the University with support in incorporating PBL in their curriculum design.…

In many areas of applied sciences, such as management and engineering, the generation and dissemination of theory and knowledge is increasingly woven into practice. This leaves teaching and research institutions with the challenge of developing and organising teaching activities that are effective from a student learning perspective. This paper…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching/learning strategy through which students learn course content by solving real-world problems associated with the course material. Although the benefits of PBL have been amply demonstrated in the medical field and other selected subject areas, few studies have examined PBL's potential contributions in…

Professionally oriented tertiary-level courses such as allied health courses in Australia are under pressure from both their professions and the federal government to provide educational outcomes that prepare graduates for the workplace. This has resulted in a number of allied courses adopting problem-based learning (PBL), a teaching approach in…

This paper presents and discusses the evaluation of a module on the care for older people in the community, designed through an analysis of educational needs in the local nurse population. The module was problem-based and students were assessed through practice portfolios. Although the evaluation indicated that it was addressing currently relevant…

The study reported in this paper has explored the use of an electronic forum facility in order to provide support for problem-based learning (PBL). A Web-based course involving the use of PBL (called "Drug and Nutrient Interactions") was implemented and was augmented with interdisciplinary expert support using electronic forums. As part…

Due to mounting pressure on higher education resources, interested staff in Australasian dental schools formeda collaborative network to support the effective implementation of problem-based learning (PBL). Cross-institutional teams sourced patient cases and developed and evaluated PBL packages intended to be adaptable for use across curricula and…

Problem-based learning architecture typically involves a shift in three loci of educational preoccupation, namely (1) content coverage to problem engagement; (2) role of lecturing to role of coaching; and (3) students as passive learners to that of active problem-solvers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues of students' experiences…

This study, adopting an action-learning approach, aimed to redesign an existing problem-based learning (PBL) subject curriculum to accommodate the learning potential and interests of students. Based on students' perceptions of learning and learning experiences with PBL, a Subject Planning Team (SPT) consisting of both students and teachers was…