THE POWER OF

PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING
 THE POWER OF
PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING
A Practical How To for Teaching
Undergraduate Courses in Any Discipline

Edited by Barbara J. Duch,

Susan E. Groh,
and Deborah E. Allen

STERLING, VIRGINIA
Published in 2001 by
Stylus Publishing, LLC
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, Virginia 20166

Copyright 2001 by Stylus Publishing, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying, recording and information storage and retrieval, without permission in
writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The power of problem-based learning: a practical how to for teaching undergraduate

courses in any discipline / edited by Barbara J. Duch, Susan E. Groh, and Deborah E.
Allen.1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-57922-036-3 (alk. paper)
ISBN 1-57922-037-1 (pbk- : alk. paper)
1. Problem-based learning. 2. Problem-solvingStudy
and teaching (Higher) I. Duch, Barbara J., 1944II.
Groh, Susan E., 1952III. Allen, Deborah E., 1952

LB 1027.42 .P69 2001

378.1'7dc21 00-066130

First edition, 2001

ISBN: hardcover 1-57922-036-3
ISBN: paperback 1-57922-037-1

Printed in the United States of America

All first editions printed on acid free paper

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 CONTENTS

PREFACE viii

PART ONE: INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

1. WHY PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING? A CASE STUDY

OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION 3

Barbara J. Duch, Susan E. Groh,

and Deborah E. Allen

2. FACULTY MENTORING FACULTY: THE INSTITUTE

FOR TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION 13
Appendix to Chapter 2 23

George H. Watson and Susan E. Groh

3. MAKE IT SO: ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

FOR PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING 27
John C. Cavanaugh

PART TWO: PLANNING FOR EFFECTIVE

PROBLEM-BASED INSTRUCTION

4. MODELS FOR PROBLEM-BASED INSTRUCTION

IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 39

Barbara J. Duch

v
vi CONTENTS

5. WRITING PROBLEMS FOR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING 47

Appendix to Chapter 5 55

Barbara J. Duch

6. STRATEGIES FOR USING GROUPS 59

Deborah E. Allen, Barbara J. Duch,

and Susan E. Groh

7. GETTING STARTED IN PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING 69

Harold B. White, III

8. UNDERGRADUATE GROUP FACILITATORS TO MEET

THE CHALLENGES OF MULTIPLE CLASSROOM GROUPS 79

Deborah E. Allen and Harold B. White, III

9. ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES IN A PROBLEM-BASED

LEARNING COURSE 95
Appendix to Chapter 9 107

Barbara J. Duch and Susan E. Groh

10. PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING AND THE THREE CS

OF TECHNOLOGY 109

George H. Watson

PART THREE: CASE STUDIES IN PBL FROM

DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES

11. THE EVOLUTION OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

IN A BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSE 121
Sherry L. Kitto and Lesa G. Griffiths

12. A PBL COURSE THAT USES RESEARCH ARTICLES

AS PROBLEMS 131

Harold B. White, III

13. INTEGRATING ACTIVE LEARNING AND THE USE

OF TECHNOLOGY IN LEGAL STUDIES COURSES 141

Valerie P. Hans
 CONTENTS vii

14. PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN LARGE

AND VERY LARGE CLASSES 149

Harry L. Shipman and Barbara J. Duch

15. PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING: PREPARING NURSES

FOR PRACTICE 165

Christine A. Cannon and Kathleen A. Schell

16. THE LARGE AND THE SMALL OF IT: A CASE STUDY

OF INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY COURSES 179
Appendix to Chapter 16 191

Richard S. Donham, Florence I. Schmieg,

and Deborah E. Allen

17. PBL, POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY 193

Kurt Burch

18. USING PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY 207
Appendix to Chapter 18 219

Susan E. Groh

19. A SKEPTICS LOOK AT PBL 223

Elizabeth M. Lieux

20. PBL IN PRESERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION 237

Eugene Matusov, John St. Julien,

and James A. Whitson

21. INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS: A PROBLEM-BASED MODEL 251

Appendix 1 to Chapter 21 266
Appendix 2 to Chapter 21 268

Barbara A. Williams

INDEX 271
 PREFACE

About ten years ago, a handful of faculty at the University of Delaware,

searching for a better way to teach, adapted problem-based learning (PBL) to
their introductory science courses. Subsequently, committed to helping their
colleagues discover the same satisfaction and renewed excitement about teach-
ing they experienced upon adapting PBL, they founded an Institute for Trans-
forming Undergraduate Education (ITUE). ITUE Fellows attend workshops
and programs (led by seasoned PBL faculty) that provide them with hands-on
experience with PBL and other active learning strategies. Since 1992, when the
first PBL courses were designed and implemented, over one-third of the Uni-
versity of Delawares faculty across almost every discipline have participated
in ITUE or related PBL workshops.
This volume is an outgrowth of the faculty-driven reform of undergradu-
ate education on the University of Delaware campus. It is meant to serve as a
practical how to guide for the instructor contemplating a change to PBL.
Unlike Boud and Felettis The Challenge of Problem-Based Learning, we pre-
sent here little in the way of theoretical discussion or justification for PBL.
Rather, our emphasis has been to try to address the issues and practical ques-
tions we have often been asked by interested colleagues: Where do I start?
How do you find problems? What about using groups? How do you
grade in a PBL course?
The book is organized into three parts. Part One deals with institutional
issues: we outline how the PBL program at the University of Delaware devel-
oped, the model for faculty mentoring we have developed, and the role that
administrations need to play to promote reform on campus. In Part Two, we
address some of the practical questions involved with course transformations
and planning for effective problem-based instruction. Finally, in Part Three, we

viii
 P R E FA C E ix

present a series of case studies from a variety of disciplines and colleagues who
have incorporated PBL into their courses. We hope that this compilation of our
experiences will assist others in their journeys into problem-based instruction.
We would like to acknowledge the support of the many students whose
positive responses to our efforts to vitalize our teaching fueled (and continues
to fuel) our enthusiasm. We would also like to acknowledge the many faculty
who contributed to our collective experience above and beyond the chapters
in this volume. In addition, support of the University of Delaware administra-
tion (from the President and Provost to individual department chairs) was a
key factor in the transformation of our fledgling, grassroots effort into a thriv-
ing, campuswide reform. Finally, we gratefully acknowledge the following
agencies and foundations, whose support helped us to extend our vision
beyond our own courses and campus: the National Science Foundations Divi-
sion of Undergraduate Education (for development of the first PBL courses in
the introductory sciences and creation of the ITUE), the U.S. Department of
Educations Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (for devel-
opment of the peer group facilitator program), the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute (for development of PBL courses in the biomedical sciences and sup-
port of peer group facilitators), and the Pew Charitable Trusts (for expansion
of PBL laterally across the disciplines).
B. J. D., S. E. G., and D. E. A.
 PART ONE

INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
Part One deals with some institutional issues associated with the adoption of
problem-based learning. Here we describe the problem-based learning effort at
the University of Delaware, discuss the role played by the faculty-led Institute
for Transforming Undergraduate Education in furthering the use of PBL on
campus, and present some ideas concerning the nature of effective adminis-
trative support for educational reform.
 1
WHY PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING?
A CASE STUDY OF INSTITUTIONAL
CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Barbara J. Duch, Susan E. Groh,

and Deborah E. Allen

Chapter Summary
The past decade has seen major changes in how we communicate, do
business, access information, and use technology. How we teach must
also change in order to prepare our students to cope with these new
situations: students need more than ever to be able to pose questions,
seek and find appropriate resources for answering these questions,
and communicate their solutions effectively to others. Problem-based
learning is one educational strategy that helps students build the rea-
soning and communication skills necessary for success today. This
chapter describes the basic tenets of problem-based learning and out-
lines the development of a university-wide program of problem-based
learning at one institution, the University of Delaware.

Introduction
The last several decades have seen monumental change in all aspects of our
liveshow we communicate, conduct business, access information, and use

3
4 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

technology. Today, our students must be prepared to function in a very differ-

ent working world than existed even ten years ago. The problems that these
future professionals will be expected to solve will cross disciplinary bound-
aries, and will demand innovative approaches and complex problem-solving
skills. Those of us who teach undergraduates in higher educational institutions
are obligated to rethink how we teach and what our students need to learn in
order to prepare them for this challenging time.
With few exceptions, college and university faculty embark upon the busi-
ness of teaching with very little instruction or training in pedagogy: we simply
teach as we were taught. For most of us, that experience revolved around lec-
tures. In a traditional undergraduate classroom, lectures are usually content-
driven, emphasizing abstract concepts over concrete examples and applica-
tions. Assessment techniques focus on recall of information and facts, and
rarely challenge students to perform at higher cognitive levels of understand-
ing. This didactic instruction reinforces in students a nave view of learning in
which the teacher is responsible for delivering content and the students are the
passive receivers of knowledge.

Why Change the Way We Teach?

What worked in the classroom a decade (or two or three) ago, however, will
no longer suffice, for the simple reason that past approaches fail to develop
the full battery of skills and abilities desired in a contemporary college grad-
uate. In June of 1994, a Wingspread Conference brought together state and
federal policymakers, and leaders from the corporate, philanthropic, higher
education, and accreditation communities to discuss quality in undergradu-
ate education. This conference was sponsored by the Education Commis-
sion of the States (ECS), the Johnson Foundation, the National Governors
Association, and the National Conference of State Legislatures. The discus-
sion that took place was based on the assertion that substantial improve-
ment in American undergraduate education is needed to prepare students to
function successfully in current business and industrial environments. The
Conference developed the following list of important characteristics of
quality performance of college and university graduates (Wingspread,
1994):

High-level skills in communication, computation, technological

literacy, and information retrieval to enable individuals to gain and
apply new knowledge and skills as needed
 WHY PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING? 5

The ability to arrive at informed judgmentsthat is, to effectively

define problems, gather and evaluate information related to those
problems, and develop solutions
The ability to function in a global community through the possession
of a range of attitudes and dispositions including flexibility and
adaptability, ease with diversity, motivation and persistence (for
example, being a self-starter), ethical and civil behavior, creativity and
resourcefulness, and the ability to work with others, especially in
team settings
Technical competence in a given field
Demonstrated ability to deploy all of the previous characteristics to
address specific problems in complex, real-world settings, in which
the development of workable solutions is required

Survey results (Czujko, 1994) of all physics baccalaureates who were

employed in either the private sector or government/national labs confirmed
the Wingspread Conference conclusions. With approximately 80 percent
response to the question, What skills have you found to be most useful in
your work?, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, technical writing, and
management skills were cited (greater than 60 percent) over physics knowl-
edge. More recently, the Carnegie Foundations report, Reinventing Under-
graduate Education: A Blueprint for Americas Research Universities (1998)
stated that traditional lectures and note-taking were created for a time when
books were scarce and costly and lecturing to large numbers of students was
an efficient means of transferring knowledge. Lecturing is still efficient and
has persisted as the traditional teaching method largely because it is familiar,
easy, and how we learned. It does little, however, to foster the development of
process skills to complement content knowledge.
There are teaching practices, however, that do foster such skill develop-
ment without forsaking content. Quoting John Deweys observation that true
learning is based on discovery guided by mentoring rather than the transmis-
sion of knowledge, (Boyer, 1998, p. 15) the Boyer report urged universities to

. . . facilitate inquiry in such contexts as the library, the laboratory,

the computer, and the studio, with the expectation that senior learn-
ers, that is, professors, will be students companions and
guides. . . . The research universitys ability to create such an inte-
grated education will produce a particular kind of individual, one
equipped with a spirit of inquiry and a zest for problem solving; one
6 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

possessed of the skill in communication that is the hallmark of clear

thinking as well as mastery of language; one informed by a rich and
diverse experience. It is that kind of individual that will provide the
scientific, technological, academic, political, and creative leadership
for the next century. (Boyer, 1998)

Student-centered, inquiry-based instruction, particularly problem-based

learning, falls right into line with this philosophy; indeed, the Boyer Com-
mission pointed to the PBL efforts at the University of Delaware as one exam-
ple of how to help students reach the important goals highlighted in the
report.

What Is Problem-based Learning?

We believe that problem-based learning (PBL) provides a forum in which these
essential skills will be developed. The basic principle supporting the concept of
PBL is older than formal education itself; namely, learning is initiated by a
posed problem, query, or puzzle that the learner wants to solve (Boud &
Feletti, 1991). In the problem-based approach, complex, real-world problems
are used to motivate students to identify and research the concepts and prin-
ciples they need to know to work through those problems. Students work in
small learning teams, bringing together collective skill at acquiring, communi-
cating, and integrating information. Problem-based instruction addresses
directly many of the recommended and desirable outcomes of an undergradu-
ate education: specifically, the ability to do the following:

Think critically and be able to analyze and solve complex, real-world

problems
Find, evaluate, and use appropriate learning resources
Work cooperatively in teams and small groups
Demonstrate versatile and effective communication skills, both verbal
and written
Use content knowledge and intellectual skills acquired at the
university to become continual learners

The PBL Cycle

PBL in the sciences traces its roots to the medical school setting where small
groups of intellectually mature, highly motivated medical students work in
 WHY PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING? 7

small groups with a dedicated faculty tutor to learn basic science concepts in
the context of actual clinical cases. The process of problem-based instruction
(Boud & Feletti, 1997) follows:

Students are presented with a problem (case, research paper,

videotape, for example). Students working in permanent groups
organize their ideas and previous knowledge related to the problem
and attempt to define the broad nature of the problem.
Throughout discussion, students pose questions called learning
issues that delineate aspects of the problem that they do not
understand. These learning issues are recorded by the group and help
generate and focus discussion. Students are continually encouraged to
define what they know andmore importantlywhat they dont
know.
Students rank, in order of importance, the learning issues generated in
the session. They decide which questions will be followed up by the
whole group and which issues can be assigned to individuals, who
later teach the rest of the group. Students and instructor also discuss
what resources will be needed to research the learning issues and
where they could be found.
When students reconvene, they explore the previous learning issues,
integrating their new knowledge into the context of the problem.
Students are also encouraged to summarize their knowledge and
connect new concepts to old ones. They continue to define new
learning issues as they progress through the problem. Students soon
see that learning is an ongoing process and that there will always be
(even for the teacher) learning issues to be explored.

PBL fosters the ability to identify the information needed for a particular
application, where and how to seek that information, how to organize that
information in a meaningful conceptual framework, and how to communicate
that information to others. Use of cooperative working groups fosters the
development of learning communities in all classrooms, enhancing student
achievement (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). Students who learn concepts
in the context in which they will be used are more likely to retain that knowl-
edge and apply it appropriately (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). They will also
recognize that knowledge transcends artificial boundaries since problem-based
instruction highlights interconnections between disciplines and the integration
of concepts.
8 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

The Origins of PBL at the University of Delaware

The systemic incorporation of problem-based learning into curricula at the
University of Delaware (UD) began in 1992 with the proposed revision of sev-
eral courses connected with the Medical Scholars Program. (In this collabora-
tive program with Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, selected
Delaware undergraduates gain early admission to Jefferson and complete some
of their medical school requirements through courses taken at UD.) While
problem-based learning had been on the medical school scene for some time,
this technique was much less well known among undergraduate faculty. Given
Jeffersons desire to include more problem-based learning in their curriculum,
Delaware faculty associated with the Medical Scholars Program were invited to
attend a workshop at Jefferson on PBL, presented by faculty from the Univer-
sity of New Mexico, one of the proponents of this technique. The interest gen-
erated by this workshop led Barbara Duch, then affiliated with UDs Center for
Teaching Effectiveness (CTE), to invite the New Mexico faculty to present a
second workshop on PBL at the UD campus, open to all interested faculty. As
a result of these workshops, two PBL courses were introduced at UD in the fall
of 1992 in physiology and physics. Another PBL workshop offered in January
was attended by over thirty faculty and resulted in the introduction of two
more PBL courses that spring. In addition, three faculty members received seed
money from CTE to support the incorporation of PBL into their general biol-
ogy, chemistry, and physics courses.
With several other instructors excited about the possibilities of PBL for
improving undergraduate science education on campus, this small core of fac-
ulty submitted a proposal to National Science Foundation (NSF) in June of
1993 to further the transformation of introductory courses in biology, bio-
chemistry, chemistry, and physics. That summer, the science faculty presented
a workshop on problem-based learning but with an emphasis on moving
away from the medical school model of mature, motivated students work-
ing with individual faculty tutors, to adaptations that would be more suc-
cessful in a typical undergraduate setting. (Indeed, in 199697 several faculty
received funding from both the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary
Education (FIPSE) and NSF to develop a training program for peer tutors in
PBL classes, as discussed by Allen and White in Chapter 8.) By the spring of
1994, additional PBL courses became available in biology, chemistry, geology,
and political science. NSF funding of the introductory science proposal made
it possible to continue to offer workshops each summer and winter to satisfy
the growing interest in problem-based learning. By 1996, more than 175 fac-
ulty had participated in PBL workshops, representing all ranks and nearly
 WHY PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING? 9

every discipline, and over thirty courses had been transformed to incorporate
problem-based learning. Off-campus participants included K12 educators
and faculty from institutions throughout the United States and as far away as
Australia, Europe, and South Africa.
Despite the advantage of improving the undergraduate experience that
problem-based learning offers, it became clear that, for many instructors, the
adoption of PBL as a mode of instruction was a change not undertaken lightly.
Giving up the safety and authority of the podium can be unsettling for faculty
accustomed only to a traditional, teacher-centered lecture format. Attempts to
promote PBL further, therefore, would have to be accompanied by broader
efforts to change the campus culture to one more accepting of active, student-
centered, and inquiry-based learning.
Realizing that many instructors were unfamiliar with (and intimidated by)
active student-centered learning in general, a core of PBL-active faculty created,
with the support of NSFs Institution-Wide Reform program, an Institute for
Transforming Undergraduate Education (ITUE). The goals and methods of this
Institute will be discussed in more detail later by Watson and Groh (Chapter 2);
in short, faculty selected as ITUE Fellows attend workshops and programs pro-
viding them with hands-on experiences with PBL and other active learning
strategies, as well as the effective use of technology in their courses. The orga-
nizing faculty and Fellows from previous years serve as mentors to help their
colleagues negotiate this somewhat unnerving paradigm shift in teaching.
In 1997 and 1998, the first two years of the Institute, over 100 faculty Fel-
lows participatedtwice the number originally anticipated. Although the PBL
effort was based originally in the College of Arts and Sciences, ITUE helped to
spread its influence rapidly throughout the campus: teams from the political
science, biology, mechanical and electrical engineering departments, for exam-
ple, attended ITUE in preparation for transforming their undergraduate cur-
ricula. The success of the Institute led the university administration to make
ITUE an integral part of faculty development. By the summer of 2000, more
than 230 Fellows had received training through the Institute with problem-
based learning being incorporated into more than 150 courses and experi-
enced by over 4000 students.
Assisted by the creation of this Institute, visibility of the PBL effort
increased dramatically both on and off campus. By sharing their experiences
with their colleagues, Visiting Fellows from other institutions, both in the
United States and abroad, generated further interest both in problem-based
learning and in UDs approach on their own campuses. In 1997, UD was one
of only ten institutions nationwide to receive an NSF Recognition Award for
10 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

the Integration of Research and Education (RAIRE) for its leadership and
vision in research-based education, and was also singled out in the recent
Boyer report (Boyer, 1998) for its emphasis on research-based learning. The
promotion of PBL as a means of allowing students to experience the excite-
ment of discovery in the classroom, as well as in the lab, was highly praised in
both of these awards. A report commissioned by NSF in 1997 cited the Uni-
versity of Delaware in recommending problem-based learning as ideally suited
for instruction in the analytical sciences (NSF, 1997). In 1998, the University
received a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts to support (1) the introduc-
tion of problem-based learning into large general education courses in the
social sciences and humanities, and (2) the establishment of a national elec-
tronic clearinghouse for problem-based learning. Now in the beta testing
stage, this repository of problems, teaching notes, articles, and other materials
will serve as an invaluable resource for other educators seeking to use
problem-based learning in their classrooms. In 1999, the University of
Delaware was awarded the Theodore M. Hesburgh Certificate of Excellence
in recognition of its enhancement of undergraduate teaching through the ITUE
faculty development program.
In looking for elements that have been critical to the development of the
PBL program at Delaware, one finds a critical mass of individuals committed
to the improvement of instruction; success in garnering external funding to
leverage support and provide outside validation for the effort; a mechanism
for training and mentoring other faculty in the new pedagogy; and adminis-
trative support. At Delaware, a handful of science faculty, concerned about
how well their students were learning, were drawn to PBL by its potential for
providing a richer learning experience for their students. Successful proposals
to respected national organizations not only provided financial support for the
project but even more importantly, demonstrated that this undertaking was
considered both credible and valuable in the eyes of outside experts. The ITUE
made it possible to encourage and support other faculty in making their tran-
sition to a more active, student-centered mode of instruction, helping to
change the culture of teaching and learning at the university. Finally, while this
has been a grassroots-level call for change in teaching rather than a
management-driven program, the support of the administration (which
Cavanaugh discusses in Chapter 3) has been crucial in helping to sustain the
effort.
 WHY PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING? 11

Authors Biographies
Barbara J. Duch is Associate Director of the Mathematics & Science
Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware.
Susan E. Groh, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in Chemistry and
Biochemistry and an affiliated faculty member of the University Hon-
ors Program at the University of Delaware.
Deborah E. Allen, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Undergrad-
uate Programs Director in the Department of Biological Sciences and
an affiliated faculty member of the University Honors Program at the
University of Delaware.

References
Albanese, M. A., & Mitchell, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: A review of
literature on its outcomes and implementation issues. Academic Medicine,
68, 5281.
Boud, D., & Feletti, G. (1997). The challenge of problem-based learning (2nd
ed.). London: Kogan Page.
Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University for
the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. (1998). Rein-
venting Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for Americas Research Uni-
versities. URL: http://notes.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf.
Czujko, R. (1994). Physics job market: A Statistical Overview. Announcer, 24
(4), p. 62.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1991). Cooperative learning:
Increasing college faculty instructional productivity. (ASHE-ERIC Higher
Education Report No. 4). Washington, DC: George Washington University.
National Science Foundation. (1997). Curricular Developments in the Analyt-
ical Sciences. Arlington, VA: Author.
Wingspread Conference. (1994). Quality Assurance in Undergraduate Educa-
tion: What the Public Expects. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the
States.
 2
FACULTY MENTORING
FACULTY
THE INSTITUTE FOR TRANSFORMING
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

George H. Watson and Susan E. Groh

Chapter Summary
An essential feature of educational reform on campus is commitment
from the faculty. At the University of Delaware, instructors with an
interest in making the transition to more student-centered, active
forms of learning receive support from the Institute for Transform-
ing Undergraduate Education (ITUE), a faculty-driven program that
combines instruction in pedagogy with personal mentoring by fac-
ulty who have already transformed their own teaching. This chapter
describes the goals of ITUE, how it operates, and its role in pro-
moting the adoption of problem-based learning on this and other
campuses.

Origins of the Institute

In April 1997, the National Science Foundation (NSF) granted an award to the
University of Delaware (UD) as part of a new national program for science
education reformthe Institution-Wide Reform of Undergraduate Education

13
14 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology. The motivation behind

this program is reflected in the following description from the NSF program
announcement:

To stimulate comprehensive reform of science, mathematics, engi-

neering, and technology education and to provide national models of
excellence, the [NSF] will make awards to colleges and universities
that have demonstrated success in revitalizing undergraduate educa-
tion and now wish to further infuse the institution with these gains. It
is intended that by recognizing visionary, comprehensive plans based
on successful and significant accomplishments, the awards will cat-
alyze modifications in the institutional culture and infrastructure that
are prerequisite to systemic reform.

