Reflection involves active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or practice. It promotes understanding of underlying beliefs and application of new knowledge to new situations. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) provides the instructional mechanisms for prompting learner reflective thinking. This study examines the following: factors…

The NASA "Why?" Files is a free annual instructional distance learning program that integrates science, mathematics, and technology. The program targets 3rd through 5th grade students and uses a problem-based teaching approach. This lesson guide includes four segments, each with objectives, vocabulary, video component resources, career ideas, and…

Combining assessment and research components on a large development and research project is a complex task. There are many descriptions of how either assessment or research should be conducted, but detailed examples illustrating integration of such strategies in complex projects are scarce. This paper provides definitions of assessment,…

How students used computers and Internet access in the day-to-day work of the problem-based learning (PBL) classroom was studied with second year medical students working in small learning groups. Fifteen students, one from each PBL group, met as a focus group to discuss computer and Internet use. Several themes emerged from the discussions.…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is often promoted in response to the current need to offer authentic and effective professional education. PBL is a curriculum development and instructional system that simultaneously develops both problem solving strategies and disciplinary knowledge bases and skills by placing students in the active role of problem…

Faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, have developed a bibliographic database of articles to support problem based learning. The database, its role in the curriculum, and its effectiveness in guiding, without undermining, self-directed learning were studied, using the goals of problem based learning as a framework.…

This fastback shows teachers and teacher educators how contextual teaching and learning (CTL) can change classrooms and teacher education programs. It introduces CTL in the classroom through the fictional Ms. Walters, a veteran classroom teacher who implements CTL strategies. The fastback examines the theories that support her instructional…

This paper identifies five types of learning experiences which are relevant to understanding students' grasp of concepts and principles. These include exploring existing concepts, honing and clustering concepts, developing analytical and reasoning skills, developing problem solving skills, and structuring knowledge in memory. Each of these…

This study conducted in the Netherlands examines the role of student-generated learning issues in a problem-based curriculum. The first questions was in which way students make use of the learning issues generated (as strict guidelines or as global guidelines) and does this differ between years of training? The second questions was what the…

This paper describes the experiences of three middle school teachers following a two-week summer workshop in which they were introduced to a technology-enhanced problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy. Based on their collaborative experiences during the school year developing and implementing a PBL unit, the three teachers increased their confidence…

A set of instructional materials for acquisition of clinical reasoning skills through independent study has been developed that uses simulation of patient encounters and addresses both medical and psychosocial issues. Small group instruction with the materials is preferred over individual use. (MSE)

A study investigated the curriculum's influence on 341 medical students' perceptions of learning environment, as measured by the Medical School Learning Environment Survey, in two public medical schools with similar problem-based learning (PBL) and conventional lecture-based learning (LBL) tracks, over three years. Results indicate PBL students'…

Presents an instructional framework for real-world, problem-based studies that can be used in a variety of settings. Discusses background knowledge, problem exposition, data collection and analysis, data synthesis and solution presentation, and career information. (JRH)

To investigate whether problem-based learning leads to conceptual change, the cognitive and metacognitive processes of a group of medical students were studied during the problem analysis phase, and their verbal communication and thinking processes were analyzed. Stimulated recall of the thinking process during the discussion detected a conceptual…

Reports on the views on problem-solving developed by prospective elementary teachers as a result of experiencing problem-centered learning in an integrated math-science methods course. Discusses four assertions related to students' attitudes toward problem-solving, their knowledge of problem-solving and problem-solving processes, and the role of…