Three principles based on research in cognitive psychology explain the potential power of problem-based learning: (1) learning is a constructive, not a receptive process; (2) metacognition affects learning; and (3) social and contextual factors influence learning. These principles are more likely to be activated when specific teacher behaviors and…

A Dutch study compared the clinical diagnostic skills of 612 medical students educated at schools with problem-based, integrated, or conventional curricula. Students responded to 30 case histories epidemiologically representative of Dutch society and all organ systems. Students trained within problem-based and integrated curricula made more…

Small-group, self-directed, problem-based learning can be conducted with or without a faculty tutor. Groups without a tutor are trained to manage problem solving, change, group process, critical thinking, and independent learning skills. Processing issues are very different for tutorless and tutored groups; some issues are experienced by both.…

Describes a problem-based unit in which students are charged with the responsibility of discovering what killed the menhaden fish in a local river. Involves the teacher coaching students through the problem and directing them toward resources and lines of inquiry. Enables students to gain an understanding of their local environment and the…

The Parallel Curriculum, a problem-based curriculum at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is described through each year of study. The curriculum increases learning enjoyment by making medical students responsible for scholarly exploration and integration of knowledge and skills with faculty support. (Author/GLR)

An evaluation of an experimental problem-based medical education curriculum used with 18 first-year students at the Bowman Gray Medical School of Wake Forest University is discussed. The study, which included a matched group of students experiencing a traditional curriculum, provides insights into design problems in such evaluations. (TJH)

Two applications of interdisciplinary problem-based learning at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are described. In one application, seniors investigate dilemmas resulting from modern advances in science and technology; in the other sophomores study the critical decisions which drove American development. Evidence of program…

Discusses the limitations in the explain-practice and active learning methods of teaching mathematics. Proposes that problem-centered learning is a teaching method that encourages student reflection, and presents examples demonstrating that encouraging reflection results in greater mathematics achievement. (MDH)

A study investigated the attitudes of 35 graduate nursing students toward the self-directed learning incorporated into a problem-based curriculum at an Australian university. Results show substantial and highly significant increases in student perceptions of themselves as self-directed learners and in perceptions of the value of self-directed…

Reports a study of motivation among 36 University of Hong Kong first-year students during their first exposure to problem-based learning, with data drawn from student journals, pre- and post-semester measures of learning-style preference, and course evaluations. Results indicate significant changes in learning-style preference, from…

A study of 71 Michigan State University medical school students in their first semester of a problem-based curriculum found that students' initial dependence on tutors progressed to an emphasis on learning resources. This result was congruent with the theoretical model of the dynamics of problem-based learning. (Author/MSE)

Describes the evolution of methods used in selecting students for the University of Southern California dental school's problem-based learning (PBL) program, discussing changes in policy based on experience over the program's three years. Comparisons are made with admission processes at some other health sciences schools around the world that are…

Describes the development of a project-based unit on hot-air balloons used with Israeli junior high school students. Concludes that students in the program gained experience with high-level scientific principles and technological processes, the project allows for a learning environment of cooperation and teamwork, and collaboration between…

Student performance in two different introductory biochemistry curricula are compared based on standardized testing of student content knowledge, problem-solving skills, and student opinions about the courses. One curriculum was used in four traditional, lecture-based classes (n = 381 students), whereas the second curriculum was used in two…

This study compared the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) and traditional instructional approaches in developing high-school students' macroeconomics knowledge and examined whether PBL was differentially effective with students demonstrating different levels of four aptitudes: verbal ability, interest in economics, preference for group…