Our proposal, titled Catalysts for Change: Foundation Courses and

Instructional Innovation, presented the University of Delaware as an insti-
tution poised on the brink of systemic educational reform as the result of a
number of significant accomplishments at UD in the past few years. Particu-
larly noteworthy were two recently funded NSF projects: Problem-Based
Learning in Introductory Science Across Disciplines and Delawares Innova-
tive Science/Mathematics Collaborative for Undergraduate Success (DIS-
CUS). Several principal investigators from these projects were represented on
the proposal team.
The main component of the proposal was the creation of an Institute for
Transforming Undergraduate Education (ITUE) to promote reform of under-
graduate education through faculty development and course design. Institute
leaders would share ideas for transforming courses by incorporating effective
techniques for the promotion of active learning and use of technology in the
classroom. Institute Fellows would be selected to receive hands-on experience
in employing active learning strategies and technology in their courses to
infuse the institution with transformed courses and faculty. Thus, the sys-
temic reform envisioned by NSF might be realized at the University of
Delaware by transforming our curriculum from the bottom up via this faculty-
led initiative; broad dissemination of our model might then lead to its subse-
quent adoption by other institutions.
As described at the ITUE website http://www.udel.edu/itue, the underlying
philosophies of the Institute are that undergraduate courses should help students
to (1) think critically and enhance their ability to analyze and solve real-world
problems; (2) develop skill in gathering and evaluating information needed for
solving problems; (3) gain experience working cooperatively in teams and small
groups; and (4 ) acquire versatile and effective communication skills. Toward
 FA C U LT Y M E N T O R I N G FA C U LT Y 15

this end, undergraduate courses should be student-centered, encourage students

to learn to learn, apply technology effectively where it will enhance learning,
and provide opportunities for a variety of learning experiences. The goal of the
Institute, then, has been to provide faculty with the training, resources, and sup-
port needed to transform their courses along these lines.

First Cycle of the Institute

The recruitment of faculty members interested in becoming Institute Fellows
began immediately following the announcement of the award from NSF in
early 1997. Although we had convinced the panel reviewers and program
directors at NSF of the merit of our plan, we remained uncertain of the extent
of faculty interest in this endeavor. By offering a modest incentive (a financial
award for technology acquisitions or curricular materials), we hoped to attract
at least twenty prospective Fellows.
During the spring semester, an informational meeting announced by cam-
pus media and direct mailing was held for faculty interested in the pending
program, followed by a call for proposals due within one month. The quali-
ties that we sought in aspiring Fellows were availability for participation in
ITUE sessions, motivation for improving their courses with a reasonable goal
in mind, and a course portfolio that overlapped somewhat with the interests
of ITUE in science education reform. The response from the faculty was grat-
ifying. The 1997 class of Institute Fellows was comprised of 55 members from
29 different academic departments, with each of UDs six colleges and the Par-
allel Program represented by at least one member.
At the general orientation meeting on the last day of the 1997 spring
semester, the new Fellows met to consider aspects of education reform regard-
ing active learning and use of technology in the classroom. Fellows discussed
their experiences with active, hands-on, or group learning and with technol-
ogy, as well as the barriers they perceived to further reform in their classrooms.
Learning objectives were identified and interests prioritized for further explo-
ration at the in-depth ITUE session coming in June.
The main ITUE session spanned three days in June. During that time, the
ITUE leaders attempted to present a variety of active learning and technology
approaches that reflected both the expertise of the leaders and the interests of
the new Fellows. Included, for example, were sessions on writing cases and
problems for a PBL course, experiencing PBL yourself, using active learning in
large classes, and using the Web as a resource for student learning. (A com-
plete listing of the sessions presented may be found in the appendix.) Active
learning approaches were put into practice as part of the presentation of each
16 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

topic. Each afternoon, the Fellows adjourned to several computer labs to

explore on-line resources for their courses.
As a follow-up to the summer session, numerous special workshops were
offered for Fellows throughout the year, amplifying elements that had not been
addressed during the main session because of limited time. These included an
extended discussion of syllabus design, hands-on sessions in moving course
materials online, active learning strategies for large classes, and strategies for
making groups work and managing conflict when they do not.

Evolution of the Institute

Analysis of the first cycle of the Institute and a review of program evaluations
led to several immediate observations about ITUEs initial success. First, there
was enormous faculty demand locally for this integrated program of teaching/
learning workshops on active learning and instructional technology. Second,
scheduling and coordinating activities and meetings across the calendar year
would be difficult for the diverse group of faculty members interested in ITUE.
Third, the rapid development of instructional technology, both hardware and
software, and the diversity in faculty expertise would make supporting and
mentoring faculty a major task. It was clear that some adaptations in how
ITUE operated would be needed to meet each of these challenges.
Following the first summer ITUE session, faculty interest in participating in
ITUE continued to grow through word-of-mouth and campus publicity. In
addition, off-campus interest emerged because of the website that had been
launched to promote and coordinate ITUE activities. A concentrated two-day
introductory session was offered in January 1998, open for the first time to off-
campus participants. Although we had originally envisioned solely an annual
cycle of workshops, we felt strongly that we wanted to maintain a small-class
environment in our training session and that going much beyond fifty partici-
pants would diminish their experiences and the programs effectiveness.
Follow-up programs and scattered special sessions became difficult to
schedule for both the ITUE Fellows and leaders. Input and feedback from fac-
ulty who completed the first cycle allowed us to refine and consolidate the
ITUE program into a full-week session offered twice annually. An outline of
the most recent session of ITUE, held in June 2000, is provided in the appen-
dix; in addition to the original workshop topics, the program now also
addresses such issues as different models of PBL geared to particular learning
situations and the use of peer tutors in PBL courses.
Fortunately for the development of the Institutes instructional technology
component, a faculty technology center was created concurrently (but through
 FA C U LT Y M E N T O R I N G FA C U LT Y 17

separate channels). Practical Resources for Educators Seeking Effective New

Technologies (PRESENT), was designed with several goals in mind: to coach
faculty as creative technology users, to bridge the gap between learning tech-
nology and applying it to teaching, to provide hands-on experience in a simu-
lated classroom environment, to create templates for faculty to benefit from
innovative uses, and to provide follow through to ensure a successful connec-
tion of technology to teaching. The staff of PRESENT and ITUE quickly found
a resonance in their objectives and joined forces. PRESENT staff now work
closely with the ITUE Fellows, side-by-side with ITUE leaders, during the
afternoon technology training sessions. Follow-up support in the facilities of
PRESENT follows naturally as a consequence of this early interaction. ITUE
helps to generate an informed clientele for PRESENT, a clientele interested in
using technology for the pedagogical value added. Most of the individualized,
one-on-one training of faculty is accomplished in the PRESENT facilities by
professional staff and trained student assistants and has permitted ITUE to
continue operating efficiently as a faculty-led effort without full-time staff.
The synergy in the partnership between ITUE and PRESENT has been respon-
sible in large part for the rapid expansion in the use of the Web among the fac-
ulty at UD.

Impact and Sustainability of the Institute

ITUE has successfully brought together a diverse group of faculty members for
examination of best practices in the classroom and discussion of a broad range
of active learning strategies and uses of on-line resources for instruction. The
Fellows represented areas well outside the core of disciplines typically sup-
ported by the National Science Foundation. A conscious attempt to increase
the rate of infusion throughout the university was made. We sought to
expand the use of active learning and technology in science, mathematics, and
engineering courses, while advocating best practices throughout the entire
university community. Of the nearly 200 ITUE Fellows participating from the
University of Delaware, 65 have been from SMET disciplines (Science, Math-
ematics, Engineering and Technology); clearly the reach of ITUE across the
university has been broad.
In general, it appeared that two types of faculty were being attracted to
participate in ITUE: those interested in PBL, and those interested in using the
Web and other technologies in their teaching. Their transformation during the
weeklong session was often striking. Those coming primarily for the technol-
ogy portion (and for the supplemental funding to facilitate their acquisition of
more technology) had their eyes opened to the possibility of PBL and other
18 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

active learning strategies. Those coming primarily for PBL saw how the Web
can be used to facilitate student learning in their courses and were empowered
both to design problems with rich on-line resources and to publish them on
the Web for their students. ITUE has continued with this two-pronged
approach to faculty development that has, in our opinion, been an essential
element in its success.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of ITUE has been its identifi-
cation as an initiative that arose from the faculty and remains faculty-led. The
ITUE leaders are all active teaching faculty with experience in making the tran-
sition from lectures to more student-centered active learning instructional
models. As much as one can be convinced intellectually that moving to an
approach such as problem-based learning is pedagogically sound and desir-
able, taking that first step away from the lectern and surrendering even some
of the responsibility for learning to the students can be unnerving. Being able
to turn for advice and mentoring to other faculty who have already made that
transition helps to ease some of those concerns. Besides having the opportu-
nity for one-on-one consultations with the ITUE leaders, Institute Fellows are
invited to visit classroom sessions of ongoing PBL courses to get a better sense
of how these ideas play out with students. In addition, the fact that the ITUE
program came out of faculty ranks rather than as a mandate from the admin-
istration has, we feel, been a positive factor in faculty buy-in. An instructor
may make the decision to pursue the approaches espoused by ITUE freely,
rather than as a result of pressure from the top.
The administrations strong support for the educational strategies pro-
moted by ITUE has been made clear in a number of tangible ways: ITUE Fel-
lows, for example, have been awarded matching support funds from their
departments or colleges. The recently constructed Gore Hall is devoted solely
to classroom use; it contains no large lecture halls; indeed, no room holds
more than 80 people, and several classes were furnished explicitly for case
study or PBL use. Campus recruiting programs are billed as Delaware Dis-
covery Days, with a strong emphasis on the theme of discovery-based educa-
tion. An administrative orientation session for new faculty has been conducted
in part using a problem-based format.
Expanding the leadership of ITUE to include faculty members from disci-
plines outside of natural sciences has been key to sustaining interest across the
spectrum of disciplines represented at the University. Two ITUE leaders have
been added from Health Science and Sociology & Criminal Justice, both
demonstrating best practice in the use of PBL, as well as instructional tech-
nology. Expansion of the leadership team has permitted ITUE to expand and
refine its programs without burning out the founding leaders.
 FA C U LT Y M E N T O R I N G FA C U LT Y 19

Another successful model that ITUE has supported focuses effort on depart-
ments seeking to transform their curricula broadly and coherently. In the first
cycle of ITUE, nine members of Biological Sciences, six members of Mechanical
Engineering, and five members of Civil and Environmental Engineering partici-
pated in ITUE activities, as well as a three-member team from Linguistics. Not
surprisingly, collaborative efforts are more likely to lead to systemic reform in
departmental curricula. Departments with at least ten ITUE Fellows over the
past four years include Political Science & International Relations (17), Biolog-
ical Sciences (14), Education (13), Sociology & Criminal Justice (10), and Con-
sumer Studies (10). Development of vertical integration of PBL through the
majors curriculum is well underway as a result in most of these units.
Since 1988, ITUE has welcomed off-campus participants; to date we have
hosted 66 Visiting Faculty Fellows from 29 institutions, including 36 SMET
faculty members. The international reach of ITUE has been a delightful sur-
prise and a tribute to the representation of PBL at UD by its practitioners at
professional conferences and via its Web presence. At this point, international
visitors have participated from Slovakia, Belgium, Mexico, Australia, and
Korea. Curriculum reform teams have been highly visible in their ITUE par-
ticipation; groups have participated from a diverse set of institutions: Col-
orado College (4), Defense Systems Management College (3), Samford Uni-
versity (6), Florida A&M University (4), Middlesex Community College (5),
North Dakota State University (6), and Universite Catholique de Louvain (8).
We have recently expanded our program to include visiting K12 Fellows,
integrating local middle and high school teachers into our week long pro-
grams, coordinated with UDs Math/Science Education Resource Center.
Creation of an active visitors program has affected ITUE in several ben-
eficial ways. First, several representatives of the UD PBL effort are regularly
solicited for on-site workshops, both nationally and internationally, for the
benefit of specific audiences. Typically, more requests are received than can
be honored because of time and travel constraints. The regular availability
of UD ITUE sessions allows participants from those institutions to travel
instead to Delaware, interact with educators from diverse institutions and
disciplines, and return to their institutions with the background and
resources needed to begin introducing PBL at their home institutions.
Optional afternoon workshops to train prospective trainers are now offered
as needed in the ITUE program.
The second benefit is for the UD faculty. ITUE attracts leading proponents
of curriculum reform and incorporation of active learning and instructional
technology at their respective institutions. UD faculty members have the oppor-
tunity to interact with interested participants beyond their own department and
20 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

campus, interested enough to make the trip to Newark, Delaware, during their
academic year break. The Visiting Fellows bring great vitality to the ITUE ses-
sions and raise the importance of ITUE in the eyes of the UD faculty as they
recognize the opportunities available to them through the local resources of
ITUE, its leaders, and established base of Faculty Fellows.
The strategy in promoting active and problem-based learning at UD has
been to target introductory-level courses, in order to develop critical habits of
mind in students as soon as possible. We also hope that early exposure to these
exciting teaching methods will stimulate student demand for more courses like
them, helping to spread the reform effort throughout the curriculum. Thus far,
over 100 lower-level courses either have been or are slated for transformation
to utilize active and problem-based learning. The recent awarding of a Pew
Charitable Trusts grant to UD to incorporate problem-based learning into
large, general education courses in the social sciences and humanities will
enhance this effort even more.
Toward this end, ITUE has supported small teams of faculty members for
development of multidisciplinary courses, especially those that would serve
nonscience majors and first-year students in meeting curricular requirements.
As originally envisioned in our project proposal to NSF, these Foundation
Courses would approach topic areas in science from a multidisciplinary point
of view, challenging students to learn by solving real-world problems or work-
ing through cases in groups or teams. A similar approach was adopted by the
University of Delaware in Spring 2000 as a key feature of the universitys new
General Education Program. First-year interdisciplinary Pathways to Discov-
ery courses are thematic, integrative courses for first-year students designed
to introduce students to the academic resources of the university and to teach
basic intellectual skills required for a successful undergraduate experience.
Many of the faculty members designing and offering courses for this initiative
have participated fully in ITUE. The widespread adoption of PBL that resulted
from the creation of ITUE framed the discussion of general education reform
and is apparent in its stated aims to ensure that every student will be able to
do the following:

1. Attain effective skills in oral and written communication,

quantitative reasoning, and the use of information technology
2. Learn to think critically to solve problems
3. Be able to work and learn both independently and collaboratively
4. Engage questions of ethics and recognize responsibilities to self,
community, and society at large
 FA C U LT Y M E N T O R I N G FA C U LT Y 21

5. Understand the diverse ways of thinking that underlie the search for
knowledge in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences
6. Develop the intellectual curiosity, confidence, and engagement that
will lead to lifelong learning
7. Develop the ability to integrate academic knowledge with
experiences that extend the boundaries of the classroom
8. Expand understanding and appreciation of human creativity and
diverse forms of aesthetic and intellectual expression
9. Understand the foundations of U.S. society, including the significance
of its cultural diversity
10. Develop an international perspective in order to live and work
effectively in global society

Summary
In 1993, the term problem-based learning was virtually unknown on the cam-
pus of the University of Delaware. Seven years later, it has become a byword, and
the university has established an international reputation as the leader in the
development of problem-based learning in undergraduate education. At the heart
of this change in campus culture has been the Institute for Transforming Under-
graduate Education. To date, over 25 percent of the UD faculty have participated
either in PBL workshops or ITUE programs, and more than 150 courses have
been or are targeted for transformation. ITUEs efforts toward the improvement
of undergraduate education through faculty development were recognized in
1999 through the Theodore M. Hesburgh Certificate of Excellence.
What began as a search on the part of a few faculty members for a better
way to teach is changing the face of undergraduate education at UD and pro-
viding a viable model for other institutions to emulate. The initial proposal to
use PBL in a handful of courses has led to the following:

A full-scale development program to train faculty in using PBL and

other active learning strategies and technologies in their courses
A number of initiatives aimed at transforming individual courses and
whole curricula into more active, student-centered and inquiry-driven
formats
National recognition as a resource of information and insight for
others interested in change
22 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Perhaps the most important change, though, has been in attitudein the
renewed interest expressed throughout the university in the importance of
undergraduate teaching aimed at meeting the real needs of our students, in
ways that are invigorating and effective for both students and faculty.
We invite you to participate in an upcoming ITUE session!

Authors Biographies
George H. Watson is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the Uni-
versity of Delaware.
Susan E. Groh is Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochem-
istry and an affiliated faculty member of the University Honors Pro-
gram at the University of Delaware.
 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 2

Table 2.1. Sessions Presented during the 1997 Summer ITUE Program
Wed. Experience It Yourself Example of class structured
around a problem.
Getting StartedThe Syllabus Building the framework of your
course; elements of a good
syllabus.
The Internet as a Learning Finding information on the Web
Resource and using the Web as a
resource for student learning.
Thurs. Incorporating Active Learning Active learning and larger classes.
in the Classroom
Getting Started with Groups Why use groups? What works?
Problems and Cases: Writing Characteristics of good problems
Material for Your Course or cases; Bloom taxonomy and
higher-order thinking skills.
Internet Resources for Your
Course
Fri. Panel Discussion on Student Reexamining how we assess
Assessment students.
Assessment Strategies Nontraditional assessment
strategies to try.
Evaluation of Transformation
Projects

23
24 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 2.2. Sessions Offered at the June 2000 ITUE Program

Mon. An Introduction to Active Why use student-centered inquiry
Learning and Problem- methods? What instructional
based Learning models can be used in typical
undergraduate courses?
Experience It Yourself Participants work through a PBL
A model for active/problem- problem, exploring a variety
based learning for all of strategies to use in problem-
classes based instruction.
Fellows 99 Each day following lunch, past
Fellows present transformation
projects from prior years.
Scouring the Web Search strategies and techniques
Finding the resources you are modeled by reviewing
need several web searches.
Searching the Web Participants exercise several
Bringing the real world into search engines and refine their
your classroom Internet search techniques to
find information relevant to
the problem of the day.
Tues. Getting Started I PBL instruction is different from
traditional teaching in many
ways. This session helps
participants plan for course
and syllabus revisions.
Writing Effective Problem- Participants learn to write
based Materials materials suitable for a PBL
course. By the end of this day,
participants have a draft of a
problem for their course.
Building the Web The rudiments of publishing
Publishing course resources course materials on the Web
will be presented.
Publishing on the Web Participants finish developing
Preparing your own problem their PBL problem, learn how
for the Web to publish it in web-ready
form, and select and list
Internet resources.
Wed. Getting Started II This session helps participants to
plan for course revisions,
including how to introduce
students to PBL instructional
methods and group work.
 FA C U LT Y M E N T O R I N G FA C U LT Y 25

Wed. Group Dynamics Participants learn effective

cont. How groups work effectively strategies for forming groups,
initiating group activities, and
helping students work
cooperatively in their groups.
PBL Syllabi on the Web Examples are shown of syllabi
for PBL courses.
Expanding the Web Participants activate their
Starting your course web homepages, create a course
page web page, and learn how to
post course materials.
Thurs. Assessment of Learning in Participants learn a variety of
Student-Centered Courses methods for assessing higher-
order thinking skills and
group activities related to their
own course goals.
Working the Web How can a course website
Why have a website for your improve student learning and
course? the undergraduate experience?
Moving to the Web Participants learn how to convert
Converting existing materials existing documents and move
for on-line use them online.
Fri. Models for Problem-Based Participants learn about a variety
Learning in Small, of models of problem-based
Medium, and Large instruction.
Classes
Peer Tutors Participants learn about the
A Multilayered Learning strengths and benefits of using
System peer tutors in their courses.
Picking Our Brains Participants or teams of
participants work with ITUE
leaders as they write problems,
syllabi, or assessment items.
Taking Care of Loose Ends Open computer lab to help with
specific questions or hands-on
training.
 3
MAKE IT SO
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

John C. Cavanaugh

Chapter Summary
Experience and research evidence demonstrate that problem-based
learning (PBL) greatly improves the teaching and learning environ-
ment. However, without appropriate support from key administra-
tors, PBL cannot emerge as a viable instructional option. This chap-
ter discusses ways administrators can help facilitate the successful
introduction of problem-based learning on campus.

Introduction
Arguably the most difficult challenge facing an academic administrator is
designing successful, sustainable curricular or pedagogical reform (Ewell,
1997). In part, this is due to faculty reluctance to change well-established habits
without extensive evidence that the proposed approach is better, and in part to
administrative reluctance to push the need for currency in view of empirical
research on the efficacy of alternative approaches. The unfortunate conse-
quence is that too often the opportunities for true innovation and improvement
of student learning are lost because of faculty and administrative proclivity to
become bogged down in seemingly endless discussion and turf protection.

27
28 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

This book offers an alternative, grounded in pedagogical and cognitive

developmental theories and empirical evidence. As such, it provides a blue-
print for successful and meaningful change that simultaneously addresses the
need for greater achievement in student learning through alternative curricu-
lar and pedagogical approaches. Taken together, the chapters in this book pro-
vide the basis needed by academic administrators and the faculty to effect the
kinds of changes that leaders in both groups typically envision at the outset of
a reform effort, but rarely achieve. Most important, these changes help faculty
and academic administrators take learning seriously (Shulman, 1999).
The present chapter provides a brief overview of the steps academic
administrators can and should take to help maximize the success of a reform
effort based on PBL (for a related perspective, see Ewell, 1997). The focus
will be on five major topics: (1) the role of senior administration in promot-
ing PBL; (2) cost-benefit implications of PBL; (3) faculty roles and rewards;
(4) long-term sustainability of PBL reform efforts; and (5) documenting out-
comes. Each of these topics will be discussed in turn. The chapter will con-
clude with recommendations for putting the ideas into practice.

