The tradition of the active mind views knowledge as provisionally constructed by the mind in perpetual interaction with the world. There are no substitutes for students' and teachers' consistent application of intelligence and steady thinking. A problem-based-learning approach to teacher education exemplifies John Dewey's laboratory model.…

An alcohol early intervention education package was tested with nursing students; 73 preregistration and 33 registered nurses used it; 71 and 35 were controls. Those using the package showed significant improvement in attitudes about problem and dependent drinkers and in knowledge. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

Examines how teacher educators should respond to the growing body of student teachers with learning disabilities, focusing on one case, outlining the situation in Australian universities, and questioning the utility of current definitions of learning disabilities and difficulties, suggesting that teacher educators must rethink their approach to…

Examines the relationship between medical students' communication apprehension and their performance in problem-based learning sessions as assessed by a tutor and by their knowledge acquisition. (DDR)

Interdisciplinary clinical case studies in geriatrics were developed using active and problem-based learning approaches that simulate clinical environments. Feedback from their use in continuing education indicated that facilitators need interdisciplinary group skills, well-written discussion questions enhanced learning, and the presence of all…

Reports on major trends in studies investigating the tutor during the past 10 years. Describes three major trends: studies on the differential influence of content expert and non-content expert tutors on student achievement, studies on process variables, and studies on the relationship between tutor characteristics and differential contextual…

Discusses the rationale for the introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy into dental education, the modalities of PBL being introduced, and the implications of its introduction into dental schools. Addresses implementation, faculty development, admissions, and assessment. Presents and discusses observations from a parallel-track…

Explores the integrative nature of problem-based curricula and describes a systematic process for content review in a problem-based curriculum. Utilizes consultation among students, faculty, and the clinical community. Delineates the advantages of this process. (DDR)

Presents the third part of a series on the development and implementation of project-based spiral curriculum in chemical engineering. Focuses on the details of the assessment design, describes the results of the assessment, and draws conclusions about the success of the program. (Contains 18 references.) (ASK)

Explored the professional development experiences of 28 practicing teachers involved in a two-year technology supported problem-based learning curriculum development effort. Discusses collaboration in teaching and the use of asynchronous computer-mediated communication and compares that discourse with the discourse produced by teachers in…

The authors examined the potential differences between problem-based learning (PBL) and traditional instructional approaches in building knowledge of macroeconomic concepts and principles in high school students. Using data from 252 economics students at 11 high schools and controlling for individual characteristics, most notably verbal ability,…

Problem-based learning (PBL), especially in conjunction with collaborative learning teams, continues to gain momentum as a popular instructional approach in higher education. In this article, we address three common assumptions about how PBL groups function and report the outcomes of a study in which we examined group dynamics during a…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a coaching and teaching methodology that develops knowledge, abilities, and skills. It also encourages participation, collaborative investigation, and the resolution of authentic, "ill-structured" problems through the use of problem definition, teamwork, communication, data collection, decision-making,…

Issues of older adults are often ill-structured and complex, requiring the application of insights from different disciplines to be adequately addressed. Gerontology has often used a multidisciplinary rather than an integrated interdisciplinary approach. Interdisciplinary and problem-based learning (PBL) provide pedagogical tools which teach…

This paper reports a critique of the literature of problem-based learning (PBL) in medical education. The objective of the review was to examine the various meanings that medical teachers attribute to concepts of adult learning and self-directed learning within the context of PBL. The critique found that there are assumptions about the meanings of…