For several years a number of instructors at the University of Cincinnati have experimented with the concept of problem-based learning (PBL) in their composition courses. The concept, rooted as it is in Socratic method and the hands-on problem-solving advocated by John Dewey, is not new, and though some of its applications may call for adjustments…

GIS Live is a live, interactive, web problem-solving (WPS) program that partners Geographic Information Systems (GIS) professionals with educators to implement geospatial technologies as curriculum-learning tools. It is a collaborative effort of many government agencies, educational institutions, and professional organizations. Problem-based…

This article explores the use of discourse analysis and conversation analysis as an evaluation tool in problem-based learning. The basic principles of the methods are discussed and their application in analysing talk in problem-based learning considered. Findings suggest that these methods could enable an understanding of how effective…

This study investigated the effect of well- vs. ill-structured problem types on: (a) group interactional activity, (b) evolution of group participation inequities, (c) group discussion quality, and (d) group performance in a synchronous, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. Participants were 60 11th-grade science students…

The visual effects (VFX) industry continues to evolve on an almost daily basis. While new technologies and techniques help to make VFX work easier, the growth of the industry makes teaching and learning digital visual effects (DVE) increasingly challenging. Despite the availability of DVE education today, there is a constant shortage of qualified…

A commonly applied term in the field of education is "educational adequacy." While often used in reference to school finance, curriculum and instruction, and in other educational functions, the phrase is also applicable to the quality of school facilities in which students learn. The Problem-Based Learning approach identified the need to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a professional development (PD) workshop on teachers' knowledge and use as related to the integration of online resources. In addition, this study attempted to examine whether teachers' aptitude was a moderating factor in the impact of the PD workshop. Moreover, it explored how teachers…

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology started the first US chemical engineering program six score years ago. Since that time, the chemical engineering curriculum has evolved. The latest versions of the curriculum are attempts to broaden chemical engineering to add product engineering, biology and nanotechnology to the traditional process…

The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of student grades in introductory physics courses utilizing problem-based learning (PBL) approach and traditional lecturing. The study employed correlational/predictive methods to investigate and describe/explain relationships of students' physics grades with their expectations, attitudes,…

This study aimed to develop and validate a problem-based learning environment inventory which would help teachers and researchers to better understand student views on problem-based learning environments. The development of the inventory included the following four steps: Item Formulation; Content Validation; Construct Validation; Reliability…

This article reflects on an effort to incorporate constructivist pedagogies (learner-centered, inquiry-guided, problem-based models of teaching) into an introductory class on Christian Ethics in an M.Div. curriculum. Although some students preferred more traditional pedagogies, the majority found that constructivist pedagogies better accommodated…

This study investigates the preservice teacher learning in the context of conversations about their field-based challenges. First, a review of the literature explores studies that highlight the role of evidence-based conversation as a mechanism to approach the inevitable problems faced by teachers in the classroom. The subsequent case study…

Both substantive (i.e. factual knowledge, concepts, laws and theories) and procedural knowledge (understanding and applying concepts such as reliability and validity, measurement and calibration, data collection, measurement error, the ability to interpret evidence and the like) are involved in carrying out an open-ended science investigation.…

The Gifted Kids Network is a Web-based, supplemental, gifted and talented programming model that includes standards-based classes, enrichment clusters, and affective programming. Students are encouraged to think critically and creatively and to question the material that is presented to them in order to meaningfully integrate topics covered into…

Reflects on the merits of the Problem Based curriculum designed at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario nearly 30 years ago. This curriculum was a product influenced by the times in which it was used rather than by any educational theory. Concludes that it is necessary to edit the problems as well as any other course materials so as not to…