Role of Senior Administration

In order for curricular or pedagogical change to be successful, it will need the
support of senior administrators, especially the chief academic officer and
campus chief executive. Such support can often be the element that makes or
breaks the reform effort. Perhaps because of the critical nature of senior
administrative support, it is also one of the most delicate matters involved in
reform. That is, silence or lukewarm support from individuals at the top for
reform efforts generally lowers the likelihood of success; however, these same
individuals can be overly zealous and similarly doom reform by mandating it.
Thus, the first issue to consider is how senior administrators can be most effec-
tive in helping to promote curricular or pedagogical reform.
In general, there are two strategies senior administrators adopt in pro-
moting reform: top-down and bottom-up. The top-down approach entails
individuals, such as the chief executive officer, who announce a major initia-
tive concerning curricular or pedagogical reform as a way to enhance student
learning. Trustees and other key academic administrators, e.g., chief academic
officer, deans, may also promote the effort. Top-down strategies ensure that
the campus is made aware of the priorities of the administration and can set a
particular agenda for change.
Used appropriately, top-down strategies can be effective in motivating and
energizing faculty to change. Top-down approaches often take the form of
 MAKE IT SO 29

goals for the campus as outlined by the chief executive officer or the chief aca-
demic officer in annual reports to the faculty. Ideally, well-stated goals can
then be turned over to the appropriate faculty governance group(s) for further
refinement and implementation. However, top-down strategies also run the
risk of being perceived as mandates that are simply pronouncements made
without room for discussion. For example, a chief executive officer may sim-
ply declare that the faculty will change the curriculum or change the way they
teach. In these cases, a top-down strategy may not be effective and may delay
reform efforts, and in the worst case it may completely stifle any chance of
support by the faculty.
In contrast, bottom-up strategies begin with faculty coming together in
support of an initiative that is subsequently supported by senior administra-
tors. In this case, a faculty-led initiative, such as the initial PBL initiative at the
University of Delaware described elsewhere in this book (Chapter 1), garners
support from key administrators only after it is clear that a core group of fac-
ulty are strongly committed to the change initiative, and there is a reasonable
probability of success. At this point, senior administrators may step forward
and champion the project.
The advantages of a bottom-up strategy are that there is no question of
faculty support, there usually are successful demonstrations of the new cur-
riculum or pedagogical approach, and potential faculty leadership on the ini-
tiative is likely to have emerged. There may also have been successes at procur-
ing extramural funds to support the early stages of the project. Senior
administrative support at this point makes it appear that faculty are clearly in
control of the curriculum and that success is being rewarded and encouraged.
The disadvantage is that if the support from senior administrators is too slow
in coming or is mistimed, the initial excitement and motivation of the faculty
change agents may be lost. For example, if there is an overt attempt by senior
administrators to wrest control of the project from its faculty base, either
rhetorically or in fact, then the initial success is unlikely to be sustained, and
faculty may abandon the effort.
Clearly, the best situation involves the right balance between top-down
and bottom-up strategies. For example, a faculty-led initiative to improve
student learning through PBL that enjoys early success in improving student
performance and results in significant reinvigoration among faculty for
their teaching is supported publicly by senior academic administrators.
Three key ingredients that maximize the likelihood of a successful blend of
top-down and bottom-up strategies can be identified: (1) getting the rheto-
ric right, (2) removing the barriers to innovation, and (3) making adequate
resources available.
30 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

One often-overlooked aspect of helping to ensure the success of any ini-

tiative is getting the rhetoric about the initiative right. In the case of PBL, that
means using consistent definitions of PBL, discussing and agreeing on the same
critical outcomes, and agreeing on the scope of the effort. Of these, the one
most often given insufficient attention is the consistent use of the same terms.
As discussed elsewhere, PBL refers to a specific type of teaching and learning.
Substitution of other labels, such as collaborative learning, can confuse the
issue and divert attention from the main goals. Senior administrators must
work closely with the key faculty involved in the initiative to ensure that con-
sistent terminology is used.
One of the most important (and usually cost-free) roles that senior admin-
istrators can play in ensuring the success of a curricular or pedagogical change
effort is removing barriers to innovation. Barriers may exist at the individual
level (e.g., tenured faculty strongly discouraging untenured faculty from
engaging in innovation in teaching), unit level (e.g., a department refuses to
give faculty credit toward merit pay increases for working on curricular or
pedagogical efforts), or structural level (e.g., institutional research only
attributing student credit hours to a single department, even when courses are
team taught by faculty in different departments). Senior academic administra-
tors have the power to make sure that such barriers are removed; for example,
a chief academic officer can take curricular or pedagogical efforts into consid-
eration during review for tenure or promotion and, if necessary, reverse inap-
propriate decisions made at lower levels. Administrators can also obtain extra-
mural funds to support an institutionwide reform effort.
Using the power of administration wisely to help ensure the success of a
reform effort such as PBL is critical. Not only does it directly address (and pre-
sumably solve) potential reform-killing problems, it also sends a strong mes-
sage of support to the campus. Although these types of interventions are no
substitute for the provision of the necessary resources for the reform effort,
they often make the difference between success and failure. For even if
resources are provided, if barriers to change are allowed to remain, then the
long-term success of the effort will always remain in doubt.
Finally, senior academic administrators are the only people who can pro-
vide the resources needed for a curricular or pedagogical reform that will
ensure long-term success. Making a reform effort such as PBL a sufficiently
high budget priority clearly signals that it has become a high institutional pri-
ority and is another way of demonstrating support for the initiative. The form
of resource support can vary as will be described later. Irrespective of whether
it is in the form of cash, administered workloads, or some other approach,
providing resources is an essential role for senior academic administrators.
 MAKE IT SO 31

The role of senior administrators, then, is deceptively simple: Know which

faculty-led initiative on curricular or pedagogical reform to support publicly,
state that support publicly, and take the appropriate steps to ensure success.
The deceptive parts involve knowing which initiatives to support and the tim-
ing of the support. Supporting the wrong initiatives (or, worse yet, every ini-
tiative) may result in a climate of indiscriminate efforts that are misguided and
ineffective. Poor timing of support may result in the perception of a top-down
mandate, if the support is stated too early, or in a too-little-too-late perception
if the support is rendered too far into the effort. The trick is for academic
administrators to work very closely with key faculty engaged in reform efforts,
as well as staying in close touch with key faculty leaders who can provide
advice on the timing of statements of support. Such partnerships are the best
way to ensure success.

Faculty Roles and Rewards

Irrespective of how well intentioned any curricular or pedagogical reform may
be, unless faculty have sufficient incentives to change, it is unlikely that there
will be the motivation to do so. These incentives can include a wide variety of
options, including salary, merit increases, release time, professional develop-
ment opportunities, and other support (e.g., laptop computers). In addition, it
is important to recognize that any curricular or pedagogical change entails sig-
nificant risk and expenditure of time, which affects both workload issues, as
well as evaluation and compensation (Seldin, 1998).
Deciding which incentives to use to motivate (and ultimately sustain)
change is much more complex than it may appear at first glance. There is a
tendency for academic administrators to focus almost exclusively on financial
incentives (e.g., salary), probably because they are the easiest to implement
through the usual annual evaluation process for merit increases. In many
cases, such financial incentives work well and provide a workable approach to
implementing change.
Although many faculty respond positively to money, it is the case that the
most precious commodity for many faculty is time. A major barrier to adopt-
ing new teaching techniques (among other things) is that faculty are increas-
ingly being asked to do more, resulting in an additive model of faculty work-
load. When a curricular or pedagogical reform is proposed, the effort
expended is typically considered to be in addition to the ongoing workload,
creating a situation forcing faculty to choose whether they can afford (in terms
of risk and time) to adopt the proposed changes. In such cases, no amount of
financial incentive is likely to work if faculty perceive (accurately or not) that
32 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

they simply do not have the time to work on change. In such cases, an effec-
tive alternative would be to provide faculty release time from other obligations
(e.g., course, committee work) to prepare a PBL course. In short, the best
approach for designing incentives for faculty is to have a range of options that
can be tailored to the needs of individuals.
Unfortunately, no matter how flexible and individually tailored the incen-
tive system is, it may not address the most difficult issue facing early career
facultythe danger of taking risks concerning their teaching. The issue is
straightforward. Early career faculty are (in too many cases correctly) con-
cerned that adopting a new instructional approach could result in less positive
teaching evaluations than their tried-and-true (but possibly less effective)
approach. Many senior faculty exacerbate the situation by strongly dissuading
early-career faculty from attempting any innovations in their teaching for fear
that it will affect their reappointment and tenure and promotion decisions neg-
atively. Thus, many early-career faculty are risk averse when it comes to try-
ing a new approach in their teaching.
It is critical that academic administrators, especially chairs and deans,
make it very clear what the stakes are for early-career faculty. If a climate
favorable to innovation is to be established, then mechanisms must be in place
to protect early-career faculty who decide to be innovative. For example,
means by which early-career faculty receive meaningful credit for engaging in
curricular or pedagogical reform efforts could be implemented. In any case, it
is often the responsibility of academic administrators to ensure that early-
career faculty who choose to try alternative instructional approaches are not
affected negatively.

Cost/Benefit Implications of PBL

As documented in several other chapters in this volume (Part Three), PBL
results in comparable or better student learning compared with traditional lec-
ture formats. Moreover, students over the long run strongly endorse PBL as a
teaching-learning method. Given these significant and consistent findings, a
key question is why these results have not led to wholesale adoption of PBL
across all disciplines in all courses.
As with any innovation, the answer lies in a careful analysis of the costs
versus benefits of PBL. Because the benefits of PBL in terms of improved learn-
ing are detailed in several other chapters, we will focus here on the costs and
other benefits. In general, only if it can be shown that the benefits of PBL out-
weigh the costs is it likely that PBL will be widely adopted.
 MAKE IT SO 33

The costs of PBL include both obvious ones (e.g., faculty incentive pay,
professional development and training, consultants) and less obvious ones (e.g.,
increased course preparation time for faculty). These costs can be examined at
four levels of analysis: (1) individual, (2) department, (3) college/school, and
(4) institutional.
At the individual level, costs can be measured in terms of time spent prepar-
ing for and teaching a course, as well as in terms of financial resources, such as
merit increases or increased professional development funds as a direct result of
using a particular teaching-learning approach. For example, a faculty member
may find that preparing for a PBL course takes longer than for a traditional lec-
ture course and may risk receiving somewhat lower merit funds as a result of
changing from traditional lecture format to PBL. In addition to benefits in terms
of improved (over the long run) teaching evaluations, which in turn may lead to
higher merit increases, benefits of PBL may also accrue in terms of having access
to additional professional development or extramural funds. For example, fac-
ulty who use PBL may be eligible to receive funds to attend workshops, such as
those described by Watson and Groh (Chapter 2). Although costs and benefits
to individual faculty are both real and highly salient, they are difficult to com-
pare across individuals. Thus, most cost-benefit analyses for comparison pur-
poses are conducted at the development, college/school, and institutional levels.
Most cost analyses at the department, college/school, and institutional lev-
els focus exclusively on the actual dollars expended per full-time equivalent
(FTE) student or some similar index. Such benchmark data permit direct com-
parisons across departments and institutions and rely on common definitions
of terms. Using such indices can provide a consistent measure of costs of
instruction based on different teaching-learning methods. However, compar-
isons between traditional lecture, for example, and PBL approaches must
include all relevant aspects (e.g., faculty development, laptop computers,
teaching assistants) in order to be meaningful.
As the level of aggregation increases, the types of benefits that become
important also change. For example, at the department (and in some cases
college/school level), benefits may include overall passage rates on certification
examinations following PBL courses, summative evaluation of majors and
courses of study, number of papers and presentations made by faculty con-
cerning PBL, and the like. At the institutional level, a benefit of widespread PBL
use may be the ability to use PBL as a student (and faculty) recruitment tool in
order to uniquely position the institution in relation to its peers.
The cost-benefit analysis computed at various levels of analysis is
extremely important. In general, PBL is likely to be more costly (at least in
34 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

terms of expenditures per FTE student and faculty time) during the initial
development and implementation phases. Thus, it is essential to define specific
benefits by which PBL will be evaluated in advance. Furthermore, these bene-
fits should include both those that involve student learning (e.g., content learn-
ing, critical thinking, problem-solving skills) and those focused on faculty
(e.g., improved teaching ratings, increased motivation for teaching, scholarly
publications on teaching). The decision point at which PBL will be supported
even in the face of greater costs should also be specified in advance; otherwise,
it will be difficult to evaluate the point at which PBL is too costly even when
the benefits are clearly demonstrated. Equally important to these analyses is
the continued monitoring of the cost-benefit data over time. Ideally, costs
should stabilize or decline as faculty become more proficient at PBL and larger
sections of PBL courses are implemented.
In sum, the analysis of cost-benefit data is a key aspect of determining the
long-term viability of PBL. If the models described elsewhere in this book are
implemented, especially those describing large section PBL courses, use of
undergraduate peer tutors, and faculty-to-faculty peer mentoring, over the
long run, costs of PBL instruction should not be significantly greater than tra-
ditional lecture formats.

Achieving Sustainability
Getting a curricular or pedagogical reform underway and gaining the neces-
sary support from senior academic administrators represent only a beginning
of true change. In order to effect true change, it is essential that the change
effort be sustained over the long run. The secrets to sustainability are relatively
simple: (a) Establish an ongoing faculty development program. (b) Maintain
the right mix of incentives. (c) Create a demand for the new curriculum or ped-
agogy. (d) Generate publicity and recognition.
Of the various models of faculty development, one that has worked
extremely well at the University of Delaware is the faculty-to-faculty model
described by Watson and Groh in Chapter 2. By focusing on developing a crit-
ical mass of faculty who use PBL and having those faculty serve as peer tutors,
a self-sustaining faculty development and support program was developed.
This program creates PBL experts in every department, ultimately making
department faculty (rather than a director of a teaching center) the locus of
assistance. This is a very important shift; by focusing on departments, barriers
based on discipline-based differences in instruction are greatly reduced.
A second key to sustainability involves maintaining the right mix of incen-
tives for faculty to continue using an innovation such as PBL. Earlier in this
 MAKE IT SO 35

chapter, the issues pertaining to incentives were discussed (e.g., salary, admin-
istered workloads, etc.). Too often, these incentives are created in order to get
the initiative started and are subsequently withdrawn and moved to the next
new project. A secret to sustaining a curricular or pedagogical innovation is
leaving the incentives in place and keeping them current. This latter point
involves assessing incentives periodically to make sure they reflect the set of
faculty needs at the time. For example, one popular incentive early in an ini-
tiative is support to create a course using an innovation such as PBL. At some
point, though, course development needs may significantly diminish. How-
ever, a need for advanced training in PBL techniques may emerge. Unless the
incentive system keeps pace with changing faculty needs, there is likely to be
a mismatch between incentives and need. Successful innovations manage to
maintain a match between the two by periodic review of incentives by faculty
and academic administrators.
A third critical element of sustainability involves creating a demand for the
innovation. In the case of PBL, this would entail getting and keeping students
excited about taking PBL courses. In large part, this depends on the faculty
delivering dynamic courses that provide excellent learning opportunities, but
academic advisors encouraging students to take PBL courses is also important.
When students are excited about learning through PBL, they put pressure on
departments to provide additional PBL opportunities, which helps sustain PBL.
Finally, publicity about a curricular or pedagogical innovation like PBL is
critical to keep faculty (and academic administrators) motivated. Faculty-staff
publications, department newsletters, local newspapers, and alumni magazines
all offer ways of getting the word out about an innovation. Teaching and
research awards should include opportunities for faculty who use the innova-
tion. Like anyone, faculty need to be recognized and rewarded for being will-
ing to explore new ways of doing their jobs, which in turn helps maintain the
innovation.

Documenting Outcomes
The great increase in the need to document the outcomes of curricular or ped-
agogical innovations for accreditation and other purposes means that the
appropriate data need to be collected to show the effectiveness of the inno-
vation. Such documentation includes measurement of student learning, stu-
dents critical thinking, pass rates on licensure examinations, course evalua-
tions, and faculty self-evaluation of teaching. Many examples of outcome
measures are discussed throughout this book (Part Three) (see also Mierson
& Parikh, 2000).
36 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Summary and Conclusions

In summary, academic administrators have an important role to play in creat-
ing and sustaining curricular or pedagogical innovations such as PBL. Most
important, they need to work with the faculty in developing the right balance
between top-down and bottom-up approaches to innovation, to create appro-
priate incentive systems that recognize different needs among the faculty, to
monitor the cost-benefit trade-off of an innovation and to define both costs
and benefits in appropriate ways, to ensure that the necessary elements are in
place to sustain the innovation, and to collect the appropriate data that pro-
vides measures of the innovations effectiveness.
The ideal situation is one in which senior academic administrators act as
facilitators for the faculty during a curricular or pedagogical innovation.
Administrative support is essential, but ideally it should be done in such a way
that the focus remains on the faculty. In this way, a true partnership can be cre-
ated that fosters and sustains each group. If that happens, then the stage is set
for successful innovations that can transform the teaching-learning experience.

Author Biography
John C. Cavanaugh is the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He previ-
ously held the office of Vice Provost for Academic Programs and
Planning at the University of Delaware.

References
Ewell, P. T. (1997). Organizing for learning. AAHE Bulletin, 50 (1), 36.
Mierson, S., & Parikh, A. A. (2000). Stories from the field: Problem-based
learning from a teachers and a students perspective. Change, 32 (1),
2127.
Seldin, P. (1998). How colleges evaluate teaching: 1988 vs. 1998. AAHE Bul-
letin, 50 (7), 37.
Shulman, L. S. (1999). Taking learning seriously. Change, 31 (4), 1017.
 PART TWO

PLANNING FOR EFFECTIVE

PROBLEM-BASED
INSTRUCTION
Part Two deals with broad topics of general interest to faculty who are con-
templating a change to problem-based instruction. These include discussions
of different models for PBL classes, the process of writing problems, ways to
use groups effectively, issues to consider in getting started in PBL, the utility of
peer tutors, assessment strategies, and ways to incorporate technology in a
PBL course.
 4
MODELS FOR PROBLEM-
BASED INSTRUCTION
IN UNDERGRADUATE
COURSES
Barbara J. Duch

Chapter Summary
Problem-based learning is a teaching technique used in many medical
schools to facilitate learning basic science concepts in the context of
clinical cases. This model is not generally applicable to many typical
undergraduate courses for a variety of reasons, including class size.
This chapter discusses several instructional models used in medium to
large classes.

Introduction
In the early 1990s when I first became aware of problem-based learning (PBL)
in the medical school setting, I was immediately interested in it because I
believed that the process of learning in PBL most closely mimics how we ques-
tion and learn in our professional lives. I was also aware, however, that what
worked in a medical school setting might not transfer well into a typical
undergraduate setting for a variety of reasons, including intellectual maturity
and motivation level of the students. I found that in order to incorporate PBL
in undergraduate courses, it was necessary to develop models of instruction

39
40 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

that allow one faculty member to teach large numbers of typical undergradu-
ate students. There are a variety of instructional decisions that need to be
made based on several factors, including size of class, intellectual maturity of
students, course objectives, preference of instructor, and availability of under-
graduate peer tutors or graduate teaching assistants.

Instructional Models
When the early PBL reformers at the University of Delaware started to
develop their first problem-based courses, each instructor made his or her own
decisions on the best way to use problem-based instruction for their students.
At the same time, those faculty members were talking to one another, sharing
what was working in their course, what wasnt working, and brainstorming
ideas for overcoming some of the problems they encountered in adopting
problem-based techniques in their typical undergraduate classes. Out of those
discussions and early adoptions, several models of problem-based instruction
were identified and have been used by increasing numbers of faculty who
teach undergraduates in a variety of undergraduate institutions.

Medical School Model

Problem-based learning is a teaching technique used in many medical schools
to facilitate learning basic science concepts in the context of clinical cases
(Boud & Feletti, 1997). In many cases, students are assigned to groups of eight
to ten, and each group is assigned a faculty member who plays the role of tutor
or discussion leader as the students work through a case or problem. This
model is very student-centered, with little or no formal class time. Instead,
groups schedule time that they will meet to discuss the materials. Since typical
undergraduate classes are larger, most instructors would be unable to use the
classic medical school model, except in smaller, senior-level seminar-type
classes.
Some faculty have used graduate students, recruited outside professional
experts, or invited other faculty into their course to serve as additional tutors
in their course in order to mimic the medical school model as closely as possi-
ble. Others have recruited undergraduate students to serve as peer tutors (see
Chapter 8 for more detail).

Floating Facilitator Model

A variety of instructional strategies can be used to facilitate the learning of
multiple groups of students in larger size classes. When it is not possible to
 M O D E L S F O R P R O B L E M - B A S E D I N S T R U C T I O N I N U N D E R G R A D U AT E C O U R S E S 41

have a dedicated faculty tutor lead discussion, answer questions, and ensure
equal participation from all students, it is best to limit the size of each group
to four, at most five students. Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1991) recommend
that students be assigned to groups of four in order to improve student
accountability and assure that each student gets his or her own talk time. It
is also easier to plan group activities that require the effort of four students
rather than a larger group.
In this model, only a portion of class time will be devoted to individual
group discussion, while the instructor as the floating facilitator moves from
group to group asking questions and probing for student understanding.
Other periods of time will be spent having each group report to the whole class
on the results of individual discussions. Minilectures and whole class discus-
sions will also play a role in this model, as well as other activities, such as
debates and presentation of project results or problem solutions. Using a vari-
ety of learning activities has the advantage of appealing to the diverse learning
styles of the students in the course.
The following is an example of activities in a typical class the day after the
first stage of a problem has been introduced and the students have had an
opportunity to do research on their initial learning issues:

Introduce the schedule for the day.

Students within their groups discuss the findings of their research
on learning issues that were previously identified for the first
1520 minutes. Groups then rank, in order of importance, the
learning issues from the previous class and add new learning issues
that have emerged from group discussions. Students use this time to
teach each other what they have learned so far about the concepts
targeted in the problem. During this time, the instructor moves from
group to group asking questions, directing discussion, and checking
for understanding. It is important not to get stopped by one group for
too long. All groups want to feel that they have access to the teacher
during the individual group time. One common student complaint
will be, We were stuck and wasted class time waiting 15 minutes to
get help. If all groups seem to be stuck on the same issue, it is best
to suspend group discussion while the instructor clarifies the topics
through a minilecture or whole-class discussion.
Each group reports to the whole class on what their top-ranked
learning issues are and what they have learned so far through their
research. This reporting out procedure is helpful to the instructor, as
42 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

well as to each of the groups. When listening to other groups learning

issues and findings, each group will be getting feedback on their own
choices and research. If most groups top-ranked learning issue was at
the bottom of another groups list, those students will have an
opportunity to rethink how they have approached the problem before
going further. If the groups are split, the instructor has an excellent
opportunity to initiate a discussion on the rationale used by various
groups and perhaps redirect some students who were missing the big
ideas and important concepts in the problem. This is also a good time
for the faculty member to recommend helpful learning resources for
students if they dont appear to have found them.
Once a list of the groups learning issues has been generated, and there
has been a discussion about the research done on those questions, the
instructor may want to conduct a class discussion or plan a minilecture
to focus on the questions that are outstanding with most groups. One
may choose to reflect on the major learning objectives addressed by the
problem, particularly if the students seem confused or lack direction. At
the same time, PBL practitioners will highlight important learning
issues students have not identified and direct students to other materials
and resources they have missed in their research.
After some whole-class activities, the instructor can cycle back to
individual group work, asking students to reevaluate their list of
learning issues after hearing the responses from other groups and
instructions from the teacher. They also may identify new questions
that may have been generated by the class discussion or minilecture.
While students are discussing issues in their group, one can circulate
among them listening to group discussion and questions.

Before introducing the second stage, the faculty member may want to sum-
marize the first stage of the problem, soliciting remarks from each student
group in terms of answers to questions and resolution of important learning
issues. The cycles between group discussion and whole-class activities will help
the instructor keep informed of what and how the groups are doing and will
also be a mechanism for timing the progress of all of the groups, ensuring that
a few groups dont get too far ahead or behind.

Peer Tutor Model

Undergraduate peer or near-peer tutors can be utilized to extend the ability to
check the functioning of individual groups and assure that the group discussions
 M O D E L S F O R P R O B L E M - B A S E D I N S T R U C T I O N I N U N D E R G R A D U AT E C O U R S E S 43

probe for deeper levels of understanding. Peer tutors can help incorporate an
instructional model that is closer to problem-based instruction in medical
schools. Peer tutors are especially effective in the following ways:

They help smooth the group and problem-solving process,

accentuating the positive aspects of group learning and minimizing
the negative ones.
They serve as a role model in the PBL process for inexperienced
students, facilitating student response and participation from everyone
in the group. Peer tutors who were previous students in the course
can reassure and support students, particularly freshmen, when they
feel challenged.
Peer tutors check the content of the discussion, looking for conceptual
understanding.
They also make decisions about when to answer student questions
and when to throw questions back to the students.
Tutors serve as the instructors window into their groups, informing
him or her of what is working well and what is not. Feedback from
peer tutors is very informative to the instructor.

Just as in the medical school model, peer tutors can serve the role of group
facilitator to a larger group (six to eight students) since they will be in a posi-
tion of monitoring the group function on a regular basis. In large classes where
there are not enough tutors for each group, they can serve in a rotating or
floating facilitator role with two or three groups of four students. This role
is more difficult for peer tutors (as it is for faculty). If this model is used, it may
be desirable to script appropriate probing questions and dialogue for the peer
tutors to use as they move from group to group. This strategy, although some-
what structured, ensures that each group is effectively guided toward achiev-
ing the course instructional goals. More details about peer tutors and how to
prepare undergraduates to be successful group facilitators are found in Chap-
ter 8 of this book.

Large Class Models

Problem-based instruction can be implemented in large courses, although the
structure of the class will need to be more teacher-centered than in the previ-
ous models. Undergraduate peer tutors or graduate assistants can be used in
this model as floating facilitators to provide support that will assist in group
44 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

discussions and classroom management. When implementing PBL in large

courses, teachers need to design additional structure into group activities dur-
ing class time. The instructors role will be similar to that of the discussion
leadersasking students to do the following:

Discuss instructor-generated questions.

Rank learning issues.
Report results.
Share resources.
Ask probing questions.

A PBL instructor will want to plan to use many teaching strategies that will
challenge students to develop critical thinking skills and communication skills
and still support them in a way that allows them to accept the challenges of
learning from themselves and their peers. When planning a PBL class, recog-
nize that it will be important to cycle through many instructional activities
that will include minilectures, whole-class discussion, and small group discus-
sion. The daily routine may be somewhat like the one mentioned under the
floating facilitator model, but the faculty member will need to limit the time
that groups spend in individual group discussion. Rather than plan for a
twenty-minute period of group discussion, it will be more successful to break
the group discussion time into two ten-minute periods with whole class dis-
cussion or a minilecture in between. More details about teaching large classes
using PBL can be found in Chapter 14.

