A qualitative study of faculty members participating in a campus-wide problem-based learning initiative examined the process of transforming faculty pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers found that faculty existing knowledge and the institutional intervention influenced new knowledge of faculty roles, student roles, disciplinary structures,…

A constant concern for educators is how best to train the students. With the knowledge explosion and increasing complexity of the social problems, we have to look for ways to strengthen social work students' ability for continual development. Enhancing their lifelong learning competence would help them to face the future demands. To achieve this,…

Staff observing undergraduate students enrolled on the BSc Hons Textile Design and Design Management programme in The School of Materials, The University of Manchester, identified difficulties with knowledge retention in the area of constructed textile design. Consequently an experimental pilot was carried out in seamless knitwear design using a…

Problem solving and exploratory activities using technology as a tool continue to receive attention in recommendations for school mathematics. This article presents an experience in pre-college level type of teaching aiming at familiarizing students with the process of mathematical research. Students discovered a result based on a computer…

Methods courses, the mainstays of preservice teacher education in social studies, are curiously understudied in general terms although there are numerous focused studies on such topics as methods textbooks, problem-based learning, and critical thinking, including an issue focused on reflections on the methods course in the "International Social…

In recent years, Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been applied in medical and psychological areas of professional education. The PBL approach requires students to move past traditional choreographic methods toward making dances informed by real-world issues. In PBL, students work cooperatively to solve complex problems. Rather than being presented…

In 1997, the Medical Faculty at Hong Kong University adopted a predominantly problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. At the same time, a sizeable PBL component was added to an already established English as a Second Language (ESL) Course for Medicine to help first-year students develop PBL discussion skills. However, it was felt that not enough…

This is a case study of one teacher's beliefs, practice, and learning during his first year of participation in a problem-centered second-grade mathematics project. The teacher in this study attempted to implement an alternative approach to teaching mathematics that differed dramatically from his former practice. This study looks at his former…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an experiential form of learning centered around the collaborative investigation and resolution of "messy, real-world" problems. This book offers opportunities to learn about problem-based learning from the perspectives of teachers, students, parents, administrators, and curriculum developers. Chapter 1 tells…

This document is intended as a resource and guide to help teachers integrate a problem-centered approach into their curricula. It outlines the typical components of problem-centered mathematics and science activities, and offers practical suggestions, examples, and resources to assist this endeavor. The first section of this document, "What is…

A series of simulated patient experiences were presented to two groups of five students concurrently with a regularly scheduled integrated course in neuroscience. Results showed increased motivation, problem solving, and self-study skills in the experimental groups as compared to the control groups, which were also enrolled in the neuroscience…

The faculty of medicine at McMaster University has an approach to medical education which includes self-directed, problem-based, and small-group tutorial learning. There is an emphasis on diagnostic evaluation, selective use of learning resources, and integrated learning and educational planning. (Editor/PG)

Using practical problems faced by farmers developing new agricultural methods, a problem-oriented approach to adult functional literacy was developed and tested in the Jaipur district. The booklet explains the first two of the project's five phases: exploration, syllabus and curriculum construction, materials preparation, action, and evaluation.…

Asserting that an effective rural social work curriculum begins with faculty commitment to the rural experience, this article describes the undergraduate curriculum at Lock Haven State College, Pennsylvania, a systems/planned change model, a problem-centered teaching approach, and the equasion of professionalism and activism in public social…

A radical innovation in an academic department is described that involves student-centered, problem-focused organization, with project work replacing courses and students using self-evaluation. Implications are discussed. (Author/LBH)