This paper examines research on students' learning in small tutorial groups, highlighting: (1) cognitive processes elicited by small group discussion and their effects on achievement; and (2) the influence of tutors on student learning. The studies examined problem based learning (PBL) in small groups in high schools and universities. Researchers…

Many cooperative learning programs are merely exhibitions of the willingness to work with others. They apply teams of people to do work that could be accomplished just as well by individuals. Successful programs focus on collaborative learning that fosters working together to solve problems beyond the capacity of any individual. A cooperative…

The Military Career Transition Program (MCTP) at Old Dominion University (Virginia) is the primary alternative certification program for teacher licensure targeting military personnel who are transitioning into education careers. Beginning in the fall of 1998, the MCTP added distance learning to its existing course offerings at 5 of its 15 sites.…

A college statistics class for limited-English-speaking Hispanic students and students with disabilities incorporates principles of problem-based learning. Sessions start with brainstorming in which real-life problems are presented to raise issues, encourage participation, and generate enthusiasm. Using negotiation, the issues generated in the…

This self-study was designed to explore problem based learning (PBL) as an instructional approach in the context of a large preservice science education course. It addressed how the teacher educator would structure PBL to foster student engagement in learning, how she would enhance her own pedagogical content knowledge through the self-study, and…

Research has shown the potential of a problem-based approach to enhance students' learning. The interactive nature of hypermedia technology and its ability to deliver information in different media formats can provide unique capabilities for implementing problem-based learning (PBL) environments. Yet, little is known about the types of tools that…

This book introduces third through sixth grade teachers to problem-based learning (PBL), a system for classroom instruction and curriculum development. It combines the PBL system with practice in locating, evaluating, and thinking about information from the Internet. It provides 8 PBL units for use in the classroom, offering instructions for…

The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between elements that are important for the tutorial group process and the individual learning process in a problem-based curriculum. The variables under investigation were: (1) student-generated learning issues; (2) individual learning process; (3) reporting in the tutorial group; and (4)…

Problem-based learning (PBL), initiated when learners meet the problem scenarios, develops learners' skills and subject matter content to make the transition from beginner to more expert problem solver. Beginning students might benefit from simple, well-structured problems, in which the understanding of sets of rules and principles results in a…

A new medical curriculum at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, is described. Student knowledge, understanding, and skills are developed through the study of a sequence of clinical problems integrated with appropriate practical and clinical activities. Such an innovative curriculum implies different roles for academic staff. (Author/MLW)

Presents scenario for the future of school leadership and discusses role of problem-based leadership development. This scenario fosters several assumptions concerning capacities needed by future school leaders: ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment; attitudes and skills in lifelong learning; more varied leadership roles; and increased…

Lends support to the idea that the quality of the cases used in problem-based learning affects the nature of student learning in this context. Outlines seven principles adapted from research on learning and cognition that can help guide case design. Contains 22 references. (DDR)

A survey of 2 medical school classes at Dalhousie University (Canada) compared student attitudes toward the conventional (n=57 students) and problem-based (n=73) curricula. Students in the problem-based group had more positive attitudes toward the learning environment and curriculum, but were less positive on a student-interaction scale. No…

Six classes received problem-centered mathematics instruction for two years in second and third grade. Results indicate that students in these classes scored significantly higher than students in traditional classes on standardized measures of computational proficiency and conceptual understanding. (TO)

This response of the University of Southern California to the Institute of Medicine's 1995 report concerning the present status and future needs of dental education focuses on the report's influence in implementing a problem-based learning (PBL) option at USC. The PBL program's philosophy, goals, organization, faculty, admissions process, and…