Conclusion
Incorporating PBL into typical undergraduate courses, particularly at research
universities, is a challenge that is worth meeting in order to help undergradu-
ate students develop the lifelong learning skills that will help them succeed in
college and beyond. Many models for successfully using PBL in medium- to
large-size classes have been discussed in this chapter, and more details of these
models are discussed in Part Three of this book. Each faculty member intent
on using problem-based instruction will make many decisions based on the
size of their class, the intellectual maturity of their students, the type of course
(survey course, introductory, majors upper level), and the availability of grad-
uate or undergraduate peer tutors.
 M O D E L S F O R P R O B L E M - B A S E D I N S T R U C T I O N I N U N D E R G R A D U AT E C O U R S E S 45

Author Biography
Barbara J. Duch is Associate Director of the Mathematics & Science
Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware.

References
Boud, D. & Feletti, G. (Eds.). (1997). The challenge of problem-based learn-
ing (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1991). Cooperative learn-
ing: Increasing college faculty instructional productivity. ASHE-ERIC
Higher Education Report No. 4. Washington, DC: George Washington
University.
 5
WRITING PROBLEMS FOR
DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
Barbara J. Duch

Chapter Summary
One of the keys to success in implementing problem-based learning in
undergraduate courses is the type of problem you use. This chapter
will discuss ways to find or write PBL problems if there are no sources
of them in print.

Introduction
A common complaint heard from college faculty is that their students seem to
lack the ability or motivation to go beyond factual material to a deeper under-
standing of course material. The reasons for superficial rather than deep
understanding on the part of students are many, including how we test, what
expectations we set, and what learning materials we use when we teach. This
chapter will focus on using new materials and problems in a problem-based
environment to help students achieve in-depth knowledge of the concepts cen-
tral to their understanding course material.
Standard college textbook problems in science and other disciplines tend
to reinforce the students naive view of learning because they can successfully
answer homework end-of-chapter problems through memorization of facts
and equations and using novice pattern-match problem-solving techniques.
Typical problems do not foster the development of effective problem-solving

47
48 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

and analytical skills (Heller & Hollabaugh, 1992) nor do they challenge stu-
dents to develop critical thinking skills and logical reasoning (Mazur, 1996).
In a successful PBL course, the selection of appropriate problems and material
is crucial for students to go beyond a superficial understanding of the impor-
tant concepts and principles being taught.

Characteristic of Good PBL Problems

There may be more characteristics of good PBL problems than those in the fol-
lowing list, and those characteristics may vary somewhat according to the dis-
cipline. However, many practitioners of problem-based instruction will proba-
bly identify the following as important characteristics of a good PBL problem:

1. An effective problem must first engage students interest and

motivate them to probe for deeper understanding of the concepts
being introduced. It should relate the subject matter to the real
world as much as possible. If the problem is placed in a context in
which the students are familiar, they will feel that they have a stake
in solving the problem.
2. Problems that work well sometimes require students to make
decisions or judgments based on facts, information, logic and/or
rationalization. In this kind of problem, students will be asked to
justify their decisions and reasoning based on the principles being
learned. Problems may require students to decide what assumptions
are needed (and why), what information is relevant, and/or what
steps or procedures are required in order to solve the problem. Not
all the information given in the problem needs to be relevant to a
solution, as is the case in messy real-world situations, and not all
the information needed for a solution will be given to the student
right away. For this reason, many PBL problems are designed with
multiple stages, to be given to student groups one at a time, as they
work through the problem. The second stage of the problem may
give additional information to students related to issues raised in the
first stage of the problem.
3. The problem should be complex enough that cooperation from all
members of the student group will be necessary in order for them to
effectively work toward a solution. The length and complexity of the
problem or case must be such that students soon realize that a
divide and conquer effort will not be an effective problem-solving
 W R I T I N G P R O B L E M S F O R D E E P E R U N D E R S TA N D I N G 49

strategy. It may be necessary and, in fact desirable for groups to

assign different learning issues to individuals to research. The power
of problem-based learning, however, lies in the ability of the group
to synthesize what they have learned and connect that new
knowledge to the framework of understanding that they are
building, based on the concepts in the course. This requires
cooperative learning and group discussion as opposed to individual
compartmentalized learning. For example, a problem that consists of
a series of straightforward end of chapter questions will be
divided by the group and assigned to individuals and then
reassembled for the assignment submission. In this case, students
end up learning less not more.
4. The initial questions in the first stage of a problem should be open-
ended, based on previously learned knowledge, and/or be
controversial so that all students in the groups are initially drawn
into a discussion of the topic. This strategy keeps the students
functioning as a group, rather than encouraging them to work
individually at the outset of the problem. Again, the initial
discussions will help students remember what they already know
and help them build connections to previously learned concepts and
material.
5. The content objectives of the course should be incorporated into the
problems, connecting previous knowledge to new concepts, and
connecting new knowledge to concepts in other courses and/or
disciplines. Many faculty share the content objectives of the problem
with students after they finish the problem to ensure that all groups
researched each objective, and if not, they still have an opportunity
to do so. Instructors usually prefer to wait until students are through
so that they will not limit the scope of their investigations, but they
do want to give students the benefit of seeing the instructors
objectives as a check on their learning. PBL practitioners may also
choose to share the broader objectives of the problem at the
beginning of the problem to focus students before they identify
learning issues. The problems questions should challenge students to
develop higher-order thinking skills, moving them beyond Blooms
(1956) lower cognitive levels of knowledge and comprehension to
the higher Bloom levels, where they analyze, synthesize, and evaluate
(Table 5.1). These are the skills that are so important for our
students to develop in order to succeed in any profession.
50 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 5.1 Blooms Cognitive Levels

Cognitive Level Student Activity
Knowledge Remembering facts, terms, concepts, and definitions
Comprehension Explaining and interpreting the meaning of material
Application Using a concept or principle to solve a new problem
Analysis Breaking material down into its parts to see
interrelationships
Synthesis Producing something new from component parts
Evaluation Making a judgment based on criteria

Suggestions for Writing PBL Problems

Finding good PBL problems is a challenge in most disciplines. They generally are
not found in traditional texts, so the search for material for a problem-based
course takes a certain amount of creativity. Some faculty use video clips, stories,
novels, articles from the popular press, and research papers as the basis of a
problem. Frequently, veteran PBL faculty may use a typical textbook problem
and rewrite it as an open-ended, real-world problem. The process of developing
a multistage PBL problem may differ from one discipline to another, but gener-
ally, the following steps can help instructors write problems for any course:

Step 1. Choose a central idea, concept, or principle that is always taught in

a given course, and then think of a typical end-of-chapter problem, assign-
ment, or homework that is usually assigned to students to help them learn that
concept. List the learning objectives that students should meet when they work
through the problem.

For example: In an introductory physics course, I teach conservation

of momentum. In a typical textbook for this course, students would
be expected to solve simple collision problems (two objects colliding,
such as pool balls, a bullet and a stationary block of wood, two cars)
in which most or all of the necessary information is given. As stated
by Mazur (1996), with these typical problems students tend to
pattern-match and then plug and chug to find a solution.
My content objectives in a traditional course would include the
following:
1. Understand and be able to solve conservation of momentum
problems involving elastic and inelastic collisions.
2. Understand and be able to explain the role of force, motion, and
energy in elastic and inelastic collisions.
 W R I T I N G P R O B L E M S F O R D E E P E R U N D E R S TA N D I N G 51

Step 2. Think of a real-world context for the concept under consideration.

Develop a storytelling aspect to an end-of-chapter problem, or research an actual
case that can be adapted, adding some motivation for students to solve the prob-
lem. A complex, ill-structured problem will challenge students to go beyond sim-
ple plug-and-chug to solve it. Look at magazines, newspapers, and articles for
ideas on the story line. Some PBL practitioners talk to professionals in the field,
searching for ideas of realistic applications of the concept being taught.

For example: I decided to use an automobile accident scenario as the

context for my problem. My new objectives would be expanded to
include the following. Students should be able to do the following:
1. Use understanding of the principles of forces, motion, momen-
tum, and energy to design a plan to reconstruct a car accident.
2. Explain how frictional forces related to varying surfaces affect
the motion of an object.
3. Calculate the velocities of two vehicles before and after impact
using physics principles, such as forces, motion, mechanical
energy, and conservation of momentum.
4. Evaluate real-world data related to a car accident in order to
make a judgment about the drivers fault.
5. Find and use appropriate learning resources to aid in recon-
structing the accident.
6. Explain how safety devices, such as seat belts, airbags, and crum-
ple zones work in terms of force, motion, momentum, and energy.

Generally, the learning objectives for students in a problem-based course

include objectives beyond the content objectives found in a traditional course.
Problem-based learning objectives may be more complex and involve process
skills objectives, such as number 5 in the previous list. Chapter 9 of this book
describes the importance of learning objectives in more detail.

Step 3. The problem needs to be introduced and staged so that students

will be able to identify learning issues that will lead them to research the tar-
geted concepts. Some questions that may help guide this process follow:

What will the first page (or stage) look like? What open-ended
questions can be asked? What learning issues should be identified?
How will the problem be structured?
How long will the problem be? How many class periods will it take
to complete?
52 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Will students be given information in subsequent pages (or stages) as

they work through the problem?
What resources will students need?
What end product will students produce at the completion of the
problem?

Many times, PBL problems are designed as multistage or multipage and may
take student groups a week or more to complete. Not all the information
needed to solve the problem is given in the problem, or chapter, or perhaps
even in the textbook. Students will need to do some research, discover new
material, and arrive at judgments and decisions based on the information
learned. The problem may have more than one acceptable answer, based on
the assumptions students make.

For example: The problem I wrote about a car crash (A Day in the
Life of John Henry is at the end of this chapter) begins by asking
students to decide what questions a police officer needs to be able to
answer in order to decide who is at fault in an accident. What mea-
surements and data need to be gathered? What physics principles will
be needed to analyze the crash scene? These questions are designed to
encourage students to talk about what they already know about car
crashes and what they have already learned about the physics
involved.
The four-page problem takes students a week to work through, as
they research and learn about momentum, accident reconstruction,
safety devices, and then they apply that knowledge to make assump-
tions and judgments about the cause of the accident.

Step 4. Write a teacher guide detailing the instructional plans on using the
problem in the course. If the course is a medium- to large-size class, a combi-
nation of minilectures, whole-class discussion, and small group work with
groups regularly reporting may be necessary (see Chapter 4). The teacher
guide can indicate plans or options of cycling through the pages of the prob-
lem interspersing the various modes of learning.

As students worked on the John Henry problem, they spent time in

their individual groups discussing answers to questions posed in the
problem, sharing information they learned in individual research, and
arriving at conclusions based on their assumptions and calculations.
The student group time was interspersed with whole-class discussion,
allowing time for individual groups to share with other groups their
 W R I T I N G P R O B L E M S F O R D E E P E R U N D E R S TA N D I N G 53

findings, conclusions, and questions. I also intervened with minilec-

tures to clarify issues or demonstrate specific models for analyzing cer-
tain aspects of the problem. They also had the opportunity to develop
hands-on experience in a laboratory setting. The end product that
groups produced was a group written report of their solution to the
problem, justifying their position by citing physics principles involved.

Step 5. The final step is to identify resources for students. Students need to
learn to identify and utilize learning resources on their own, but it can be help-
ful if the instructor indicates a few good sources to get them started. Many stu-
dents today will want to limit their research to the Internet, so it will be impor-
tant to guide them toward the library as well.

Conclusion
Writing problem-based learning problems may be time consuming, challenging,
and sometimes frustrating. However, the process of thinking through the learn-
ing priorities of a course and finding, adapting, or writing complex, realistic
materials to meet those learning priorities will change how an instructor views
his or her course in the future. Any magazine or newspaper article, documen-
tary, news report, book or movie that is seen will become possible material for
new problems for a course. Faculty will gain a new appreciation for the con-
cepts and principles that they teach, and the connections that should be made
to concepts in other courses and disciplines. It is always revealing to grapple
with such questions as How is the knowledge of this concept used in the world
outside the classroom? or Why do my students need to know this? or How
will my students use this knowledge in future courses? I believe that writing
PBL problems can help faculty develop into more reflective teachers.

Author Biography
Barbara J. Duch is Associate Director of the Mathematics & Science
Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware.

References
Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classifi-
cation of educational goals. New York: Longman.
Heller, P., & Hollabaugh, M. (1992). Teaching problem-solving through coop-
erative grouping. Am. J. Phys., 60, pp. 637644.
Mazur, E. (1996). The problem with problems. Optics and photonics news, 7, 59.
 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 5
SAMPLE PBL PROBLEM: A DAY IN THE
LIFE OF JOHN HENRY, A TRAFFIC COP

Barbara Duch, 1993; Revised 1995.

Part 1
At 13:20 on the last Friday in September 1989, a frantic call was received at
the local police station. There had been a serious automobile accident at the
intersection of Main Street and State Street, with injuries involved. Lt. John
Henry arrived at the scene ten minutes after the phone call and found that
two cars had collided at the intersection. In one car, the driver was uncon-
scious, and in the other car, both driver and one passenger were injured.
After the emergency vehicles transported the injured to the hospital,
Lt. Henrys responsibility is to investigate the accident in order to determine
whether one of the drivers (or both) are responsible. With the severity of
injury in this accident, the investigation is critical because there may be a
fatality involved.

What questions does John Henry have to answer in this investigation?

What measurements does he need to take?
What data should he collect?
What other information does he need to record in order to aid the
investigation?

55
56 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Weather and Road Conditions:

Clear Dry Asphalt, 69 F

house house

stop
sign

22'

POI-A B
C
ref point unimproved
Dec 7'8" shoulder
house #20

12'2"
house

FIGURE 5.1. Police sketch of accident scene

What physics principles will John Henry need to use in order to help
analyze the data and answer his questions?
If two cars moving at right angles to each other collide, in what
direction do you expect the cars to be moving after the collision?
What factors will influence the direction and distance traveled after
impact?

Part 2
The sketch of the accident scene is shown in Figure 5.1. Main Street, a thor-
oughfare, has a 45 miles per hour speed limit. State Street also has a 45 miles
per hour limit but has a stop sign on either side of the road. Vehicle 2, which
weighs 5800 lbs, skidded for 24 feet before coming to a stop next to the util-
ity pole, marked Dec #20. Vehicle 1, which weighs 2060 lbs, showed no skid
marks after the impact and came to a rest next to the house on the corner.
Looking at the impact areas of the cars, it was clear to Lt. Henry that the cars
 W R I T I N G P R O B L E M S F O R D E E P E R U N D E R S TA N D I N G 57

collided at right angles, hitting the front right bumper of vehicle 2 and the
front left bumper of vehicle 1. After impact, they initially were traveling in the
same direction. Lt. Henry noted that the weather was clear and sunny, the tem-
perature was 69F and the roadway was dry.
Before John Henry got any further in his analysis, he was informed that the
driver who was unconscious at the scene of the accident died at the hospital.

Can you make an educated guess about which driver died based on
the evidence so far? Justify your answer.
Why would John Henry note the weather and the condition of the
road?
Why did vehicle 1 travel further than vehicle 2?

John Henry has to determine whether the driver of vehicle 2 ran the stop sign
and/or if the driver of vehicle 1 was speeding. Outline a procedure that Lt.
Henry can use to answer these important questions. Be sure that your reason-
ing is sound, since he will have to testify in court on the evidence.

Does John Henry have all the information he needs to determine the
velocities?

Lt. Henry used a drag sled to determine that the coefficient of friction between
the tires and road was 0.60. He cannot use the drag sled to determine the coef-
ficient of friction between the tires of vehicle 1 as they roll over the roadway
and grass.

Does he need this information?

What procedure can he use to find out this information?

Part 3
Using your outlined procedures, find the velocities of the two vehicles just
prior to impact, and estimate the coefficient of friction between the rolling
tires of vehicle 1 and the roadway and grass. Be sure to state any assumptions
that you make and justify them.

During the collision, which vehicle delivered the greater force of

impact. Justify your reasoning using physics principles.
How can Lt. Henry determine the speeds of both vehicles just before
they applied their brakes? What further information will he need?
58 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Part 4
Lt. Henry measured the skid marks made by both vehicles prior to impact. The
skid marks for vehicle 1 were 20 feet in length and for vehicle 2 were 7 feet in
length.

How fast were both cars going just prior to hitting their brakes?
Which driver do you recommend John Henry cite in the accident?
Justify your answer, since Lt. Henry will need to make an airtight case
in court.

Resources for Students

Brake, Mary L., (1981). Physics in accident investigations. The Physics
Teacher, 19, 2629.
Calkin, M. G., (1990). The motion of an accelerating automobile. American
Journal of Physics, 58, 573589.
Fountain, C. R., (1942). The physics of automobile driving, American Jour-
nal of Physics, 10, 322327.
Smith, Richard C., General physics and the automobile tire. American Journal
of Physics, 46, 858859 (1978).
Whitmire, Daniel P. & Alleman Timothy J., (1979). Effect of weight transfer
on a vehicles stopping distance. American Journal of Physics 47, 8992.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/escape/resourcescar.html
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
http://www.hwysafety.org/
http://c-design.com/c-design/accrec.html
 6
STRATEGIES FOR
USING GROUPS
Deborah E. Allen, Barbara J. Duch,
and Susan E. Groh

Chapter Summary
In problem-based learning, students are asked to work together to
analyze and resolve problems, and to communicate, evaluate, and
integrate information from diverse sources. Effective performance of
these group learning tasks requires the development of new skills on
the part of both the student and instructor. This chapter discusses
strategies an instructor can use to maintain functional groups in the
classroomgroups in which all members work effectively to enhance
their own and each others learning.

Introduction
A team of students had four members called Everybody, Somebody,
Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done.
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have
done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it
was Everybodys job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but
Nobody realised that Everybody wouldnt do it. It ended up that
Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody
could have done. (Gibbs, 1995)

59
60 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Collaborative learning is an essential feature of problem-based learning (PBL).

Working in PBL groups toward common goals can benefit students by lessen-
ing their sense of isolation (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997) and thereby fostering
the development of learning communities (MacGregor, 1987). Courses that
incorporate small-group learning can have a positive effect on students aca-
demic achievement, persistence through courses and programs, and attitudes
toward learning when compared to their more traditionally taught counter-
parts (Bonwell & Eison 1991; Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991, 1998;
Springer, Stanne, & Donovan, 1999). Frequent exposure of students to col-
laborative and cooperative learning reinforces the collaborative nature of
scholarship and inquiry (American Association for the Advancement of Sci-
ence, 1989). It introduces a new social structure to the classroomone of
negotiated relationships between students, and between student groups and
the instructor, helping students to become articulate, autonomous, and socially
mature (Michaelson & Black, 1994).
Conversely, classroom experiences with collaborative and cooperative
grouping can leave students feeling (to varying degrees) cheated by group
members who have not pulled their weight, held back by slower students, dis-
counted by more assertive group members, or shortchanged by the course
instructor because they have had to teach themselves. As Felder and Brent
point out (1996), although student-centered instruction can yield tangible ben-
efits, they are neither immediate nor automatic. There are many ways that
groups can fail (Feichtner & Davis, 1985).
For that reason, activities that promote a good atmosphere for collabora-
tive learning are never a waste of classroom time. They can lead to more pro-
ductive learning and reduce the time that both students and instructor might
otherwise spend diagnosing and mediating the sources of group conflict. This
chapter will focus on practical strategies (accessible to any instructor) for pro-
moting the development of student groups that act cohesively, yet display a
high degree of individual accountability for the work required.

Getting Started with Groups

Most instructors using a student-centered method, such as problem-based learn-
ing, recommend that group work be started early in the coursepreferably the
first day of class. If the enrollment of the course is not stable at this point, these
earliest groups need not be the permanent ones in which students will work
later on. On the first day of class, a common strategy is for the instructor to
explain why he or she thinks using groups is a good strategy, then ask students
to report on past experiences they have had working in teams. Student accounts
 S T R AT E G I E S F O R U S I N G G R O U P S 61

of negative experiences can prompt opportunities to reassure the class with a

point-by-point description of the mechanisms in place to help prevent negative
experiences in the present course.
The first day of class is also a good occasion to conduct what will be the
first of many activities that promote positive group interactions. Examples of
these first-day activities include the following:

1. Writing a group biography (including such items as hometowns,

career goals, and favorite courses)
2. Taking a short pretest on course content given first to individuals,
then to groups. Students will no doubt find that the group score
is better than any individual score within the group. (This can
also serve double-duty as a preassessment mechanism for
uncovering students misconceptions about the upcoming course
material.)
3. Completing a learning style survey such as the Kolb Learning Style
Inventory (1985). The results can be used for group discussion of
the effect that the individual preferred learning styles might have on
group function.
4. Engaging in mental games that require the skillful use of teamwork
to complete or that make a point about the distinction between
student- and instructor-centered learning environments, such as
Stand and Deliver, described in Chapter 7.

Forming Groups
Creation of heterogeneous groups can expose students to new ideas and dis-
tribute assets and liabilities evenly (Michaelson & Black, 1994). Heteroge-
neous groups can either be selected intentionally or randomly (by counting off
on the course roster or by having students count off in class, for example).
Information for intentional selection of attributes to be balanced across groups
can be based on student records (major, year in school), or on information
provided by students (existence of special skills, desired grade in the course,
course and work schedules on- or off-campus residence, etc.). Collaborative
learning can be a particular success story for minority students (Fullilove &
Treisman, 1990; George, 1994). Felder et al. (1995), however, recommend
that minority students (ethnic minorities or women in traditionally male dis-
ciplines) not be isolated in groups, in order to reduce the possibility of the dis-
counting or devaluing of their ideas.
62 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Monitoring Groups
Instructors Role
In the early model of PBL, each faculty tutor guided a single student group.
Although the role of the well-functioning classic PBL tutor is far from easy, the
one-on-one nature of his or her interaction with a group allows for spontaneous
and informal interventions that continually fine-tune the reasoning process,
assure evenness of participation, keep the group moving forward in the prob-
lem, promote good interpersonal relationships, and help the group learn how to
direct its own learning. In all but the smallest of undergraduate classes, the
instructor must resort to other strategies, often more structured and formal, to
help optimize the functioning of the multiple-classroom groups. These strategies
include (1) having well-defined group activities, (2) using PBL problems that
allow for instructor interventions at key points (in a large class, for example, at
roughly 1015 minute intervals) to bring the class together for discussion and/or
clarification, and (3) walking around the classroom as groups work to look for
and help remedy obvious signs of group dysfunction. These signs include con-
versations that are off task; students who dont take part in the discussion or
conversely, dominate it; and physical behaviors, such as reading while others are
talking, or sitting back and slightly apart from other group members.

Peer Group Facilitators

An excellent way for a PBL instructor to extend his or her observational and
group guidance range is to invite undergraduates who have taken the course
to return and serve as peer group facilitators. Strategies for recruiting, prepar-
ing, and supporting the efforts of these peer group facilitators are discussed in
Chapter 8.

Ground Rules
Another way to encourage students to take ownership of their effective per-
formance as a group is to ask them to establish and enforce group ground rules
in the first week or two of class, before negative behaviors have a chance to
take root. This set of standards and expectations, written after groups have
discussed the behaviors that they will not tolerate, helps to establish norms for
group behavior. Many instructors, particularly in courses taken by students
who are new to collaborative learning, provide examples of rules of the
road that are minimally essential for good group function: (1) come to class
on time, (2) come to class prepared, (3) notify members of the group ahead of
time if class must be missed for any reason, and (4) respect the views, values,
 S T R AT E G I E S F O R U S I N G G R O U P S 63

and ideas of other members of the group. Some instructors mandate that these
essential behaviors be included in the ground rules, allowing student groups to
draft additional codes of behavior they feel are necessary.
As in the world outside the classroom, rules tend to be broken or ignored
if they have no teeth. For this reason, in many PBL courses, ground rules are
not considered complete unless there are stated consequences for violators.
Some examples of consequences that student groups have drafted are to have
the instructor lower the violators grade (to zero if appropriate) for assign-
ments to which he or she didnt contribute, or to give extra assignments or
share of responsibilities to make up for missed work. Students seldom suggest
permanent or even temporary shunning of a group member, despite being
informed by the instructor that this is conceivable and would be upheld. Some
instructors perceive that their students seldom resort to imposing their own
penalties for ground rule violation, and instead distribute a description of rec-
ommended steps to take when disturbed by another group members behavior
(see Conflict Resolution). In most courses, groups are asked to sign two
copies of their ground rules and consequences, give one copy to the instructor,
and keep one in a group notebook.

