This study examines the use of wireless laptop technology to support the application of problem-based learning (PBL) in a special education methods course. This field based course used a progressive disclosure process in weekly seminars to address issues posed in a case study. Eight scenarios, all related to the case, were presented to upper level…

In this article the move toward international education in the community college is questioned. Who benefits when two-year schools are globalized? An alternative to the current international approach is suggested. The case is made that community colleges serve the public interest when curricula are centered on solving problems unique to the…

Helping students in the professions apply conceptual ideas to the problems of practice is a key goal of problem-based learning (PBL). Because PBL is organized around small, collaborative groups, scaling up PBL to large, heterogeneous classes poses significant challenges for implementation. This study presents a hybrid model that mixes online and…

Problem. The development of critical-thinking skills during the professional training of respiratory therapists is imperative for good practice. Research evidence suggests that interactive instructional strategies are far more effective than traditional lectures. Missing from the literature are thick descriptions of how faculty organize the…

The purpose of the study is to compare problem based learning (PBL) and lecture-based learning (LBL) in Hong Kong secondary students' science achievement. Secondary One students were divided into two groups: group A (n = 37), was taught two topics: "Human Reproduction" and "Density" through PBL; group B (n = 38) was taught the…

This study is a third in a series of studies that examined students' information seeking and problem solving behaviors while interacting with one of two types of web-based representations of an ill-structured instructional design case: hierarchical (tree-like) and heterarchical (network-like). A Java program was used to track students' hypermedia…

Studied the main effects of problem-based learning on knowledge and skills and explored potential moderators of the effect of problem-based learning in a meta-analysis of 43 articles. Findings show a robust positive effect on skills, but a tendency to a negative effect, strongly influenced by two studies, on student knowledge. (SLD)

Asserts that the processes of becoming educated and developing problem-solving skills are parallel and related. The article further asserts that professors must engage students in problem-based learning because to ignore problem-solving skills is to undermine the academy's responsibility to develop educated individuals. (SWM)

Defines heuristics as cognitive "rules of thumb" that can help problem solvers work more efficiently and effectively. Professors can use a heuristic model of problem solving to guide students in all disciplines through the steps of problem-solving. (SWM)

Discussion of the four basic types of educational simulators that are available foe medical education for problem-based, interactive learning focuses on the role of microsimulators. Describes educational medical simulators and suggests that the development of microsimulators should focus on the intelligent, educational feedback in the debriefing.…

Reviews papers on problem-based learning that appear in this journal from 1993-2000. (YDS)

This study implemented a three-stage problem-based estimation instruction scenario and combined it with mobile technology to provide elementary teachers with an effective e-tool for observing student estimation and leading effective class or group discussions on the selection and assessment of appropriate strategies for solving daily estimation…

For more than 25 years, educators have developed and institutionalized efforts to help first-year students succeed. This monograph collects case studies from 22 institutions that have created programs and initiatives to support their first-year students. The programs range from encouraging civic engagement and academic achievements to…

The work presented in this paper traces the history of active learning and further utilizes the available literature to define the meaning and importance of active learning in higher education. The study highlights common practical problems faced by students and instructors in implementing active learning in higher education and further identifies…

College and university teaching has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Scholars agree that effective teaching is much more than the transmission of knowledge. However, they may disagree as to what effective teaching entails. This paper provides a perspective that effective teaching, and thus learning, is enhanced when appropriate…