A study was initiated at the inception of the Exploring the Environment (ETE) project to look at critical factors concerning the use of problem-based learning in Earth science classes. During the 1995-96 school year, the Tropical Poison module from the ETE Project was evaluated in nine high schools across the country. The module introduced…

This paper describes efforts to introduce teachers to three aspects of problem-based learning: (1) learning cases; (2) student-centered learning; and (3) small group cooperative learning. Problem-based learning was woven into the design of professional development institutes because of the organizers' idea that as teachers grow professionally in a…

Increasingly, teachers are connecting with people in the community as part of their professional development. Community organizations provide opportunities for teachers to gain a new perspective on what students need to know to be prepared for a global economy. In addition, experiences in the community can help teachers develop integrated…

Self-regulated learning with authentic and complex problems requires that learners observe their own learning and use additional information when appropriate (e.g., hypertextual information in computer-supported learning environments). Research indicates that learners in problem-based environments often have difficulties using additional…

Moving problem-centered, experiential programs into the mainstream of graduate and professional education will require more formal mechanisms for leadership. Students of graduate education programs that infuse the disciplinary study of academe with the applied perspective of professional practice gain broader contact with the problems of the…

The problem-centered learning model for gifted students is described and applied to development of learning experiences that are organized around exploration of past, present, and future perspectives of trends, problems, events, and phenomena in the social sciences. Ways to use problem-centered learning in regular classrooms, special programs for…

Discusses experiences with the use of problem-based learning as applied to knowledge-rich biochemistry courses. Concludes that problem-based learning is not only effective in promoting habits of mind that support higher order thinking but also a powerful vehicle for conveying knowledge by imparting separate bits of knowledge as interconnected…

This action research study evaluated problem-based learning (PBL), traditional lecture, and a combination of PBL and lecture in an elective biochemistry course at a secondary school for gifted students. Lecture tended to wide content coverage, whereas understanding and retention was promoted by PBL. (Author/DB)

Describes an integrated problem-based learning experience for first-year medical students and assesses the effectiveness of the process in identifying basic science issues relevant to biochemical principles. (DDR)

Five problem-based learning activities tested by fourth-grade gifted students are suggested. Each open-ended problem is intended to be worked on by a small group for 30 minutes. Student reactions are quoted and analyzed, noting that students became more willing to take risks, test the properties and limits of their materials, and learn from their…

A study investigated whether medical school faculty can arrive at consistent, non-idiosyncratic grades in a problem-based learning course. Analysis of grades given by three teachers, based on seven performance categories, to 16 groups of nine students in a seven-week University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) course revealed that given specific…

Discusses problem-based learning and describes a study at Hong Kong Polytechnic University that compared learning issues generated by students with the objectives set by teaching staff, and explored students' self-directed learning practice and the ability to search for information in meeting the learning objectives. (LRW)

Examined how four groups of education graduate students worked in a distributed online problem-based learning (PBL) environment using an asynchronous threaded discussion tool. Discusses student interaction; developing their own understanding; how students work with idea units; student communication; and the role of the instructor in designing and…

Describes a lesson plan that uses an inquiry, problem-based activity to educate students on gender and development inequities that women throughout the world encounter. Includes information on follow-up activities, how to use the Gender Equity and Opportunity Commission (GEOCOM) to illustrate a region and field tests of the activity. (CMK)

Discusses how information literacy efforts at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences have been supported by national trends within health science education to incorporate evidence-based medicine and problem-based learning into the curriculum. Describes effects on librarians, including requests for more instruction, creating…