Group Roles
When each student feels individually accountable for his or her own perfor-
mance, free riders are discouraged and contributors to the group effort are
rewarded. One way to promote individual accountability and lower barriers
to participation is to ask students to take on roles of responsibility in their
groups. Common strategies include formulating a role for each student in the
group and asking students to rotate the roles among group members every
week or after every problem or assignment. This discourages students from
sticking to roles that come to them easily and gives them additional experience
in those that they find more challenging.
Commonly assigned roles of responsibility include the following:

Discussion Leader. Keeps the group on track; maintains full

participation.
Recorder. Records assignments, strategies, unresolved issues, data;
convenes group outside of class.
Reporter. Reports during whole-class discussion; writes final draft of
assignments.
Accuracy Coach. Checks group understanding; finds resources.
64 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Some practitioners of collaborative teaching and learning strategies

depend on assignments, practices, and their grading systems to foster the
development of group cohesion (Michaelson, 19971998), rather than rotat-
ing roles.

Evaluation
Allowing classroom opportunities for students to provide constructive verbal
and written feedback to individuals and their groups is another strategy for
reinforcing positive group behaviors and maximizing individual accountabil-
ity. Verbal group feedback sessions work best if scheduled at the end of each
problem (at least two to three times a semester) or whenever a group is not
functioning well. Feedback sessions typically begin with each individual in the
group stating what the group did well since the last session and how he or she
thinks the group needs to change or improve to function better. Sessions
should ideally end with each group setting goals that will help remedy any per-
ceived problems. For example, if a group tends to drift into talk about per-
sonal issues, it may decide to monitor the accuracy coach and discussion
leader roles more closely in the future to help keep the discussions on task.
After the overall functioning of the group has been discussed, many
instructors ask students to rate their individual contributions to the group
effort using written evaluation forms (see Allen & Duch, 1998 and Chapter 11
for examples of these forms). Typically, the instructor predetermines the rat-
ings criteria on these forms. Each student fills out the form in a confidential
manner, rating the effort of the other members of the group as well as him- or
herself on a scale of one to five and writing a few sentences of specific com-
ments for each individual student. Instructors then compile the average ratings
and summarize all comments to be given to each student, ensuring that stu-
dents can be candid in their comments. The results of the ratings should be fac-
tored into each students grade.
This feedback is not only an important reality check for students, but is
invaluable in helping the instructor detect the signs of a malfunctioning group.
When evidence that group members are not contributing well presents itself in
these forms, early intervention is possible. Before the first feedback session of
the course, it helps to review for the class the basic guidelines for giving good
feedback (Gibbs, 1995). That is, good feedback is specific, focuses on behav-
iors and actions rather than personality or similar personal attributes,
describes rather than criticizes or demeans, is presented as perceptions or feel-
ings rather than as absolutes, and focuses on behavior that can be controlled
or changed.
 S T R AT E G I E S F O R U S I N G G R O U P S 65

Finally, larger group projects, assignments, and products may also require
feedback about the extent and nature of each group members participation to
ensure individual accountability and discourage free riders.

Group Activities
Jigsaw Grouping
In a PBL course, students gradually become accustomed to discussing learn-
ing issues within their group, doing research, and teaching each other in order
to work through a problem. For some problems, use of a jigsaw group scheme
can be an effective way to encourage students to research one point of view
or learning issue in depth with others before sharing that information with his
or her permanent (base, or home) group (Slavin, 1995). In a jigsaw group
scheme operating in a PBL context, students begin a problem in their perma-
nent group and are then assigned a new group (the jigsaw or expert group) in
which to work with others who are also gathering evidence to support a par-
ticular viewpoint or researching the same learning issues. Each individual in
the permanent, home group chooses a distinct point of view for which he or
she will become an advocate. All students now form the new (jigsaw) groups
that are specific to their point of view. In a jigsaw group, discussion focuses
on issues that will influence that groups position on the problem. Each mem-
ber of the jigsaw group is assigned learning issues to research, then shares
information and constructs evidence to support the groups viewpoint. Stu-
dents then return to their base to advocate for their jigsaw groups position.
Typically, the base groups must then reach consensus on a position with
regard to a dilemma or proposal linked to the original problem and list the
reasons for the group decision. Whole-class discussion or debate can then fol-
low, with all groups (ideally) fully prepared to provide substantive evidence
for their consensus opinion.

Assignments
In a problem-based learning course, the instructor may plan to have groups work
through a series of problems, design and implement a project related to a prob-
lem or specific concepts in the course, develop a concept map (Allen & Duch,
1998), research and develop a problem of their own, complete a homework
assignment, or a variety of additional activities. A number of decisions need to be
made in planning such activities, including how to structure an assignment so
that all group members will be involved, whether individual students or the entire
group will be responsible for a written or presentation product, and whether the
66 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

product will be graded or not. Assignments requiring an out-of-class component,

such as library or web research, can be designed to allow division into parts; join-
ing these parts into a coherent whole, however, should require the resources of
the entire group working together. This presents a challenge for the instructor:
Students will quickly use a divide and conquer strategy if they perceive that the
individual parts can just be assembled for the final product with no group inter-
action. One strategy to increase group cohesiveness is to require members to
make a concrete decision based on the analysis of a complex issue. Students
quickly realize that the group effort is invaluable in this type of assignment, since
individual members input is such a valuable resource.
At the same time, it is essential to make provisions to ensure individual
accountability in group assignments. One suggestion used by many PBL prac-
titioners is to have students individually or collectively distribute the total
points for the assignment among themselves in proportion to the effort each
one put into it. Another is to call randomly on individual team members to
present sections of project reports or critical solutions to problems, with every-
one in the group getting a grade based on the selected students response (Felder
& Brent, 1995). Similarly, one might assign each student the responsibility of
writing his or her own solution to a problem after the group discussions; this,
however, can become burdensome to the instructor if the class is large.

Resolving Conflicts
Group ground rules, roles of responsibilities, documenting the activities of the
group and individuals within the group, and peer pressure within the group all
provide ways to help group members avoid conflict. The instructor should
communicate clearly to the class that each student is responsible for monitor-
ing the functioning within his or her group, as well as the academic standards
of the discussions, assignments, and research reported. If students are in a
group with another person who resists working as hard as the rest of the mem-
bers, then the group-monitoring methods stated previously will provide safe,
objective mechanisms through which the group can give the errant individual
truthful and direct feedback concerning his or her performance and the
groups expectations. The instructor should also make it clear to students that
she or he will assist them in dealing with group conflict, including direct inter-
vention if necessary. This intervention may take the form of a request that a
group rewrite their ground rules and consequences, or the suggestion that the
group conduct an extra feedback session, or a requirement for the group to
meet regularly with the instructor until the conflict is resolved. It is important
to remember that conflict is not entirely negative and that it is good training
for students to learn to resolve conflict and facilitate troubled groups.
 S T R AT E G I E S F O R U S I N G G R O U P S 67

Conclusions
For the many faculty members who did not experience group learning as stu-
dents, undertaking an instructional shift from traditional lecture (with its
emphasis on individual learning) to group-centered problem-based learning
may be rather intimidating; the same will certainly be true for many students.
It is important, therefore, to reassure both students and faculty that the bene-
fits of cooperative learning are well documented (see Johnson, Johnson, &
Smith, 1991 & 1998). By structuring a course with group ground rules, roles
of responsibility, and individual accountability, the PBL practitioner can
greatly curtail, if not eliminate entirely, the ability of slackers to benefit
from the hard work of others in the group. Knowing that their individual
efforts will be recognized and protected gives students the freedom to take full
advantage of the power of groups in developing knowledge with and for one
another.

Authors Biographies
Deborah E. Allen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bio-
logical Sciences at the University of Delaware and an affiliated faculty
member in the University Honors Program.
Barbara J. Duch is Associate Director of the University of
Delawares Mathematics & Science Education Resource Center.
Susan E. Groh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry and an affiliated faculty member of the
University Honors Program at the University of Delaware.

References
Allen, D. E., & Duch, B. J. (1998). Thinking toward solutions: Problem-based
learning activities for general biology. Philadelphia, PA: Harcourt Brace.
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1989). Science for
all Americans: Project 2061. New York: Oxford University Press,
p. 148.
Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in
the classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington,
DC: George Washington University.
Feichtner, S. B., & Davis, E. A. (1985). Why some groups fail: A survey of stu-
dents experiences with learning groups. The Organizational Behavior
Teaching Review, 9, 5873.
Felder, R. M., & Brent, R. (1996). Navigating the bumpy road to student-
centered instruction. College Teaching, 44, 4347.
68 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Felder, R. M., Felder, G. N., Mauney, M., Hamrin, Jr., C. E., & Dietz, E. J.
(1995). A longitudinal study of engineering student performance and
retention. III. Gender differences in student performance and attitudes.
J. Engr. Education, 84, 151174.
Fullilove, R. E., & Treisman, P. U. (1990). Mathematics achievement among
African American undergraduates at the University of California, Berke-
ley: An evaluation of the mathematics workshop program. J. Negro Edu-
cation, 593, 463478.
George, P. G. (1994). The effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies in
multicultural university classrooms. Journal of Excellence in College
Teaching, 51, 2130.
Gibbs, G. (1995). Learning in teams: A tutor guide. Oxford: Oxonian Rewley
Press.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1991). Cooperative learning:
Increasing college faculty instructional productivity. ASHE-ERIC Higher
Education Report No. 4. Washington, DC: George Washington University.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1998). Maximizing instruc-
tion through cooperative learning. ASEE PRISM, February, 2429.
Kolb, D. (1985). LSI: Self-scoring inventory and interpretation booklet.
Boston: McBer & Co.
MacGregor, J. (1987). Intellectual development of students in learning com-
munity programs, 19861987. Washington Center Occasional Paper
No. 1. Olympia, WA: Evergreen State College.
Michaelson, L. K. (19971998). Three keys to using learning groups effec-
tively. Teaching Excellence: Toward the Best in the Academy, 9 (5).
Michaelson, L. K., & Black, R. H. (1994). Building learning teams: The key
to harnessing the power of small groups in higher education. In S. Kadel
& J. Keener (Eds.) Collaborative learning: A sourcebook for higher edu-
cation Vol. 2. State College, PA: National Center for Teaching and Learn-
ing Assessment, pp. 6581.
Seymour, E. & Hewitt, N. (1997). Talking about leaving: Factors contributing
to high attrition rates among science, mathematics, and engineering
undergraduate majors. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Slavin, R. E. (1995). Cooperative learning. Boston, MA. Allyn & Bacon.
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. (1999). Effects of cooperative
learning on undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 69, 2152.
 7
GETTING STARTED IN
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
Harold B. White, III

Chapter Summary
The transition from traditional instruction to a problem-based
approach to learning requires many changes and, without proper
preparation, can frustrate the best intentions. Among the issues one
needs to address are preparing a syllabus that reflects revised learning
objectives, finding appropriate problems to address content, intro-
ducing students to group process and learning skills, and dealing with
the uncertainty of a different classroom strategy.

Introduction
It takes a certain amount of independence and determination to change the
way one teaches. It also takes time and involves risks. Where do instructors
acquire the commitment to get started with problem-based learning (PBL)?
Frequently, commitment grows out of the recurring frustration most instruc-
tors experience when they realize how little their students understand or
remember from a semester of charismatic lectures. If not ignored, that frus-
tration leads to reflection on what it means to teach and to learn.
Problem-based learning addresses these issues and offers an attractive alterna-
tive to traditional education by shifting the focus of education from what fac-
ulty teach to what students learn. Content remains important, but emphasis

69
70 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

shifts more to the process. For those used to lecturing, the trade-offs can intim-
idate, but the promise of greater student understanding sustains the effort.
Fundamentally, adopting PBL requires a transformation of the classroom role
of the instructor from a sage on the stage to a guide on the side (King,
1993). With that change in perspective comes the commitment to accept the
risks and take the time. However, commitment alone is insufficient. Advanced
planning is necessary to anticipate pitfalls encountered by blind enthusiasm
(McKeachie, 1986; White, 1996a).

Getting Started Ahead of Time

Mentoring
Getting started begins well before the semester begins. Sometimes the idea of
transforming a course to one with a PBL format incubates for several years.
The change in perspective requires getting used to. Finding others who have
experience helps this transition, because few instructors have themselves been
taught in a PBL classroom, and it is sometimes difficult to envision how a PBL
class operates or to anticipate all the situations one might encounter. Instruc-
tors who use PBL have traveled the same path and appreciate the problem. In
most cases, they welcome visitors to their classes. Those getting started should
take advantage of such opportunities and find a mentor. An occasional coffee
break or lunch with others using PBL can help deal with new situations. Most
concerns relate to process; thus, colleagues from diverse disciplines can con-
tribute constructively to each others effective teaching. The University of
Delaware PBL website (see electronic resources for PBL at the end of the list
of references for this chapter), and related PBL listserver also provide infor-
mation and a forum for discussion.

Decisions
While circumstances may limit choices, some ways of getting started are eas-
ier than others. Occasionally, one might start by creating an entirely new
course with a PBL format, but more often, instructors will transform one of
their existing lecture-based courses into one that uses PBL. Because existing
courses are already built into the curriculum, they have an established content
and clientele, and they constitute part of the regular workload. These factors
legitimatize the effort. Most faculty choose to make the transition gradually by
introducing a problem-based exercise every week or two at first. They also
tend to start with smaller classes and courses within a major. Once comfort-
able with PBL, instructors often transform other courses they teach.
 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D I N P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G 71

Course Goals and Learning Objectives

Once the decision to transform a course has been made, formulating a list of
instructional goals focused on student learning helps subsequent decisions.
Examples of such goals can be found elsewhere in this volume. Because PBL
addresses behavioral issues in addition to content issues, the course goals
probably will change the way a course is structured and conducted. For exam-
ple, oral and written communication skills or the ability to find and use new
resources often become explicit goals that may have been subordinated to con-
tent goals without a PBL format. The new priorities lead to new assignments
and restructured schedules.

Finding Problems
With the exception of a few disciplines, notably medicine and business, good
PBL problems usually do not appear in textbooks. As a consequence, an instruc-
tor needs to find problems, modify textbook problems, or write new problems
that address the course content goals and learning objectives. The learning issue
matrix (White, 1996b; White, Chapter 12 of this book) provides a strategy for
selecting a set of problems that covers the course content. While having to write
problems may be necessary and seem to be a significant barrier, most instructors
find writing problems an enjoyable scholarly activity (White, 1995; Duch, Chap-
ter 5 of this book). Furthermore, because of the need, there are outlets for pub-
lishing good problems. The PBL Clearinghouse and Case Studies in Science are
two web-based opportunities, while educational journals, such as Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology Education (see electronic resources for PBL at the end of
the list of references for the URLs to these three sites) or the Journal of College
Science Teaching will accept manuscripts describing PBL problems.

Using the Syllabus to Get Started

Because the syllabus defines a course, it needs to be completed before the first
class and should distinguish the new PBL format from the format of previous
offerings of the course. Its contents provide a framework for discussing the
issues in introducing PBL, while the course goals, noted previously, provide the
basis for making decisions relating to these issues. Altman and Cashin (1992)
identify the following seven major topics that should be in a syllabus: course
information; instructor information; text, readings, and materials; course
description and objectives; course calendar and schedule; course policies; and
available support services. These will be discussed in turn with respect to deci-
sions associated with getting started with PBL.
72 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Course Information
This includes basic syllabus material, such as course title, course number, pre-
requisites, credit hours, meeting time, and meeting place. Some of these items
will be influenced by a change to a PBL format. For instance, when and where
will the class meet? To provide longer time for discussion, it may be useful to
have two 75-minute classes per week rather than three 50-minute classes. It
may be worth considering nonstandard meeting times, such as 75 minutes on
Monday and Friday to distribute time for out-of-class research if this is possi-
ble at your institution. The classroom itself is quite important. A room with
tables where students can work comfortably in groups is preferable to a room
with fixed seating in a tiered auditorium. A room with lots of blackboard
space provides opportunities for effective communications within groups.

Instructor Information
As for every course, the syllabus should contain information about who the
instructor is and where, how, and when he or she may be contacted. Not only
is student communication with the instructor important in a PBL course, but
other lines of communication are important and can be established ahead of
time. E-mail newsgroups, chat rooms, and electronic class-mailing lists can be
used to facilitate student-student and intergroup communication, which can
be more important than in a typical class and may need to be structured ahead
of time.
Instructor information in a syllabus might include a statement of teaching
philosophy that relates to PBL. That information might also accompany a
friendly e-mail message to the class during the week before the semester starts.
Such a gesture can set a positive tone for the course and let the students know
something about the course as well. If the syllabus is on a course website, the
message can provide its URL. This also is a good time to get feedback from
students that might be helpful in assigning them to groups. If the course
involves teaching assistants or tutor-facilitators (Allen & White, 2000, and
Chapter 8 of this book), that information can be included with information
about the instructor.

Text, Readings, and Materials

Frequently, a PBL format changes the way instructors and students see and use
textbooks. A decision that an instructor needs to make is whether to have a
text, and if so, does a different text fit the PBL format better than texts used
previously. For an advanced course built around problems in which students
need to access multiple primary resources, a text may be unnecessary. For a
 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D I N P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G 73

course that uses a PBL format only part of the time to emphasize certain con-
cepts during class time, a textbook is an important reference and may be
selected for its encyclopedic character rather than its readability in independent
study. Decisions on a textbook may be driven on whether the significant learn-
ing issues are (or are not) covered and whether this fits with the course goals.
Depending on the course goals, an instructor may provide supplementary
readings in the library or eliminate them in courses where students need to find
resources for themselves. With increased use of the Internet and the enormous
variability in the quality of websites, some instructors choose to provide a list
of Internet sites that provide reliable information. In another approach, instruc-
tors direct students to websites that provide guidance in evaluating other web-
sites because students frequently equate an attractive layout with good infor-
mational quality. If one plans to make greater use of library and Internet
resources, the availability to students also must be considered. Not all students
have computers, and commuting students can be put at a disadvantage.

Course Description and Objectives

What is the purpose of the course? Where does it fit into the curriculum? How
will students change as a result of taking the course? While many of the deci-
sions identified so far appear in a syllabus as statements with little elaboration,
the course description is the meat of a syllabus and requires a narrative, par-
ticularly if one plans to use PBL. For example, the course goals and learning
objectives belong here. Students need to know what they are expected to do
and why groups are important. Most certainly, a PBL format will lead to unfa-
miliar types of assignments, such as generating a concept map as a group.
These may be introduced in a syllabus.
If the students entering the course have little or no experience with PBL,
the syllabus is the place for the instructor to explain what PBL is. It also is a
good place to explain why PBL fits in with the instructors teaching philoso-
phy and why it is important for student learning. Much of the resistance to
PBL by students, particularly in the early weeks of a course, comes from the
surprise of doing something unfamiliar and not knowing why the instructor is
doing this to them. As noted earlier, PBL relies on good communication,
and it is the instructors responsibility to discuss teaching philosophy in the syl-
labus and at the beginning and throughout a course.

Course Calendar and Schedule

The use of a PBL format implies that the instructor values group process and
problem-solving abilities. Typical course examinations given during class time
74 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

often do not incorporate such values. Consequently, a significant decision is

whether or not to schedule out-of-class examinations with relaxed time con-
straints and incorporate group elements. For example, a three-hour evening
examination permits successive individual and group parts (White, 1997).
Such an arrangement extracts a cost because in most courses there will be a
few students who have conflicting schedules. Furthermore, a room, perhaps
the normal classroom, needs to be available and reserved. Many schools
require that the dates and times of out-of-class examinations be printed in the
registration booklet so that students can arrange their schedules accordingly
when they register. This means that the decision for an out-of-class examina-
tion needs to be made and approved quite early.
One must decide how often to use a PBL format and incorporate that into
the course schedule. Good PBL problems are open-ended and may take more
time than anticipated. Students need sufficient time to research, discuss, and
come to closure on a problem. Consequently, the schedule and instructor need
to be flexible. One way to allow for changes during the semester is to title the
schedule as tentative.

Course Policies
PBL affects many course policies and thus requires decisions. Group progress
and group dynamics depend strongly on full participation. Thus, absences and
tardiness disrupt a PBL class in ways that would be unimportant in a lecture
class. An instructor should have a firm attendance policy, which also is
affirmed by group guidelines. In a lecture class, individual students can do
quite well and not have to say one word in class during an entire semester.
Such silence would undermine the PBL process. There are ways for introverted
students to contribute significantly to group process. Ideally, the instructors
policies should be discussed and agreed to by all groups and appropriate con-
sequences specified for noncompliance, for example, some groups may agree
to exclude repeat offenders from group portions of examinations.
PBL also affects grading policies. What is the proper balance between indi-
vidual and group work? How much will peer evaluation contribute to indi-
vidual grades? How much are process skills valued, and how is that factored
into a grade? What constitute criteria that distinguish one level of achievement
from another?
Academic honesty creates a dilemma for some students in PBL classes.
Throughout their academic career, teachers have discouraged collaboration
with other students. Now the rules seem reversed. What constitutes academic
dishonesty? What can be shared for credit? These issues need to be discussed
and clearly defined in the course policies. Students need to know that they
 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D I N P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G 75

learn on their own and that there is individual accountability. Working in

groups facilitates learning, but it is not a license to use the work of others as
ones own.

Available Support Services

Students have access to a wide variety of academic support services. Some of
these resources are especially useful for courses using a PBL format, and
instructors may decide to set aside time to ensure that their students know
about them and can use them. For example, a PBL course often requires stu-
dents to identify and locate resources that they need. However, many students
have only rudimentary skills in exploiting library resources and may need guid-
ance. While they may be familiar with surfing the Internet, they may have little
ability to distinguish authoritative information from the biased information
available on a myriad of advocacy sites. In most disciplines, there are particu-
lar search strategies that are preferred to others. These may be laid out in a syl-
labus or on a course website. Given these needs, an instructor may arrange for
a library tour or a presentation on web resources.

Getting Students Started with PBL

The First Week of Class
Despite all of the advanced preparation, a certain amount of apprehension and
self-doubt accompanies the beginning of a first-time PBL class. What if some-
thing goes wrong? What if the students dont like it? Imagine a classroom full
of students who have spent their entire education in lectures and are seated
nicely in rows facing the front of the room. This course will be unfamiliar to
them or, if not unfamiliar, something they may have found unpleasant. Will
they buy into PBL?
There are many approaches and, as noted earlier, sending an e-mail mes-
sage to the whole class a week before the semester starts can ease both student
and instructor apprehensions about PBL. It is important, however, not to call
PBL an experiment. The students need to know what will be different and
why, but they do not wish to be guinea pigs. The introduction could take the
form of a lecturebut that may send the wrong message in a PBL course. A
successful approach is to initiate group discussions that evolve into a whole-
class discussion about the students prior experiences with groups and why
they liked or disliked those experiences. This demonstrates that discussion is
expected and that student concerns are heard. In addition, an ice breaker
exercise often shows in an experiential way what a lecture or discussion
76 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

cannot. I have developed the following activity, Stand and Deliver, that pro-
vides a visceral appreciation of the importance of teacher-to-student, student-
to-teacher, and student-to-student communication in learning.

Stand and Deliver

Much of what we do when we lecture is to describe things and create mental
images with words. These words have discipline-specific meaning that stu-
dents sometimes misinterpret or dont understand. The following group activ-
ity deals with verbal communication of images. The rules of this game are
simple.

