Explains the evolution of the objectives of engineering education from knowledge to skills which is referred to as a 'paradigm shift'. Reviews the relationship between the demands and the educational objectives, and discusses the implications for assessment and the relationship between educational methods and assessment. (Author/YDS)

Reports on the implementation of a problem-orientated undergraduate medical curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning and the mastering of practical skills. Finds that attitudes, knowledge, and skills are interrelated and contribute to an enhanced process of learning. (Author/MM)

How, where and why GIS is taught has been debated heavily in the geography literature. This article is a contribution to that debate, because it offers a new perspective from which to teach GIS: problem-based learning. In a problem-based learning classroom, theoretical foundations and the real world of problems are understood as constitutive of…

The purpose of this research was to look for possible benefits and drawbacks of the use of computer-supported simulation in the teaching and learning of experimental research methodology and statistics. In the study three research methodology groups were compared. The results show that there were significant differences in favour of the…

This study examined the influence of group structures upon six groups of distributed graduate students as they pursued a six-week problem-based learning activity by communicating in an asynchronous computer conference. Henri and Rigault's (1996) content analysis framework and Howell-Richardson and Mellar's (1996) guidelines for interconnectedness…

This article comprises the results of a qualitative study designed to examine community college leaders' attitudes toward problem-based learning as a method for teaching leadership. The respondents in the study participated in a year-long community college leadership academy, which used problem-based learning as the primary instructional method.…

This article discusses the use of a problem-based instructional task in an elementary classroom. After estimating the number of blades of grass on a football field, students write letters to explain the results of their research.

Discussion in maths lessons has always been something encouraged by ATM but can be difficult to initiate for non-specialist and inexperienced teachers who may feel they need material in books to get them going. In this article, the author describes resources aimed at encouraging discussion among primary mathematicians. These resources include: (1)…

This article reflects on different models of professional qualification for teaching, based on a comparison between initial teacher education (ITE) in Scotland and a narrower and more pragmatic view of "teacher training" in England. It includes an analysis of the official requirements in both countries (the Standards), which exemplify…

A discovery-based experiment is developed depending on a "false assumption" that the students mistakenly assume they know the structure of a reaction product and are forced to reconcile observations that are inconsistent with this assumption. This experiment involves the chemistry of azulenes, an interesting class of intensely colored aromatic…

This study investigated novel pedagogies for helping teachers infuse inquiry into a standards-based science curriculum. Using a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) as a pedagogical vehicle, teams of middle-school students collaboratively solved problems around disease in a virtual town called River City. The students interacted with "avatars" of…

The computer software education in vocational schools in Taiwan can hardly be deemed as effective. To increase students' learning motivation and develop practical skills, innovative learning designs such as problem-based learning(PBL) and self-regulated learning (SRL) are on trial in this specific context. We conducted a series of…

The study investigated tool development by three middle school mathematics teachers. The tools they designed were intended to support the use of model-eliciting activities (a form of instruction related to problem-based learning) and particularly the students' presentations of their solutions for the whole class. The study examined the design and…

Infinity has contradictions arising from its nature. Since mind is actually adapted to finite realities attained by behaviors in space and time, when one starts to deal with real infinity, contradictions will arise. In particular, Cantorian Set Theory for it involves the notion of "equivalence of a set to one of its proper subsets,"…

This essay shows the range to complexity for assessing academic service learning experiences. Corso recommends that instructors understand expectations for cognition, affective response, and communication competence as they place students into academic service learning experiences and as they assess learning outcomes within such contexts. Corso…