Students in a problem-oriented alternative medical curriculum at Michigan State University used the same problem-based methods for curriculum improvement that are used to solve clinical problems. Students worked with faculty toward constructive curricular revision. (MSE)

Describes a study of medical school students in The Netherlands that tested the assumption of problem-based learning that learning issues, generated by students while discussing a problem, are used as guides for self-directed learning activities. Faculty objectives and student-generated learning issues are compared. (LRW)

Problem-based learning allows students to tackle significant academic subject matter. A Canadian high school social studies teacher energized students by choosing a relevant problem (the changing family), organizing subject matter around it, making students responsible for shaping and directing their own learning, using small teams, and requiring…

A description of the development of a new surgery clerkship looks at institutional background (University of Kentucky College of Medicine) for the project, preliminary evaluation and planning efforts, formulation of an ideal for the clerkship, barriers to change, overcoming resistance to change, and comparisons with problem-based learning programs…

Discusses problem-based learning (PBL) and its effects on the development of sociomorality, based on a case study of first graders in a Korean elementary school. Discusses constructivism and the four principles of PBL environments, including experiential learning, collaborative learning, authentic learning, and the role of the teacher. (Contains…

Describes how a multidisciplinary team developed problem-based cases related to older adults for allied health students to explore gerontology/geriatrics issues in the Mid-Atlantic Allied Health Geriatric Education Center. (SK)

Describes an introductory astronomy course designed for non-science majors. Uses the project-based learning approach and requires students to construct 3-D models for three astronomical phenomena. (YDS)

Describes a course that mimics experiences in research laboratories, engages students in collaboration, and reflects trends in educational reform. (YDS)

A strategy of problem solving in the teaching of gifted learners is explored as a possible way of differentiating the curriculum in order to optimize learning. The Teaching Actively in a Social Context Model (TASC) and Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model are cited as valuable teaching-learning programs. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Provides background information on the problem-based learning (PBL) model used in medical education that was adapted for high school economics. Describes the high school economics curriculum and outline the stages of the PBL model using examples from a unit called "The High School Food Court." Discusses the design considerations. (CMK)

In leadership academy for community college employees, teams used problem-based learning to build leadership skills while addressing community college problems. The program's success was attributed to proactiveness, responsiveness, constituent buy-in, and use of authentic problems and evaluation methods. (Contains 47 references.) (SK)

The combination of students, local history, researching, and problem-based learning creates a powerful opportunity for learning to all involved. This article provides one example of how an elementary teacher and a teacher educator have used local resources and problem-based learning to teach a fourth grade unit about human communities and the…

Reading Harry Potter aloud to the class one autumn sparked the students imaginations and also the authors'. As a result, that semester the author designed and taught a thematic unit based on Harry Potter. The students were able to identify with the 11-year old wizard and his adventures in a strange new world. In mathematics, language arts, and…

This article tells the story of the design of Learning by Design(tm) (LBD), a project-based inquiry approach to science learning with roots in case-based reasoning and problem-based learning, pointing out the theoretical contributions of both, classroom issues that arose upon piloting a first attempt, ways we addressed those challenges, lessons…

Nowadays many schools in higher education implement problem-based learning to foster active learning processes by students. In some schools with a number of years of experience with this approach, phenomena can be observed which indicate signs of wear. The implementation of a large-scale innovation such as problem-based learning (PBL) seems to…