Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student centered approach whereby students deal with ill-structured problems while working in small groups. In this study, a path model was utilized to model the relationships among reasoning ability, learning approach, prior knowledge, motivational variables, and achievement in genetics in PBL classes. 126 eighth…

We describe an undergraduate laboratory experiment that combines the advantages of problem-based learning with the need for biochemistry students to become proficient in practical laboratory skills. It also avoids the need to obtain ethical approval for recruiting volunteers and eliminates any possible biosafety issues with the handling and…

This paper distinguishes among "contextualizing", "conceptualizing", and "problem-centring" as three basic approaches to interdisciplinary curriculum. This typology is based on the type of inquiry that takes place in the classroom. For example, if the guiding epistemology in the interdisciplinary work is that of the humanities, the mode of…

In 1999, the Southeast Advanced Technological Education Consortium (SEATEC) held two national forums on the campus of Vanderbilt University. The first forum addressed the design of case studies for technological education. The second focused on best practices in teaching technological content through case studies (TEFATE, 1999). The second event…

This paper reports on the development and piloting of a systematic review and meta analysis of research on the effectiveness of problem based learning (PBL). The systematic review protocol was pilot tested with a sample of studies cited as providing "evidence" about the effectiveness of PBL. From the 5 studies mentioned in the sample of reviews,…

Explains the steps necessary to write a case study. Illustrates the development of a case study for a freshman Evolutionary Biology class. (YDS)

Points out the importance of the ability to apply knowledge in a problem-solving manner to real-life situations for biology students rather than possessing an exhaustive accumulation of facts. Describes a teaching approach that employs three-dimensional animal models to teach the student how to use deductive reasoning and critical analysis to…

A narrative-centered nurse practitioner curriculum combines case study analysis, problem-based learning, and a teaching philosophy focused on narrative pedagogy and interpretive research. The curriculum challenges the medical model and develops clinical reasoning skills as well as skills for individualized nursing care. (SK)

Describes task-based learning (TBL), a study module for fourth-year medical students (n=85), and experiences with implementing it at the University of Tampere in Finland. Indicates that this method works and that it leads to learning. Students evaluate their skills connected with a general practitioner's work in health center hospitals as better…

Teachers who have tried problem-based historical inquiry have often found its demands overwhelming. Both teachers and students need a support structure to assist them with the inquiry process. The Persistent Issues in History (PIH) Network seeks to nurture and support a national community of teachers who engage their students in problem-based…

In this article, the authors provide an instructional resource for presenting the indirect method of the statement of cash flows (SCF) in an introductory financial accounting course. The authors focus primarily on presenting a comprehensive example that illustrates the "why" of SCF preparation and show how journal entries and T-accounts can be…

In this paper it is argued that the current trend of making assessment criteria more explicit in higher education may have a deleterious effect on students' learning. Helping students to concentrate on assessment criteria paradoxically means that they may take a strategic approach and end up focusing on the superficial aspects of their assessment…

Despite the challenges inherent in adopting problem-based learning (PBL) in the middle school classroom, successful PBL teachers are able to find suitable solutions. In this exploratory study we examined the perceptions and practices of five successful middle school PBL teachers regarding the specific difficulties encountered with PBL and the…

The Spanish educational system will require certain changes in order to achieve the Bologna objectives for the European Higher Education Area, including a more professional profile, with new activities and roles for both students and teachers, who must assume new skills that will affect concepts and attitudes related to the teaching and learning…

The third annual conference of the National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) was held at Trinity College Dublin on 11-12 November 2009, and was attended by over 300 delegates. The theme--"Research-Teaching Linkages: Practice and Policy"--was timely and generated some fascinating papers, workshops and…