1. Teacher Selection. Within each group of four or five students,

determine who has the birth date closest to today. That person will
be the teacher for this activity.
2. Lesson Plan. Assemble all of the teachers in the hall outside the
classroom and show them a simple geometric figure that they will
have to describe orally to their group of students. The figure
should have about three simple components; for example, a square,
a triangle, and a circle and of different sizes, in different positions,
and overlapping in different ways so that the sizes, relationships,
and orientations become important details to communicate.
3. The Lecture. The teachers return to their groups for two minutes
while they describe, as accurately as they can, what they saw. The
teachers cannot use hand gestures, and the students cannot ask
questions of the teacher or talk among themselves during the
lecture. The students may take notes, but cannot draw pictures yet.
4. Teacher Conference. After the lecture, the teachers leave the room
and can discuss the experience among themselves until step 7.
5. Individual Work. Without talking to each other, each student must
draw, as closely as he or she can, a copy of the figure described by
the teacher. The objective is to be as close to a carbon copy of the
original drawing as possible. They have two minutes to do this.
6. Group Work. The members within each group compare their
drawings and discuss the differences in an attempt to come to
consensus. In five minutes, each group should have a revised
consensus drawing to show to their teacher.
7. Teacher Assessment. The teachers return and see what their students
have drawn. Groups then can discuss the exercise. At this time,
 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D I N P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G 77

each group receives a photocopy of the original drawing to

compare with their drawing.
8. Reflection. Among the questions groups might consider in
discussing the implications are: Did everyone in your group draw
the same picture? Did subsequent discussion improve the
representation? Was the teacher happy with the results? What were
your frustrations, if any? Can you make any conclusions?

This activity generates a lot of discussion and raises important questions

about how we communicate and the importance of feedback. It also addresses
what it means to teach and to learn. Given additional time, groups can discuss
how such an assignment might be graded. Clearly, there will be many things
going on during the first week of classes, and this is just one idea for getting
started.

Keeping Going with PBL

For anyone getting started with PBL, the learning curve is steep. It may seem
a bit overwhelming to have to deal with issues of group dynamics, educational
psychology, and student learning skills in addition to the subject matter. How-
ever, practitioners need not be experts and one need not implement everything
at once. The change in perspective that accompanies the adoption of a few
PBL exercises in one course usually leads to more and to the transformation
of other courses. It also leads to a revitalized interest in education. Once
started, it is easy to keep going.

Author Biography
Harold B. White, III is Professor of Biochemistry in the Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of the Howard Hughes
Medical Institutes Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Pro-
gram at the University of Delaware.

References
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B., III. (2000). Peer facilitators of in-class groups:
Adapting problem-based learning to the undergraduate setting. In
J. E. Miller, J. E. Groccia, & M. S. Miller (Eds.), Student-assisted teach-
ing: A guide to faculty-student teamwork. Bolton, MA: Anker
Publications.
78 THE POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Altman, H. B., & Cashin, W. E. (1992). Writing a syllabus. Idea Paper No. 27,
Lawrence, KS: Kansas State University, Center for Faculty Evaluation and
Development.
King, A. (1993). From sage on the stage to guide on the side. College Teach-
ing, 4 (1), 3035.
McKeachie, W. J. (1986). Teaching tipsA guidebook for the beginning col-
lege teacher. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and Company.
White, H. B., III. (1995). Creating problems for PBL. About Teaching 47. (Dis-
tributed by the University of Delaware Center for Teaching Effectiveness,
Newark, DE. Also posted at http://www.udel.edu/pbl/cte/jan95-chem.html)
White, H. B., III. (1996a). Dan tries problem-based learning: A case study. To
Improve the Academy, 15, 7591. (also posted at http://www.udel.edu/
pbl/dancase3.html)
White, H. B., III. (1996b). Addressing content in problem-based courses: The
learning issue matrix. Biochemical Education, 24 (1): 4145.
White, H. B., III. (1997). Untimed individual/group exams, problem-based
learning. In S. Tobias and J. Raphael (Eds). The hidden curriculum: Faculty-
made tests in science. Part 2. Upper-division courses, pp. 102103. New
York: Plenum Press.

Electronic Resources for Problem-based Learning

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
http://www.elsevier.nl/inca/publications/store/6/2/1/2/4/5/
Cases Studies in Science. http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/new.htm
PBL Clearinghouse. https://www.mis3.udel.edu/Pbl
UD PBL: Problem-Based Learning. http://www.udel.edu/pbl/
 8
UNDERGRADUATE GROUP
FACILITATORS TO MEET
THE CHALLENGES
OF MULTIPLE
CLASSROOM GROUPS
Deborah E. Allen
and Harold B. White, III

Chapter Summary
Problem-based learning (PBL), which emphasizes individual initiative
and collaborative classroom groups, may pose novel challenges to stu-
dents who first encounter it. Undergraduate peer group facilitators
help to ease this passive-to-active transition anxiety, and improve the
quality of the PBL and group experience. This chapter describes an
interdisciplinary program (which includes a university-wide course in
Tutorial Methods of Instruction) for preparing undergraduates to
function well in this peer group facilitator role.

Why Use Undergraduate Group Facilitators?

As we set out to develop undergraduate problem-based learning (PBL)
courses (Allen, Duch, & Groh, 1996; White, 1996), we faced challenges that
were similar to those confronted by the early adopters of PBL in the medical

79
80 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

school setting. Not the least of these was the need to write problems that
would be complex enough to encourage collaborative learning while remain-
ing appropriate, in terms of content and skills objectives, to an undergradu-
ate learning experience. Likewise (Engel, 1997), we had to overcome the ini-
tial skepticism of colleagues who viewed inadequate content coverage and
lack of control over the direction of students content learning as potentially
serious barriers to implementation.
Implementation challenges more intrinsic to the undergraduate setting
included insufficient resources to capture the prototype PBL model of a sin-
gle content expert serving as a dedicated tutor-facilitator for a group of up to
a dozen students. We also worried that the transition from the student pas-
sively learning from the teacher to students actively teaching each other
(Felder, 1995) was going to be difficult for our students, particularly those
fresh out of high school. In the traditional medical school model, the PBL
tutor plays a central role in easing passive-to-active learning transitional anx-
iety, guiding and supporting the students as they learn how to learn. In
short, we had a host of concerns about how a single instructor could guide
multiple groups through complex, multistage problems in this intensive man-
ner, without seriously compromising the student-centered nature of the PBL
process.
One solution to these concerns has been the use of undergraduate facil-
itators, who work with the faculty instructor to guide student groups
through the PBL cycle as it unfolds in the classroom. Since its inception, use
of the undergraduate group facilitator model has spread to courses of all
sizes and descriptions on our campus (see Chapters 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and
19 by Kitto & Griffiths; White; Hans; Cannon & Schell; Donham, Schmieg,
& Allen; and Lieux, respectively, in this book). This prompted us to develop
a program to support the facilitators fledging efforts at teaching PBL style.
To date (four years since its inception), this campuswide, multidisciplinary
program has affected 12 courses, 85 group facilitators and over 1400 under-
graduates. Many additional undergraduate and graduate students have
served as group facilitators through programs offered in association with
individual courses.
The peer facilitator program consists of four components: a preservice
workshop, a course in Tutorial Methods of Instruction, discipline-specific
mentoring sessions with individual PBL course instructors, and formal and
informal review of facilitators performance. These basic elements of the pro-
gram are discussed more fully in later sections of this chapter, along with a
sampling of how we run the preservice workshop and a typical Tutorial
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 81

Methods class session. An initial description of what we ask the undergradu-

ate group facilitators to do will set the stage for this later explanation of how
they learn to facilitate.

What Role Do Peer Group Facilitators Play

in a PBL Classroom?
The Dedicated Facilitator Model
We originally modeled the general features of an undergraduate peer facilitators
role after that of the PBL tutor in the medical school setting (Barrows, 1988),
with one major exception. We assumed that we could not expect undergradu-
ates to match the content expertise of a seasoned faculty instructor. Even so,
what remains in the job description for the functional facilitator in the absence
of advanced content expertise (Mennin and McConnell, undated) is quite
impressive. In the realm of content processing, it includes the ability to (1) use
questions to probe the reasoning process; (2) guide or intervene to keep the dis-
cussion on track; (3) help students see connections; (4) help students tie together
information; (5) lead students to examine available evidence when drawing con-
clusions; (6) set high yet reasonable standards; and (7) promote the use of
appropriate resources. At the same time, the well-functioning facilitator moni-
tors and influences the group dynamic by (1) showing interest in the group and
in the subject; (2) involving all students; (3) supporting good interpersonal rela-
tionships; (4) helping the group to plot its course; and (5) modeling the process
of giving and receiving feedback. Consideration of this daunting list of facilita-
tor functions underscores why we choose not to throw undergraduates into the
role without preparation and ongoing support.
In this earliest and most conventional of peer group facilitator models,
each undergraduate dedicates his or her efforts to a single group for the dura-
tion of a course (the dedicated model), attending each classroom PBL ses-
sion. Facilitators prepare for each session by reviewing related readings (pro-
vided by the course instructor), and they attend weekly course meetings and
begin to engage in reflective practice by keeping logs of interactions with
students and plans for improvement.

The Floating Facilitator Model

As faculty on our campus began to adapt PBL to a more diverse range of class-
room settings, the role of the peer facilitator had to evolve and expand to be
a useful strategy for group monitoring. For example, in large-enrollment
82 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

courses, it is difficult for faculty to round up the requisite cadre of qualified

undergraduate facilitators. To address this large-class dilemma, instructors ask
undergraduate facilitators to monitor more than one group (typically from
two to five), pulling from strategies used by faculty members who manage
multiple groups in courses without undergraduate facilitators (the roving or
floating facilitator model).
In addition, for these same or other courses, some university faculty use
PBL models in which a smaller amount of class time (typically 30% or less) is
spent on group activities, and/or use problems that dont require extensive out-
of-class research (in some cases, problems that can be introduced and wrapped
up in the same class period). For these one-session problems, group assign-
ments commonly are due at the end of class.
The exceptional facilitator in this floating model has a finely honed abil-
ity to size up the current state of the groups progress and deliver an appro-
priate intervention (such as a question). This is often a more difficult role than
that of the facilitator who can focus on one group. The one-session PBL prob-
lem model can also challenge facilitators to find ways to stimulate discussion
in the face of a tendency for some groups to approach the problems with a
bottom-line focus on completion of an assignment by the end of class.

Common Features of the Dedicated

and Floating Facilitator Roles
A prominent feature of PBL is the overtly constructed and stated demarcation
between what students know they know and what they dont know or are
uncertain about. Students have learned to blur or camouflage this line for fac-
ulty, because awareness of knowledge gaps is rarely rewarded and often penal-
ized. However, it is the starting point for discussion, and for generation of the
new learning issues needed to make progress. To encourage students to voice
uncertainties and reveal a lack of knowledge during group discussions, we
dont ask the facilitators, who work so closely with them, to grade assignments
or exams. In fulfillment of their role in modeling the giving and receiving of
feedback, facilitators do evaluate their students performance as PBL group
members, typically twice per semester using predetermined criteria (see Allen
& Duch, 1998; and Chapter 11 by Kitto and Griffiths in this book, for exam-
ples of these group evaluation forms and criteria). Students often voice a pref-
erence that peer facilitators, and not faculty instructors, perform this crucial
aspect of ensuring accountability among group members. In addition, in some
courses with an extensive writing component, facilitators serve as peer review-
ers of students first drafts.
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 83

Finally, facilitators arent expected to meet with their groups outside of

class, although some do by choice. However, they typically are required to be
available by phone or e-mail between class sessions.

How Do Tutors Know What to Do?

Preservice Workshop
The group facilitation experience starts with a three-hour orientation work-
shop, offered at the beginning of each semester. The initial focus of this work-
shop is to introduce all facilitators to the PBL method and underlying philos-
ophy. We discuss the anxieties that their students may have when first
presented with (what for them may be) a new teaching and learning paradigm,
then go on to formulate strategies to ease the transition to PBL. Facilitators
also begin to air their anxieties as their first experience with guiding groups
approaches, allowing us to address these concerns openly and directly. We
conclude the workshop with some brainstorming about the roles and respon-
sibilities of facilitators and of their perceptions about those of faculty PBL
instructors to their facilitators. Because the facilitators play the difficult role of
middleman in a multilayered teaching and learning scheme, we find that this
helps them to think about how they will negotiate this role during the semes-
ter, remaining allies to two groups (faculty and students) who often do not
speak the same classroom language.
Table 8.1 provides a schedule for a typical orientation workshop, along
with the topical themes addressed and activities that support these themes.

Tutorial Methods of Instruction Course

A course designed to help develop and boost group facilitation skills, Tutorial
Methods of Instruction (after the professional school PBL tutor), is at the
core of the program. The course meets in fall and spring semesters in eight
two-hour sessions, most of which occur in the first half of the semester, when
the participants generally have a lighter workload in their other courses. Skills
or topics listed in Table 8.2 are introduced in a progression that takes into
account when theyre most needed in the PBL classroom and our perceptions
about the difficulty of the skill. The authors team teach the course, alternating
the role of primary instructor each semester.
The format of all sessions is similar, resembling a faculty development
workshoppreparatory reading of articles, short orientation lectures, and
group or whole-class brainstorming sessions (initiated by questions, teaching
cases, or pencil-and-paper exercises), followed by reflective processing. With
84 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 8.1. Synopsis of the Topics, Strategies and Schedule

for a Typical Preservice Workshop for Facilitators
Activities That Support
Topical Theme Topical Themes Elapsed Time
Introductions 1. Round-robin self- 015 min
introductions: name, major,
course in which will serve as
a facilitator, reasons for
choosing to be one.
Introduction 1. Distribution of synopsis of 1535 min
to Course TMI syllabus, with URL to
longer electronic version.
2. Minilecture overview of
course objectives, course
sessions, and instructors
expectations.
3. Introduction to important
ground rules for the course
(concerning ways to protect
student confidentiality and
for constructive feedback).
PBL Strategies and 1. Minilecture overview of 3575 min
Underlying idealized PBL cycle and why
Philosophy instructors use the approach.
2. Distribution of sample PBL
problem.
3. Formation of groups.
4. Questions posed for group
discussion, followed by
reporting out to whole
classIn what ways does
PBL and its objectives differ
from and resemble
teaching/learning strategies
you have encountered in
other courses?
5. Wrap up of whole-class
discussion by instructor that
leads to next topic.
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 85

Table 8.1. Continued

Activities That Support

Topical Theme Topical Themes Elapsed Time
Student Expectations 1. Questions for groups: What 75120 min (a
for a New Course aspects of the first day of a 1015 min
course lead you to think it break begins
will be a positive experience? at about
What aspects lead you to 90 min)
think it will not be a
pleasant or beneficial one?
2. Report from groups and
instructor-led discussion.
3. Question for groups: What
first-day strategies would
help set up a positive climate
for learning in a PBL class?
4. Report and discussion,
focusing on any mismatches
between student expectations
and what PBL will entail.
First Day Activities 1. Run through of sample 120155 min
for Groups group warm-up activity.
2. Brief brainstorming of new
or recounting of former
warm-up activities.
Roles and 1. Assignment for groups: List 155175 min
Responsibilities at least five roles and
responsibilities for peer
facilitators and faculty
instructors in PBL courses.
2. Report and discussion,
focusing on aligning facilitator
and faculty perceptions.
Send-off 1. Introduction to next session 175180 min
topic.
2. Question for reflection (the
first question for discussion
in the next session).
86 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 8.2. Session Topics for Tutorial Methods of Instruction,

a Two-credit Course That Provides In-service Supervision and Support
for Peer Tutors in PBL Courses
Intellectual development of undergraduates
How to involve all students in the group process
Group dynamics and the behaviors that foster good and bad
interactions
Detecting and dealing with conflicts that arise when people work together
Peer, self-, and group assessment
Questioning techniques, and the role of questions in PBL
Writing and learning from teaching case studies
Reflective practice in teaching
Ethical issues in teaching (for example, How friendly should a tutor be
with his group?)

each semesters experience, we have scaled down expectations in terms of prior

processing of course readings and have allotted progressively more time for
structured or informal reflections on facilitators experiences since the last
course meeting (by facilitator request). These reflections lead to brainstorming
about strategies for resolution of any ongoing problems with group dysfunc-
tions. Facilitators are encouraged to meet with the specific PBL course instruc-
tors to discuss problems in between Tutorial Methods sessions, particularly in
instances in which a greater degree of confidentiality is needed than the Tuto-
rial Methods sessions can guarantee.
We also run a fish bowl exercise in at least one of the sessions. In one
type of fish bowl activity, we use a modification of a tutor training strategy
introduced to us by PBL experts from the University of Mexico School of
Medicines Primary Care Curriculum. Some of the facilitators role-play a stu-
dent group working on a PBL problem, another the groups facilitator, and the
rest of the class sits and observes. A course instructor sits on the far sidelines
and provides a running commentary on the facilitators strategies to one of the
observers, modeling the rules of constructive feedback. At the end of a role-
playing session, the observer gives this verbal feedback to the individual who
has played the facilitator role, adding observations of his or her own. Another
role-playing session is then initiated, using the same or a new problem. This
cycle continues for about four iterations, then a round-robin reflection on the
process ends the class.
The last two sessions of the Tutorial Methods course are used for presen-
tation and discussion of teaching cases that the facilitators write based on crit-
ical incidents in their experiences working with groups. Weve collected over
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 87

100 of these teaching cases, which continue to inform us about facilitators

perceptions of the experience, thus guiding an ongoing evolution of the course.
With permission, weve rewritten these to change the specific scenarios into
ones invoking the same behavior in a different context, so they could serve as
scripts for trigger tapes (enacted by student actors) that weve produced for
use in the course and for general distribution.
A typical session on group dynamics begins with a questionnaire (Figure 8.1)
that facilitators fill out individually. From among the list of situations frequently
encountered, they must first identify those that they have observed in the group(s)
they supervise. Then they must pick the one situation that they feel poses the
greatest threat to the success of their group(s). Every year, the majority of stu-
dents pick item 10, which relates to student satisfaction with a superficial under-
standing of topics. We then use an appropriate teaching case or trigger tape to
initiate discussion on that or another topic of concern.
In designing this and other sessions, we have adapted some strategies used
to inform new teachers in a more general context (Lewis, 1992). Those think-
ing of designing a course with similar goals to Tutorial Methods will also find
that a manual produced to support near-peer instruction (The Workshop Pro-
ject, 2000) provides useful ideas for adaptation as do chapters 6 and 7 of an
on-line PBL text (Pross, 2000) on the role and characteristics of a PBL tutor.

Course-Specific Preparation
What transpires in the preparation sessions held for the PBL courses in which
the facilitators actually work with student groups varies from course to course.
In an example from an introductory biology course (the course, designed by
Allen and Donham, is described in Chapter 16 of this book) the facilitators
and course instructor meet weekly for an hour session. After an initial discus-
sion of the previous weeks course activities, facilitators lead a discussion of an
upcoming problem on a rotating basis, having written and distributed a plan
for how that problem could unfold. The plan includes timing issues (how to
intertwine the group activities led by facilitators with whole class activities led
by the course instructor), anticipated learning issues, potential conceptual pit-
falls, tips for facilitator preparation in content background, and a stockpile of
questions from which facilitators can draw when stumped about ways to stim-
ulate discussion and dig for deeper understanding. At the start of the semester,
facilitators are given a notebook containing all of the problems for the semes-
ter and several associated readings. While requiring the facilitators to search
for these resources themselves may have pedagogical merit (and is consistent
with the PBL philosophy) we assume that this would be an imposition on
their already oversubscribed schedules.
 Consider each of the following situations. Check the boxes by those you
recognize in the group you are now tutoring. Circle the one you think is most
likely to interfere with the success of your group. Be prepared to talk about
the information you have used to diagnose this as a problem situation. Think
about ways to deal with the situation.

Student who confidently presents information that is incorrect yet goes

unchallenged by other group members.
Student who misses class or regularly comes late to class and requires
class time for the more conscientious members of the group to fill him or
her in on what was missed.
Unprepared student who routinely comes to class but doesnt contribute to
group discussions or projects.
Likeable, talkative student who is unaware that he (or she) frequently
interrupts others and dominates discussion thereby preventing
contributions by quieter members of the group.
Student who readily understands the material but is not particularly
interested in sharing that knowledge with other group members.
Student who thinks problem-based learning is not a good way to learn and
deliberately or unconsciously disrupts the process.
Quiet student who has good thoughts to contribute but never seems to get
the attention of other members of the group.
Students whose friendship outside of class creates a subgroup that
frequently breaks off from the main group in class discussion.
Student who, due to illness or some other legitimate reason, misses a
week or more of class.
Group that gets along well and is satisfied with a superficial procedural
understanding and doesnt seem to be aware of or interested in a deeper
conceptual understanding.
Student who has difficulty focusing on course material and frequently ends up
discussing sports, the campus social scene, or the previous nights TV show.
Student who ignores or puts down group members who have a different
cultural background, racial background, or physical appearance.
Student who doesnt listen to or seem to understand the points made by
other group members.
Group that cant make progress without assistance and shows signs of
frustration (and perhaps resentment) when the tutor doesnt provide the
information desired.
Group in which a disparity in the abilities of members makes
communication of concepts difficult.
Student who directs all of her or his questions to the tutor (and instructor).
Students who do all of the necessary work but do not seem to enjoy
discussing problems and related concepts with one another.

FIGURE 8.1. Common Group Situations that Tutors May Encounter, an

exercise used in Tutorial Methods of Instruction to introduce issues of group
dynamics and function

88
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 89

Formal and Informal Evaluation

of Facilitator Performance
Twice a semester, facilitators in the Tutorial Methods course are evaluated by
the students in the course they supervise. The evaluation forms typically use
predetermined criteria resembling the behaviors and characteristics of the
well-functioning facilitator listed in a previous section of this chapter. Ratings
choices are accompanied and clarified with specific comments. Course instruc-
tors fill out a similar form and write a summary of student comments (pre-
serving student confidentiality). In turn modeling the process of bidirectional
feedback, some instructors initiate dialogues about their own and the facilita-
tors ongoing performance in the course-specific preparation meetings. Facili-
tators, likewise, are often encouraged to solicit verbal feedback from their
groups on a routine basis, and strategies for doing this are offered in the Tuto-
rial Methods of Instruction course.

Facilitator Selection Process

How Facilitators Are Recruited
Faculty identify and recruit prospective facilitators through casual or solicited
word-of-mouth recommendations from faculty and former facilitators, distribu-
tion and posting of flyers, and by encouraging students in introductory level PBL
courses to make contact later in their academic careers. Instructors in upper-level
courses have a more limited pool of potential applicants, since they cannot expect
to encounter quite as many students with exposure to the course in a previous
semester or year. Another option for them (see Chapter 11 by Kitto and Griffiths
in this book) has been to use true chronological age peers, often enrolled as hon-
ors section students in the courses in which they also serve as facilitators.
Selection criteria used by the faculty recruiters vary. Typically, those teach-
ing in a small-class, Honors format have access to the most academically moti-
vated and successful students and can be more selective (if these are criteria
they value). In all cases, however, faculty look for facilitators with a good (but
not necessarily excellent) academic record, some (but not necessarily total)
buy-in for the PBL philosophy, indication of a high level of responsibility,
and a personality that can best be described as easy to work with (but not
necessarily an extroverted one).

Incentives for Participation

Students can receive two credits toward graduation for participation in the
Tutorial Methods of Instruction course; others receive honors credit for serving
90 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

as true peer facilitators in a course in which they are also enrolled as students.
Many of the facilitators, including most of those enrolled in Tutorial Methods
to date, in addition receive a small stipend ($300 for courses in which PBL ses-
sions are less frequent, and $600 for full-time service) in recognition of time
spent as a facilitator in the PBL classroom.

