The main objective of the study reported was to explore the effect on young children's critical thinking of a peer-tutoring training embedded with the metacognitive processes required for problem-based learning and, consequently, for critical thinking. The sample consisted of 90 first- and third-grade pupils (45 pairs) randomly assigned to the…

The Tutotest is one of the few structured instruments developed for the assessment of students' learning skills in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. This study was designed to validate the Tutotest in a hybrid PBL curriculum. Forty-four tutors completed 370 evaluations on second to fourth year medical students at the end of the first…

Background: A growing literature is questioning the appropriateness of a research dissertation for practitioners in education doctoral programs. Although this literature persuasively critiques the prevailing theory-research orientation of most programs and theses, it goes little beyond exhorting change and describing extant alternatives in a few…

Questions related to the instructional design of computer-based educational systems were addressed in a study in which college psychology majors completed a computer-based course in statistics using instructional units developed to teach the desired knowledge within the context of situations to which the knowledge is relevant--a technique called…

The key faculty teaching skills needed at McMaster University are those of facilitating problem-based, self-directed learning in small groups. A series of interdisciplinary workshops, offered to the school's medical faculty and to faculty from other health sciences centers to help them improve their skills, allows for direct observation, practice,…

Describes and assesses the University of Adelaide (Australia) dental school's problem-based learning approach and five-year curriculum, including program design, instructional modules based on clinical situations, use of student reflective journals, and course evaluation. Introduction of the new curriculum has resulted in student perceptions that…

A case-based, student-centered instructional model designed to mimic orthodontic problem solving and decision making in dental general practice is described. Small groups of students analyze case data, then record and discuss their diagnoses and treatments. Students and instructors rated the seminars positively, and students reported improved…

A study compared the performances of Wake Forest University (North Carolina) medical students rotating through an internal medicine program, 88 in a problem-based curriculum and 364 in a lecture-based curriculum. Students in the problem-based curriculum received significantly higher ratings from house staff and faculty on four clinical rating…

The process of revising a University of Toronto (Canada) final-year undergraduate pharmacy therapeutics course to incorporate the principles of pharmaceutical care and problem-based learning is detailed. The final course outline and results of a course evaluation are also included. (MSE)

In an integrated four-course sequence, Colorado School of Mines engineering and science students work on open-ended, real-world problems prepared by government agencies and private companies that interact as clients with student teams. The program fosters intellectual development, teamwork, and communication skills. (Author/MSE)

Innovative medical school programs discussed include a problem-based, village-centered rural program in the Philippines, a problem-oriented rural program of community medicine in Thailand, a problem-based curriculum in China, and four restructured medical curricula in the United States. Focus is on the results of the changes. (MSE)

A curriculum involving reduced lecture time, small-group tutorials, a commitment to problem-based learning (PBL), and a strong reliance on self-directed study, was implemented at Harvard Medical School in 1985. This study focuses on the attitudes of 14 faculty tutors who had never tutored in a PBL curriculum. (MLW)

Observes that most educators agree that an essential goal of education is the development of students who are effective problem solvers. Describes Problem Based Learning (PBL) environments where students act as professionals and confront problems as they occur. Outlines the stages of PBL and provides a bibliography for further reading. (DSK)

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a project-based course--World Water Problems--that was introduced within the framework of introductory undergraduate geography education. The aims of the course were twofold: (1) to cultivate in students a world geographic perspective on water problems; and (2) to conduct an original research…

At most land-grant universities in the USA, Introduction to Soil Science is traditionally taught using a combination of lecture and laboratory formats. To promote engagement, improve comprehension, and enhance retention of content by students, we developed a problem-based learning (PBL) introductory soil science course. Students work in groups to…