A university's mission and vision statements guide its strategic planning process. This ensures that the institutional goals are met, and the institution's identity and purpose are fostered and preserved. However, the challenge lies in translating these broad, often aspirational, statements into actionable and measurable objectives at the…

This article describes the use of "problem forums" in undergraduate professional writing courses as a technique for facilitating and sustaining learning from increasingly complex, messy, and wicked problems that are characteristic of 21st-century work. Problem forums are designed to scaffold project team discussions of rhetorical,…

Interdisciplinarity is widely practised and theorised. However, relatively few studies have reflected on university-wide attempts to foster the concept. This article examines interdisciplinary teaching and learning at Griffith University, Australia. It reflects on the foundations of interdisciplinarity at the university and situates them within…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is often promoted in response to the current need of offering authentic and effective professional education. Traditionally, PBL is used in face-to-face learning environments, with a facilitator guiding collaborative teams of students in solving a problem. This article reports the use of PBL in Web-based instruction…

Research reveals that successful problem solvers must possess comprehensive knowledge, and more importantly, have appropriate knowledge organization and understanding. A new taxonomy of medical problems is recommended, and it is suggested that the traditional hypothetico-deductive strategy for problem-based learning be replaced by scheme-driven…

The paper addresses application of new educational technologies to dental education. Noted is technology's ability to create an electronic curriculum that uses images and text to advance problem-solving and problem-based learning. Information technology provides a risk-free (i.e., patient-free) environment for dental students to test decisions.…

A study compared results of 2 teaching methods, traditional Socratic method (22 students) and a problem-based curriculum (35 students) in a University of Kentucky medical school surgery clerkship. Results showed the problem-based method resulted in similar knowledge level but improved clinical problem-solving skills. (Author/MSE)

A University of Limburg (Netherlands) medical school study investigated the relationship between student-generated learning issues and faculty instructional objectives (i.e., the effectiveness of the problems posed) in a problem-centered obstetrics and child development curriculum. Subjects were 120 students and 12 faculty. Results indicated…

A law professor explains how he came to view legal problem solving as the driving concept in law school curriculum design and draws on personal experience and a survey of students concerning teaching methods in a commercial law course. He outlines six curriculum design principles for teaching legal problem solving. (MSE)

Although it is not clear how important undergraduate professional education is in final practice behavior of the health professional, it is probable that graduates of problem-based curricula will be more effective continuing learners and therefore better practitioners because of a more positive feeling about learning and acquisition of…

A study investigated differences in National Board of Medical Examiners Part I scores for students at the College of Human Medicine (Michigan) in two preclinical medicine curricula, one problem based and one traditional, during four distinct periods. Results illustrate the difficulty of comparing the curricula, given revisions over time. (MSE)

A growing number of health care educators are concerned with the effectiveness of the traditional approach for educating health care practitioners. The problem-based learning approach has been advocated as an effective alternative method for addressing many current concerns and for producing a more effective doctor. (Author/MSE)

In an instructional exercise at the University of Newcastle (Australia), social work students, staff, and organizations role-play in a simulated city to solve complex problems in a realistic but safe learning context. Experience suggests the extended simulation technique is effective. (MSE)

Although computer-based resources are appealing, there is little evidence that they are superior to less expensive traditional educational technologies in medical and dental education, and their introduction will be slow until we learn to benefit from them. However, the communications aspects of technology may be much more important and should be…

A study investigated reasoning processes of medical students in schools with different curricular formats, a conventional curriculum with basic science taught before clinical training and a problem-based curriculum with basic science taught in the context of clinical problems. Strengths and weaknesses of each curriculum type emerged. (Author/MSE)