Indicators of Success of the Program

The Student Perspective
Students value the presence of undergraduate facilitators in their classrooms,
as assessed through both qualitative and quantitative measures described pre-
viously (Allen & White, 1999; 2000). The average overall rating of facilitator
performance on end-of-semester course evaluations is generally high (on aver-
age, 1.31.5 on a 5-point scale in which 1 is excellent), and students indi-
cate agreement (usually strong agreement) with the statement that my facili-
tator benefits my learning of the subject. Written comments on the bisemester
facilitator evaluation forms are consistent with our expectations and goals for
the program, particularly as they relate to helping students make an easier
transition to a PBL classroom environment.

The Facilitator Perspective

Facilitators are equally positive about the experience, as reflected in both writ-
ten and verbal evaluations. They report that it not only has personal rewards,
but also helps them envision themselves in future teaching roles. Most agree
that it has increased their understanding of their major subject, confirming our
expectation that PBL group leadership could serve as a type of capstone expe-
rience (a final overview from the perspective of heightened content knowledge)
that college faculty are being urged to provide by various higher education
constituencies (Boyer Commission, 1998).

The Faculty Perspective

Faculty generally agree with students appraisal of the skills their facilitators
possess. We agree that facilitators generally do well at presenting a friendly
and interested persona to their groups, modeling good interpersonal relation-
ships, fostering even participation, providing information when needed (and
conversely, knowing when to hold back), and keeping the group discussion on
target. Student evaluations have also given us a wealth of information about
skills that we need to assist facilitators with (in terms of the PBL strategies we
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 91

use) and continue to target in both course-specific meetings and the Tutorial
Methods of Instruction course. These include helping students identify and
appraise the relevancy of learning resources, prioritize the importance of learn-
ing issues, and make connections between old and new problems. We have
added another skill to this list based on our own perceptions; that is, many
undergraduate facilitators tend to have a more directive questioning style. We
have observed facilitators missing golden opportunities (from our viewpoint)
for asking questions of a more open-ended nature and leaving superficial cov-
erage of a learning issue unchallenged by the art of questioning. This may be
an area in which experience, as well as content expertise, must be drawn upon
by the well-functioning facilitator; alternatively, it may not be the most essen-
tial skill in all PBL models, particularly when time available for working
through a problem is a limiting factor.

Overcoming the Fifth Wheel Syndrome

Faculty sharing their classrooms with undergraduate facilitators must be pre-
pared at first to feel unneededthe fifth wheel syndrome. A common find-
ing with a student-centered PBL experience is that the faculty instructor who
doesnt serve as a floating facilitator must continually struggle to find ways
(that students will find valuable to their learning) to be scripted into the class-
room play. The course-related chapters in this book provide a wealth of exam-
ples, including lecturing on a need-to-know basis for clarification of diffi-
cult concepts and coordinating whole-class activities that help students
develop their ability to critically appraise resources, build conceptual frame-
works, (concept mapping, flow charts, model building), and learn to dig
deeper to build reasoned arguments (debates, jigsaw grouping).

Unresolved Issues and Future Directions

We are still struggling with how best to support students in the floating
facilitator role, the one that is the most feasible for large enrollment courses.
An unforeseen drawback to the Tutorial Methods of Instruction course is that
it provides a forum for facilitators to compare notes. Some of the floating
facilitators make comments that indicate that they would prefer the dedicated
role, mostly because of the personal satisfaction (as expressed by the dedi-
cated facilitators) that comes from building a relationship with the students
in one group over the course of a semester. The good news is that this does not
92 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

seem to seriously impair the benefit that the floating facilitators derive from
the experiences that they do have.
True peers also seem to have a more difficult job than the near-peer facil-
itators; the facilitator often may have to deal with at least one group member
who never gave up the notion that he or she should have been chosen to be
the facilitator. Students who serve as the group facilitator in a concurrently
meeting honors section often must struggle against conveying the impression
that they have a favored or privileged status in the course, and instructors
must be careful not to give these facilitators a content understanding edge
(that will translate to a better grade) by holding separate preparatory sessions
with this focus. The feeling of accomplishment, however, that these facilita-
tors can have after a semester in this role seems to compensate for the
moments of anguish their groups can create for them. We also think these
facilitators will go on to make good workplace supervisors, particularly of
other skilled professionals.
Our experience with undergraduate facilitators in many ways parallels
the independent experience of others. Gosser and Roth (1998), for example,
use undergraduate students as workshop leaders to assist groups of stu-
dents. They too have developed a course to prepare students for their
instructional role (The Workshop Project, 2000). Their course deals with
many of the same topics found in Tutorial Methods of Instruction. There,
as here, responsibility for teaching the interdisciplinary course does not
clearly fall within a particular department; thus, faculty workloads must be
negotiated.

Conclusion
In addition to providing the means for using problem-based instruction at
the introductory level (where it can have the greatest impact in subsequent
learning), the PBL peer group facilitator program provides a natural pro-
gression for attracting good students to teaching careers. It allows them to
gain an overview of their chosen major as a capstone experience prior to
graduation. For students in introductory PBL courses, these upperclass
guides assist with the often difficult transition between the academic expec-
tations of the high school versus college experience, particularly as they
relate to the novel challenges of PBL. For faculty teaching PBL courses, the
facilitators serve as far more than a practical solution to managing multiple
groups, becoming our apprentices and allies in creating a community of
scholars in the PBL classroom.
 U N D E R G R A D U AT E G R O U P FA C I L I TAT O R S 93

Authors Biographies
Deborah E. Allen is Associate Professor and Undergraduate Programs
Director in the Department of Biological Sciences and an affiliated
faculty member of the University Honors Program at the University
of Delaware.
Harold B. White, III is Professor of Biochemistry in the Depart-
ment of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of the Howard
Hughes Medical Institutes Undergraduate Biological Sciences Educa-
tion Program at the University of Delaware.

References
Allen, D., & Duch, B. (1998). Thinking towards solutions: Problem-based
learning activities for general biology. Philadelphia: Saunders College
Publishing.
Allen, D. E., Duch, B. J. & Groh, S. E. (1996). The power of problem-based
learning in teaching introductory science courses. In L. Wilkerson and
W. H. Gijselaers (Eds.), Bringing problem-based learning to higher educa-
tion: Theory and practice. (New Directions in Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education 68, (4352) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B. III. (1999). A few steps ahead on the same path:
Using peer tutors in the cooperative learning classroomA multilayered
approach to teaching. J. College Science Teaching 28, 299302.
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B. III. (2000). Peer facilitators of in-class groups:
Adapting problem-based learning to the undergraduate setting. In J. E.
Miller, J. E. Groccia, and M. S. Miller (Eds.), Student-assisted teaching: A
guide to faculty-student teamwork. Bolton, MA: Anker Publications.
Barrows, H. S. (1988). The tutorial process. Springfield: Southern Illinois Uni-
versity School of Medicine.
Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University.
(1998). Reinventing undergraduate education: A blueprint for Americas
research universities. Princeton: Carnegie Foundation for the Advance-
ment of Teaching.
Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Fran-
cisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Engel, C. E. (1997). Not just a method but a way of learning. In D. Boud and
G. Feletti (Eds.), The challenge of problem-based learning. London, Eng-
land: Kogan Page, pp. 1727.
Felder, R. M. (1995). We never said it would be easy. Chemical Engineering
Education 29, 3233.
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Gosser, D. K., & Roth, V. (1998). The workshop chemistry project: Peer-led
team learning. Journal of Chemical Education 75, 18587.
Lewis, K. G., (Ed.). (1992). Teaching pedagogy to teaching assistants: A hand-
book for 398T instructors. Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin.
Mennin, S. P., & McConnell, T. Undated document. A guide to quality tutori-
als. Albuquerque, NM: W.H.O. Collaborating Center for the Dissemina-
tion of Community-Oriented, Problem-Based Education and the Univer-
sity of New Mexico School of Medicine.
Pross, H. (2000). Introduction to problem-based learning at Queens.
http://meds.queensu.ca/medicine/pbl/ (2000, June 30).
White, H. B., III. (1996). Addressing content in problem-based courses: The
learning issue matrix. Biochemical Education 24, 4145.
The Workshop Project. (2000). The workshop model: peer leadership and
learningA guidebook. http://www.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/~chemwksp/ulm.html
(2000, June 30).
 9
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
IN A PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING COURSE
Barbara J. Duch and Susan E. Groh

Chapter Summary
Moving to a student-centered, cooperative-learning format of
instruction requires rethinking how to assess student learning in
such an environment. This chapter discusses many of the decisions
faculty make concerning assessment when adopting problem-based
techniques.

Introduction
For many instructors, the decision to move to a problem-based approach to
teaching marks the culmination of a period of intensive research and fact-
finding, discussion with other faculty, and reflection on ones goals and
philosophies of teaching. Once the decision is made, however, a whole new
set of issues and concerns arise that must be addressed. Paramount among
these are questions centered on assessment: How will problem-based learning
affect how well my students are learning? How will I know how well theyre
learning? Can I use my old methods of testing in a course that may be struc-
tured in a very different way? What happens now that students are working
in groupsmust they all be graded together?

95
96 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Assessing student learning, however, is just one part of a successful assess-

ment strategy. Other key components that should also be addressed include
evaluating the course itself, asking students questions that will inform the
instructor about what is working well in the course and what isnt. Faculty
should also evaluate their role as an instructor, soliciting information from
their students throughout the length of the course and documenting their own
role from the instructors viewpoint.
This chapter will address the assessment questions faced by many faculty
who have incorporated problem-based instruction in undergraduate courses
in a typical college or university that does not have a PBL track or program.
Often, a problem-based practitioner may be the only faculty member in a
department or one of only a few faculty in an institution to offer PBL instruc-
tion. Especially when an instructor is teaching a prerequisite course in a
major, he or she may feel the need to justify his or her instructional decisions
and document student learning to colleagues. Assessment issues that become
relevant if an entire curriculum becomes problem-based are emphasized in
Boud and Feletti (1997). Comparisons of student achievement in PBL vs. tra-
ditional tracks and evaluations of PBL programs are generally taken from the
health professions literature (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993; Feletti, Saunders, &
Smith, 1983; Newble & Jaeger, 1983; Norman, 1997; Vernon & Blake,
1993).

Assessment of Student Learning

A challenge that faces faculty members who are using problem-based
instruction in undergraduate courses is how to assess accurately the extent
to which their students have met the learning objectives of the course. Some
would argue that faculty who use problem-based instruction should not limit
their students self-guided learning by documenting learning objectives for
the course. However, except for some special programs or colleges, most
undergraduate instructors are constrained to guide their students in learning
a designated body of concepts and principles in approximately 14 weeks.
Therefore, the authors of this chapter advocate writing learning objectives
for students and assessing the extent to which students meet those objectives.
Most faculty are generally comfortable in testing content, but if PBL instruc-
tors are expecting their students to be able to demonstrate that they can
think critically, evaluate evidence, analyze information, and justify conclu-
sions, they will need to think beyond standard testing practices, particularly
 A S S E S S M E N T S T R AT E G I E S I N A P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G C O U R S E 97

in medium- to large-size classes. Many management issues arise when one

thinks through the following questions:

What products will students produce when they complete a problem?

Will it be an individual product or a group one? How will it be graded?
How can an instructor promote group learning but ensure that
individual achievement is assessed?
How can a problem-based scenario be used in an exam?
Should group skills and communication skills be assessed? If so, how?

PBL practitioners may think of more questions related to assessment issues as

they think about using a problem-based approach to their course.

First Things First: Learning Objectives

Decisions concerning the assessment of student learning in a PBL course
should begin with an examination of the courses learning objectives. This is
true for any type of course, but the learning objectives in a PBL course gener-
ally go beyond simple content mastery, so the connection between these and
assessment bears further examination. It is important to list all learning objec-
tives in a syllabus so students can see and understand the expectations of the
instructor. Learning objectives should focus on broad concepts and skills
rather than on the details of the course content, since listing them is not
intended to limit student research and self-guided learning. The first step in
thinking about assessing students learning begins with asking two questions
(Uno, 1999) that will guide one to find appropriate assessment tools.

1. What should students know, value, and be able to do by the end of

the course?
2. What evidence will indicate that they have reached these goals?

What Should Students Know? Content-oriented objectives are those

concerned with the mastery of material specific to that course or discipline.
Thinking about what students should know or be able to do in terms of con-
tent is not particularly hard. Instructors are accustomed both to setting these
goals and assessing them in traditional ways. Testing content knowledge objec-
tives through multiple choice and short-answer tests are common ways that fac-
ulty assess student learning. However, many times these methods do not help
98 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

one to judge the extent to which students have developed higher-order thinking
skills. In order to choose appropriate methods of assessment, faculty should be
specific about what they want their students to know (content-based objec-
tives). For example, Valerie Hans (see Chapter 13) in one of her criminal jus-
tice courses lists the following two objectives:

Acquire knowledge and understanding about the criminal courts and

how they function.
Analyze and critically evaluate claims made in public policy debates
about the court.
Among Deborah Allens specific content objectives for her introductory
biology students (see Chapter 16) are the following:

Explain how CO2 is used in photosynthesis.

Diagram the role (including life histories and nutritional
requirements) of marine phytoplankton in the marine food chain.
Construct a concept map of the carbon cycle and its relationship to
atmospheric CO2 formation, burning of fossil fuels, photosynthesis,
and respiration.

Notice that the first objectives of both instructors ask students to perform
at Blooms lower cognitive levels of understanding (knowledge and compre-
hension) (Bloom, 1956; and Chapter 5) and could be assessed using traditional
testing methods. The remaining objectives require students to achieve higher
or deeper levels of understanding (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) and are
more difficult to assess in a 50-minute test. Hans and Allen have each found
alternative ways to evaluate whether students have met those learning objec-
tives, as will be discussed.
A point worth emphasizing at this stage is that despite common usage, the
term assessment is not limited to a formal system of comprehensive testing in
order to make a judgment or establish grades. In addition to this type of sum-
mative process, assessment may also be formativei.e., have the aim of
providing feedback and suggestions for improvement in a more informal man-
ner. Both types of assessment have a place in a problem-based learning format.

What Should Students Be Able to Do? Many of the skills students

need to develop are tied to content objectives, such as those previously dis-
cussed (Analyze and evaluate . . . , Diagram the role . . . , Construct
a concept map . . . ). In addition, there are other, more general process
 A S S E S S M E N T S T R AT E G I E S I N A P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G C O U R S E 99

skills that can be listed as learning objectives for students. Some of these objec-
tives were mentioned in the Introduction of this book and can prove to be a
motivating factor in why faculty choose to adopt problem-based instruction.
They include the ability to do the following:

Identify, find, and analyze information needed for solving a problem.

Communicate ideas and concepts verbally and in writing.
Collaborate productively in groups.

These objectives are not necessarily linked to specific content, but are
applicable to any discipline; hence, their development is easily overlooked. Too
often, it is assumed that students will acquire these skills and be able to bring
them to bear as needed in content courses, without addressing the question of
who is responsible for their development. As one can see with some of the
higher-ordered thinking content objectives, process skills are not easily
assessed in a traditional testing format. In many cases, assessing these objec-
tives may involve formative methods.

What Do You Want Your Students to Value? Many times teachers

neglect to address this issuewith themselves and their students. In a problem-
based course it may be desirable for students to recognize their own ability to
learn independently, express confidence in their ability to work cooperatively
with others, or express other attitudes that are important to the instructor.
These values objectives should also be listed in the course syllabus and be
assessed using methods that may or may not affect students grades.

Connecting Assessment Strategies to Course Objectives

Once an instructor has listed all the content, process skills, and values objec-
tives in the course syllabus, one needs to decide what assessment strategies will
be used to evaluate whether students are meeting those objectives. Some objec-
tives can be assessed using traditional means, such as exams, but others may
require additional, sometimes innovative methods. (A wealth of information
concerning techniques for classroom assessment may be found in the works of
Angelo and Cross [1993] and Walvoord and Anderson [1998].) It is important
to again emphasize that although the goal is to assess students progress in
meeting course objectives, some assessment may actually not involve grading.
For example, one of Allens objectives (Construct a concept map . . . )
may be planned as a group activity, with each group reporting on their own
concept map during classtime with no specific grade assigned.
100 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 9.1. Sample Learning Objectives and Their Assessment

Learning Objective Assessment Method
Explain how CO2 is used in Exammultiple choice, short
photosynthesis. answer, or homework assignment
Analyze and critically evaluate claims Group assignment, question on
made in public policy debates exam, or homework assignment
about the court.
Identify, find, and analyze Take-home group or individual
information. exam, problem write-up or
summary, and/or evaluation of
individual effort within the group
Express confidence in ability to work End-of-course rating form
with others.

Table 9.1 uses the Allens and Hanss course objectives shown earlier to
demonstrate how learning objectives and assessment methods can be linked to
help students understand how the instructor will evaluate whether they are
meeting those course objectives.
If process skills are valued by an instructor, then efforts must be made
both to provide training and practice in the development of such skills, and to
signal their value by including them in an assessment plan. Does this mean that
instructors must now generate two separate sets of tests and measuresone
for content objectives and another for process skills? Not at all: in fact, we
might turn this around and point out that the process of assessment provides
a very natural opportunity to bring both content and process objectives
together. Process skills can be demonstrated and assessed as an integral part of
assessing content knowledge.
An example may illustrate this better. One of us (SEG) teaches a course in
general chemistry to freshmen science majors. Among the most important
learning objectives for this course is the development of strong critical think-
ing skills: the ability to analyze a situation, to evaluate observations and pat-
terns in data in the light of fundamental principles of chemistry, to see the ram-
ifications of such principles and use them to predict behavior, and so forth.
The PBL and homework problems that students encounter in the course are
designed to stimulate and develop critical thinking; since these are group situ-
ations, though, they do not provide the best opportunity to examine an indi-
viduals critical thinking skills.
For this reason, I decided to build assessment of critical thinking skills into
the content exams by designing questions that would go beyond simple knowl-
 A S S E S S M E N T S T R AT E G I E S I N A P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G C O U R S E 101

edge or comprehension, into the higher Bloom levels of thinking (application,

analysis, evaluation and synthesis) (Bloom, 1956; and Chapter 5). Complex
situations involving multiple concepts, based on the real world or some novel
setting the students have not previously encountered, lend themselves to this:
questions can be asked that require students to recognize the concepts involved
(analysis), to use those concepts in answering the question (application), to
judge the relative merits of different explanations, and/or to pull several ideas
together to make predictions (synthesis).
One content area important in this course concerns the nature of solu-
tions: in particular, how the behavior of a pure substance, such as water, is
affected by the presence of some other material dissolved in it. Chemists rec-
ognize a group of colligative properties that change in the presence of a
solute: compared to pure water, e.g., a solution of salt water will have a higher
boiling point, a lower freezing point, less evaporation, etc. These effects are
quantitative and can be calculated readily from a few pieces of information.
While being able to calculate such changes can be useful, understanding why
and how the changes occur in the first place is, to me, much more valuable. It
requires thinking about the behavior of particles at the molecular level and
seeing how that behavior manifests itself in these macroscopic properties. The
analysis involved, based on relative rates of competing processes, is fairly
sophisticated for these students and requires careful thought to understand the
phenomenon.
Typical exam questions in this area test at the simple knowledge or com-
prehension levels, e.g., Calculate the vapor pressure of a solution of 5.8 g of
NaCl in 100 g of water at 25 C or Explain why a solution of NaCl will
have a lower vapor pressure than pure water. The former is a classic plug
and chug question. After carrying out one simple conversion of mass into
moles, the student need only plug numbers into a simple equation to calculate
the answer. The second question looks more complex. One would think that
to explain this phenomenon would surely require some higher-order thinking.
In this case, however, the question refers to the very situation that was ana-
lyzed in class when the concept was being studied. All a student really needs
to do to answer this question is to memorize and recall the explanation devel-
oped in class.
An exam question that does require critical thinking while still giving the
student a chance to display simpler levels of content knowledge deals with the
following situation. Display cases in museums are used not only to keep valu-
able artifacts and documents from being handled, but also to maintain a con-
stant atmosphere of controlled humidity around the materials to help preserve
them. The problem states that the relative humidity within an enclosed (but
102 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

not airtight) display case can be kept at a constant 75.3% by placing within it
a saturated aqueous solution of NaCl, in contact with excess undissolved
NaCl. The question posed is for the student to present a molecular level argu-
ment to explain how this constant level of humidity may be maintained, even
when air saturated with water (100% humidity) enters the case.
To provide a thorough explanation of this practice requires more than a
knowledge of the basic idea involvedthat the presence of salt will produce
a lower humidity (i.e., vapor pressure) in the atmosphere over the solution.
Asking how this atmosphere can be maintained despite the addition of more
humid air forces the student to recognize the dynamic nature of this equilib-
rium between liquid and gaseous water, and to think about how the pertur-
bation will affect the final humidity. The concept of a saturated solution also
comes into play in explaining the role of the excess salt: as water from the
more humid atmosphere enters the case, it will ultimately dilute the saturated
salt solution and cause the humidity to gradually increase in the absence of
sufficient salt to keep the solution saturated. This question, then, builds in
elements of analysis, application, and synthesis, while still providing an
opportunity to assess comprehension of the core concept of solution vapor
pressure.
This and similar essay questions are graded using a partial credit system.
A list is made of the ideas that should show up in an exemplary answer, and a
certain number of points are assigned to each. In this way, a student who states
that the salt solution is responsible for the lower humidity in the case but is
unable to go farther, still receives credit for that fundamental knowledge (here,
3 points out of 10). Similarly, a student who explains how the more humid air
will perturb the vapor pressure equilibrium without recognizing the role of the
excess salt (the most challenging synthesis part of the question) will still
receive full marks (9 points out of 10) for getting to that stage.
Questions like this, then, provide a means for probing a students ability to
think critically within the context of a more traditional assessment method
(exams)one need not manufacture an artificial situation aimed only at assess-
ing critical thinking. The extent to which such questions are included in exams
is, of course, a matter of preference, in keeping with the instructional goals of
the course. We consider it important to provide assessment at a variety of
Bloom levels: students must have the opportunity to demonstrate basic knowl-
edge and comprehension, as well as higher order skills. To provide an example
of how this balance can be achieved, an analysis of the exam in which the
humidity question appeared was carried out to determine how many points
(out of 100) were allocated to items at different Bloom levels. To do this, the
separate components of an exemplary answer to a question were classified by
 A S S E S S M E N T S T R AT E G I E S I N A P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G C O U R S E 103

Table 9.2. Breakdown of Exam Items by Bloom Level

Number Total Points Possible Corresponding
Bloom Level of Points by This Level Letter Grade
Knowledge 9 9 F
Comprehension 36 45 D
Application 22 67 C+
Analysis 20 87 A
Synthesis 9 96 A
Evaluation 4 100 A

Bloom level and the points awarded for specific levels in each question tallied.
For example, of the 10 points allocated to the humidity question, 2 corre-
sponded to comprehension, 3 to application, 4 to analysis, and 1 to synthesis.
The results for the exam as a whole are shown in Table 9.2.
On this exam, a student who can go no further than demonstrating sim-
ple knowledge and comprehension can still pass, although barely. Being able
to apply the concepts increases the score, but the biggest gain comes from the
demonstration of analytical thinking, in keeping with the emphasis placed on
the development of this skill in this particular course. Which areas an instruc-
tor might choose to emphasize will depend on the learning objectives for that
course.
One can imagine similar strategies to assess learning with respect to other
global skills as part of the assessment of content knowledge: using debates,
written or oral reports to reveal both content and communication skills; eval-
uating how well a group is able to function in the preparation of a project; ask-
ing students about how they obtained information for a report; or posing a
challenging search for some content-related material; and so on. Again, the
point is that both content and process can be linked and evaluated together at
assessment time.

Grading
Group learning is a central aspect of the learning experience in a PBL class, and
instructors may want to think of ways to factor it into the total grade given to
students. Some methods used by other faculty including the following:

Give students one group problem on an exam, followed by the

individual portion of the test. The group question may be given in
class or as a take-home assignment. This is one method of planning
104 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

an authentic PBL assessment by assigning a PBL problem similar to

one that students have worked through in class.
Grade group problem summaries.
Use the ratings by group members of individual contributions to the
group as a part of a participation grade.
Grade group presentations.

Assessment of the Course

In addition to assessing student learning, it is important to think about ways
to assess the course itself. Students are a wonderful source of information and
can provide timely feedback that can help ensure that the problem-based expe-
rience is a positive one for students. Scheduling a feedback session two to three
times during a semester gives students the opportunity to tell the faculty mem-
ber what is working well in the course, and what should be changed to make
the learning experience better. Some examples of items that can be used on a
midsemester feedback form include the following:

1. How satisfied are you with this class so far this semester? (Circle
one.)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Satisfied Very Dissatisfied
2. What helps you learn in this class?
3. What hinders your learning?
4. What could you do to make this learning experience better for
you?
5. What could the instructor do to make this class better for you?
6. What specific questions/content are still unclear to you?

After receiving the feedback from students, the instructor should be sure to
respond to their comments in class. One can categorize the various sug-
gested changes that students made, and then explain how he or she plans to
alter the format of the course, or explain why he or she is not making
changes.
At the end-of-semester evaluation, it is important to ask students ques-
tions related to group work and their confidence in finding and using resource
materials in addition to more traditional questions and comments found on
departmental or college course ratings forms. A list of suggested items may be
found in the appendix of this chapter.
 A S S E S S M E N T S T R AT E G I E S I N A P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G C O U R S E 105

The students point of view about the course is not the only one. The
instructor also should assess what worked well in the course and how it
could be improved. The following questions may be helpful to guide course
reflection:

Did the problems focus student learning on the course objectives?

Which problems worked well, and which need to be improved?
Were the problems suitable (i.e., of sufficient complexity) for groups
to solve?
Did the students demonstrate a deeper level of understanding about
course content?
Was the course structured appropriately for the size of class, level of
students?
Was the instructional role in the classroom satisfactory? Was the
course sufficiently student-centered?
What should be planned differently the next time? What should be
kept the same?
Did the groups function well? If not, what can be improved?

Conclusions
When faculty members move from a traditional to a problem-based learning
environment, many instructional decisions need to be made, including how to
assess students learning in the course. If developing critical thinking skills,
communication skills, research skills, and other lifelong learning skills are a
priority for the instructor, then students should expect to be assessed on how
well they are meeting those learning objectives in addition to the content
objectives. Thinking about what to assess, as well as how to assess, can be a
challenge to any PBL practitioner, since this exercise makes faculty grapple
with what is important instructionally, and what is possible to accomplish in
a limited amount of time. This reflection is essential in developing reasonable
and fair assessments for students in problem-based classes.

Authors Biographies
Barbara J. Duch is Associate Director of the Mathematics and Science
Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware.
106 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Susan E. Groh is Assistant Professor in the Department of Chem-

istry and Biochemistry and an affiliated faculty member of the Uni-
versity Honors Program at the University of Delaware.

References
Albanese, M., & Mitchell, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: A review of lit-
erature on its outcomes and implementation issues. Academic Medicine
68, 5281.
Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques (2nd.
ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classifi-
cation of educational goals. New York: Longman.
Boud, D., & Feletti, G. (Eds.). (1997). The challenge of problem-based learn-
ing (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page.
Feletti, G., Saunders, N., & Smith, A. (1983). Comprehensive assessment of
final year medical students performance based on undergraduate pro-
gramme objectives. The Lancet, 3437.
Newble, D. I., & Jaeger, K. (1983). The effect of assessment and examinations
on the learning of medical students, Medical Education, 13, 263268.
Norman, G. R. (1997). Assessment in problem-based learning. In Boud, D. &
Feletti, G. (Eds.), The challenge of problem-based learning (2nd ed.). Lon-
don: Kogan Page.
Uno, G. (1999). Handbook on teaching undergraduate science courses: A sur-
vival training manual. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing.
Vernon, D. T. A., & Blake, R. L. (1993). Does problem-based learning work?
A meta-analysis of evaluative research. Academic Medicine, 68, 550563.
Walvoord, B. E., & Anderson, V. J. (1998). Effective grading. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 9

The following are some suggested items that may be included on an end-of-
course ratings form using the rating scale: A: strongly agree; B: agree; C: nei-
ther agree nor disagree; D: disagree; E: strongly disagree.

1. The course helped me learn to obtain information from a variety

of sources.
2. I feel that I can apply the general principles I learned to other
(your discipline) problems.
3. I am comfortable with working in groups.
4. I feel comfortable with asking for help from others in my group.
5. I feel that my group members listen to me when I present
information.
6. I feel that my group members show respect for me and my learn-
ing style.
7. I feel comfortable sharing information with others.
8. As a result of this class, my ability to find, read and analyze infor-
mation has improved.
9. I like the idea of evaluating myself and my group members.
10. I benefit from the whole-class wrap-up sessions after each problem.

107
 10
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
AND THE THREE CS
OF TECHNOLOGY
George H. Watson

Chapter Summary
Ready access to networked databases, on-line newspapers and jour-
nals, and other Internet resources has dramatically altered students
pursuit of information for problem-based learning. The availability of
the Internet coupled with numerous channels of electronic communi-
cation empowers student groups to work more expeditiously and more
proficiently. This chapter will highlight some examples of integrating
creative uses of on-line resources with problem-based learning.

Introduction
Today, we have access to a broad array of electronic aids and gadgets to assist
in our daily living and entertainment. The incursion of technology into our
lives seems to be growing exponentially, much like the incredible sustained
exponential growth in the power of these devices represented by Moores law.
Clearly, the world of todays undergraduate students is strikingly different
from that experienced by their professors as undergraduates. The impact of
technology on student lives is dramatic when compared to campus life during
the college days of even our newest assistant professors, although not nearly
as dramatic as for a typical tenured faculty member who may have entered

109
110 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

college more than 20 years ago. To point out just a few changes seen in the last
year or so, students now use instant messaging to chat online with their friends
down the hall and then download their favorite MP3s over the Internet to play
on their way to class. How has the rampant use of technology by our students
affected their learning?
The technologies affecting instruction and student learning can be catego-
rized as the three Cs: computation, communication, and collections. Compar-
ing my own freshman experience and the current state of affairs in these three
areas is illustrative as shown by the following reminiscences.
The power of students to calculate routinely and expeditiously in the
classroom leapt markedly in the early 1970s. In the fall of 1973, I entered
Lafayette College as a freshman physics major. That summer some of my high
school graduation money had gone toward the purchase of a shiny yellow
Pickett Model 3 Powerlog slide rule. Only later did I realize that scientific cal-
culators were appearing on the scene, albeit at a steep price$495 for an
HP45. Numerical computations in freshman physics and chemistry were
excruciating; however, this did not seem to be the case for those students for-
tunate enough to already own a calculator. I vividly recall that at the end of
my first year, the students who were still using slide rules were given an addi-
tional 15 minutes on the final examination to compensate for the computa-
tional advantage afforded by the calculator, hardly adequate compensation in
the opinions of the remaining slide rule practitioners. That summer, Com-
modore offered the first affordable portable scientific calculator, and the slide
rule had virtually disappeared from campus by the fall of 1974.
Over the past two decades, the expanding power of first calculators and
then personal computers has been phenomenal. Simple four-function calcula-
tors have given way to graphing calculators. The computing power on each
new students desktop typically has doubled over that available just two years
prior. Laptops are beginning to accompany students to their classrooms. With
the increased capability for computation, how has teaching and learning been
affected in the modern classroom?
The ability of students to communicate routinely and expeditiously has
steadily increased. In 1973, I would save up a pile of quarters so that I might
phone my girlfriend back home once per week. Handwritten letters had to suf-
fice on the remaining days. How things have changed in the communication
sector! Todays student has access to a multiplicity of channels of communica-
tion: e-mail, voice mail, chatrooms, FAX, pagers, cell phones, and instant mes-
saging. New classrooms are being wired to connect laptops to the Internet at
each seat. With the increased capability for communication, how has teaching
and learning been affected in the modern classroom?
 PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING AND THE THREE Cs OF TECHNOLOGY 111

Student access to information, collectionsthe final element of the three

Cs, has also changed markedly over the past few decades. In 1973, I would
venture into the college library and wade through drawer after drawer of
index cards in the card catalog, hoping to find a resource that would be rele-
vant to my assignment. If I were lucky, the book would be available upstairs
in the library so that I might have access to the information it contained. With
some training, I was able to find and retrieve relevant articles from journals in
the stacks, although current periodicals were often missing or hidden in dark
corners of the library. Todays student is fortunate but may take for granted
that information is available in a readily searchable format and accessible
online simultaneously to multiple users. Library holdings are cataloged on the
Web, and networked databases abound. Most major newspapers publish
online. Even the entire Encyclopedia Britannica is now available online! With
the increasing access to the collections of information and human knowledge,
how has teaching and learning been affected in the modern classroom?
Technology, its availability to students and its use by students has changed
dramatically since our own experiences in college. Has our teaching changed
dramatically from that we experienced as undergraduate students or do we
continue to teach primarily as we were taught? Has our use of technology for
teaching kept pace with advances in computation, communication, and col-
lections? Problem-based learning challenges us to provide the best opportuni-
ties for our students to learn. An equally important challenge is for us to
embrace the use of instructional technology for providing effective opportuni-
ties for our students to access and acquire information and to communicate
with their peers and with us as they learn via problem-based learning (PBL). I
share here some ideas and suggestions for bringing the three Cs of technology
to PBL.

Websites to Organize a PBL Course

Clearly, the Internet and the worldwide web have made the most highly visi-
ble contribution to the three Cs in technology and education within the past
decade. Thus, consideration of the interaction of technology and PBL should
begin with a discussion of course websites. Most instructors, regardless of
their pedagogical inclinations, see the merit of using Internet resources in their
courses, and many are currently supplementing their courses with custom
individualized websites. Significant attention has been directed to the creation
and use of websites in teaching by numerous entities; resources too numerous
to list are available for assisting and leading instructors in effective web design
and implementation. Nevertheless, there are a number of features associated
112 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

with using the Web in teaching that should be emphasized specific to PBL.
Many of the following examples come from my science and technology course
for nonscience majors known as SCEN103 Silicon, Circuits, and the Digital
Revolution (see Ref. 1 for its URL).
The first few days of a PBL course are critical for the buy-in of the stu-
dents and their ultimate success in the course. Students new to PBL must be
oriented to the approach and be assured of a support system underlying the
endeavor. Numerous PBL practitioners have written eloquently on the subject
and have made their motivational material available online. With the authors
permission, much of the PBL orientation in the course syllabus may be bor-
rowed and incorporated in ones own website. Typically included is an intro-
duction to PBL and problem solving; roles and responsibilities of students,
peer tutors, and instructor; working in effectively in groups with sample
ground rules and consequences; frequently asked questions about PBL; and
forms for assessment of individual performance in groups. In my course syl-
labus (Ref. 2), I have borrowed liberally (and often verbatim) from the writ-
ings and syllabi of Deborah Allen, Barbara Duch, Susan Groh, and Elizabeth
Lieux, all colleagues at the University of Delaware. You may visit their course
websites by referring to sample syllabi at the UD PBL website (Ref. 3).
Organization of groups is also facilitated by a course website. Group
listings of individual names, e-mail addresses, links to personal homepages,
and photos are useful for getting the permanent groups started. A list of
group names and mailto: hyperlink tags including all e-mail addresses for the
group is a good way to facilitate communication with the entire group.
Often you may wish to communicate with the entire group when an indi-
vidual from a group inquires regarding an assigned problemmost e-mail
software packages permit creation of local group aliases that are helpful for
group discussion.
A number of Internet- and web-based approaches are available to facili-
tate conversations and problem solving among members of a group. News-
groups and bulletin boards served in this capacity soon after instructors began
using the Internet for teaching, but these tools suffered from limited features
and poor ease of use. Web-based group facilitation took a leap forward a few
years ago when such companies as eGroups.com began providing free access
to tools for creating chat rooms, sharing files, coordinating calendars, posting
messages, and coordinating small groups. The latest, greatest tools for elec-
tronically organizing small groups of students are provided by so-called course
management systems, such as WebCT, the CMS currently used at the Univer-
sity of Delaware. Among the many features provided by WebCT for organiz-
ing a course website, discussion groups rank high on my list. Discussion
 PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING AND THE THREE Cs OF TECHNOLOGY 113

groups may be created for selected students and set to either private (just the
group) or public (the entire class) depending on the objectives of the instruc-
tor. In either case, it is advisable for the instructor to be a member of each
group, thus providing the ability to monitor the progress of groups at work if
desired. Topics for discussion may be created, opened for discussion, locked
when complete, and archived for future review. Also, course management sys-
tems are easing the burden of administering collaborative webspaces.
Most students enjoy seeing their images online. Digital cameras are a con-
venient way to capture an image of a group working during class and post it
to the website after simple image editing. This is an excellent way to facilitate
learning student names early in the semester, considered by many to be an
essential ingredient of an active learning environment. (A student roster with
faces accompanying names also helps recall student names in subsequent
semesters as you pass familiar faces while crossing campus.) If group images
are being displayed on the roster page, use of thumbnail images of about 25%
of the original size is prudent to avoid undesirable delays in downloading the
page. Hyperlinks to larger image files may be made from the thumbnail
sketches. Alternatively, group identity can be initiated by way of interesting or
amusing group names. In SCEN103, student groups were asked to select a
small technology company (microcap) publicly traded on the stock market. In
this course, the company icons associated with each group were added to the
group roster page for visual interest (see Ref 4 for this example). An example
of a group roster based on thumbnail images of groups may be found at
Ref. 5. One word of cautionalthough most students seem to enjoy seeing
their images appear online, an occasional student will feel uncomfortable or
object; it is a good idea to secure student permission before publishing their
images and e-mail addresses on your course website.
Project-based learning provides many of the same benefits as problem-
based learning. Projects combined with web delivery of the final project can be
an enticing and rewarding way to disseminate project outcomes to the remain-
der of the class near the end of the semester. Students are eager to create their
own web documents with multimedia elements; of course, some are less skilled
than others, and the collaborative aspect of a web-based group project builds
on the strengths and diminishes weaknesses of the individuals involved. In
SCEN103, students research a current topic of scientific or technological rele-
vance to the course using the same methods of finding and evaluating
resources and synthesizing contributions from multiple individuals into a
coherent whole as they execute in solving PBL problems. This aspect of the
course has been well received by students (see Ref. 6 for an archive of student
projects).
114 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Integrating Online Resources with PBL

Before the advent of the Web, students engaged in PBL would typically resolve
their learning issues by relying on material in their textbooks or supplemental
resources found at the library. Today, students routinely turn to the Internet
for supplemental course resourcesif not to the website of the course, then off
to the worldwide web. As educators, we recognize that the Web is full of mis-
information, biased representation, and even flat-out lies. However, this pro-
vides an opportunity to work with students to develop their critical thinking
skills in the context of evaluating on-line resources. Critical thinking skills are
also exercised in the process of executing web searches effectively. Thus, find-
ing and evaluating the broad array of resources needed for resolving learning
issues in the PBL classroom helps develop the critical habits of mind and the
ability to learn to learn that is such an important part of PBL. There are
numerous resources available online to assist students in searching the Web
effectively and evaluating on-line resources (see Getting Started at the ITUE
website at Ref. 7).
Although not directly related to PBL, the so-called Internet Challenge is a
valuable and fun way to model for students how to search effectively and eval-
uate critically. Early in the semester, I encourage student groups to pose to me
two or three questions that have known definitive answers. I then spend the
weekend (or longer!) searching the Web, documenting the steps I take and how
I evaluate the site as authoritative. During the following class, I review the
process and outcomes of each search (see Ref. 8 for examples accumulated
over the years). Following this discussion, the students participate in the
Reverse Internet Challenge, where they test their own abilities to find answers
to questions that I pose each group so that I see how well they have learned
their lessons.
If finding and evaluating resources is not a significant objective for a
course, the instructor may instead post relevant URLs for problem assign-
ments. This can be conveniently done via a web page associated with each
problem; many versions of e-mail software now also support embedded URLs
in e-mail messages that may simply be visited by clicking. Bear in mind that
burrowing deep into websites to provide references for students may be coun-
terproductive for their learning in the PBL setting. More general, high-level
sites can serve as appropriate starting points for their investigations if there is
a concern that students will waste time searching the Web futilely or finding
inappropriate resources. Also, high-level URLs are less likely to change; listing
numerous resources by web page deep inside a website begs for numerous bro-
ken links after a year or so.
 PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING AND THE THREE Cs OF TECHNOLOGY 115

Many libraries now provide a wealth of information through networked

databases, rich repositories of data and information that students may access
for their investigations. A sampling of the on-line databases at the University
of Delaware include the following:

Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe: Full-text information from

newspapers, the legal literature, and other sources on a variety of
topics
Web of Science: Citations, abstracts, and cited references to material
published in thousands of scholarly journals in all subject areas
Expanded Academic ASAP: Citations, with abstracts, from scholarly
and general interest periodicals; includes some articles in full text
Business and Company Resource Center: company profiles, company
brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories,
chronologies, and periodicals
CINAHL (Nursing and Allied Health Literature): Citations, with
abstracts, to articles in journals relating to nursing and allied health
disciplines
MEDLINE (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts): Citations and abstracts
to journal articles relating to all aspects of medicine, nursing,
dentistry, veterinary science, and the preclinical sciences
Britannica Online: Electronic version of the Encyclopedia Britannica

More specific databases may be available for a discipline, and arrangements

can be made with publishers to get copies of CD-ROMs for students use. As
an example, Prof. James Magee uses the MicroCase Analysis System with
great success for student exploration of statistical correlations as part of his
problems in the University of Delaware course on American government.
Setting a PBL problem in a current context is an excellent way to generate
student interest in the problem. Newspaper articles that catch our attention
often serve as the basis for new problems or for updates of existing problems.
The on-line availability of major newspapers, as well as many regional papers,
facilitates a wider variety of perspectives on current events. Problem writing
may be improved by turning to regional papers for the extensive local coverage
of an event that receives moderate attention in a national newspaper. Students
may similarly be directed to on-line newspapers as resources for solving prob-
lems. In a University of Delaware course on African politics, Prof. Gretchen
116 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Bauer has her students regularly read their choice of on-line African newspa-
per; the variety of newspapers that can be selected is clearly much greater than
is typically available in a university library. Among many good directories of
on-line newspapers, I often refer to Yahoo Newspaper by Region (Ref. 9) or
E&P Media Links (Ref. 10).

PBL Clearinghouse
The Web is also an excellent venue for sharing problems designed for PBL
courses. Sample problems and curricular materials are beginning to appear
on a variety of websites. Searching online with

+PBL + problem + <name of your discipline>

may turn up suitable problemsor maybe not! At the University of Delaware,

we have decided that the time is right for an electronic clearinghouse of PBL
problems. At the time this chapter is being written, the production version is
in final testing; by the time this book is being read, the clearinghouse should
have been announced for general use to PBL educators.
One goal of the PBL clearinghouse is to make available field-tested
problems in all disciplines. Problems are submitted online to an editorial
panel for peer review. Supporting material, such as Format of Delivery, Stu-
dent Learning Objective, Student and Instructor Resources, Authors Teach-
ing Notes, Assessment Strategies, and Solution Notes, are associated with
each problem. Problems published in the clearinghouse are electronically
searchable by keyword, discipline, or author. Through the peer review
process, the clearinghouse aims to elevate the creative and scholarly aspects
of problem writing to a more readily recognizable and rewarding level. In
addition, the clearinghouse will publish articles and tutorials to support its
mission to demonstrate and disseminate PBL as a superior teaching
methodology. In short, we hope that the PBL on-line clearinghouse will
become a one-stop shop for educators looking for PBL materials and
resources.

Summary
The use of technology in teaching does not guarantee successful outcomes
any more than the application of any other tool at our disposal. In fact,
indiscriminate use of technology for its own sake can often get in the way of
meeting course objectives. However, technology marches onward, and new
 PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING AND THE THREE Cs OF TECHNOLOGY 117

solutions to old problems continue to materialize. The impact of PBL on stu-

dent learning and student attitudes can be enhanced through appropriate use
of technology. Computation, communication, and collections are essential
elements of the problem-solving process and are at the heart of successful
implementation of problem-based learning.

Author Biography
George Watson is Professor in the Department of Physics and Astron-
omy at the University of Delaware.

Website References
1. http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/
2. http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/colloq2000/syllabus.html
3. http://www.udel.edu/pbl/
4. http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/colloq2000/groups/
5. http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/phys345/fall1998/rosterexample/
6. http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/projects/
7. http://www.udel.edu/itue/
8. http://www.udel.edu/inst/I-challenge/
9. http://dir.yahoo.com/News_and_Media/Newspapers/By_Region/
10. http://emedia1.mediainfo.com/emedia/
 PART THREE

CASE STUDIES IN PBL FROM

DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES
Part Three presents case studies from instructors in a number of disciplines
who have incorporated problem-based learning into their courses. Featuring
courses in areas ranging from agriculture to teacher education, these studies
highlight specific contextual considerations and the instructional strategies
developed to address those in transforming each of these courses into a PBL
format.
 11
THE EVOLUTION
OF PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING IN A
BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSE
Sherry L. Kitto and Lesa G. Griffiths

Chapter Summary
Biotechnology: Science and Socioeconomic Issues, a sophomore-
level course, has used problem-based learning (PBL) exercises in com-
bination with traditional lectures since 1993. The PBL component of
the course has evolved continually, including reducing the size of the
groups of students, training and using honors students as group facil-
itators, reassessment of peer evaluation procedures, redistribution of
the PBL exercises more evenly throughout the semester, use of an
interactive course web page, and requiring the use of technology for
group presentations.

Introduction
Biotechnology: Science and Socioeconomic Issues is a multidisciplinary
course and, as such, is listed in three departments within the College of Agri-
culture and Natural Resources: Animal and Food Sciences, Food and
Resource Economics, and Plant and Soil Sciences. PBL was introduced in
1993 to address growing concerns about how the agricultural sciences are

121
122 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

taught. The objective of the course is to enhance the ability of both science
and nonscience majors to make informed decisions on biotechnology related
issues in agriculture. From its inception in 1989, abstract concepts and prin-
ciples were presented, but real examples and applications in agriculture were
not always offered. For many years, instructors could only speculate on
potential applications of biotechnology in agriculture. As products began to
make their way to the marketplace, the PBL exercises made it possible for us
to introduce the students to real-world problems using topics associated with
agricultural biotechnology. The PBL exercises allow the students to not only
learn about what biotechnology is and the associated controversies, but to
develop a sense of confidence in expressing their own personal opinions
related to current events.
The course was divided into four quarters, with the last quarter being
reserved for the PBL exercises. The first three quarters introduced the science,
applications, and socioeconomic issues associated with agricultural biotech-
nology. When we first started using PBL, we felt that the students needed to
have a knowledge base prior to working through the PBL exercises. Challenges
associated with this paradigm included building group rapport and collegial-
ity in a short time frame, the final four weeks of the semester. We also now
know that a knowledge base is not necessary prior to working through a PBL
exercise. Part of the purpose of the exercises is for students to gain knowledge.
Currently, the course is divided into the same three content parts; however,
the PBL exercises are distributed evenly throughout the semester. So, while the
students still do three PBL exercises, they begin group work on day two of the
course.

Model
In the beginning, we taught the course in a traditional classroom, and the
chairs were moved each class period we did a group exercise. Students did not
have assigned seats. The class was divided into three groups because we had
three instructors in the class and each facilitated a group. Advantages to this
design were the pacing of the exercises and ensuring that the expectations for
the exercise (e.g., making sure the students understand a well-designed exper-
iment) were consistent. The main drawback to this was the large size of the
groupsup to 13 students; based on reports from fellow PBL-users, this group
size was too big.
To circumvent this problem, we added an honors section to the course
with the objective of teaching the honors students to be peer facilitators for the
group work. Now the number of registered honor students determines the
THE EVOLUTION OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN A BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSE 123

number of groups. Although we have had as many as nine groups, each is

facilitated by an honors student and each group has only four to five members
who sit together as a unit during all classes. The class is taught in a PBL class-
room, in which seats are arranged at hexagon-shaped tables. In these small
groups, each person has a role, making the work more equitably divided.
Initially, while students were assigned to sit as a group, they did not do
group work for a number of weeks. Now, in an effort to build team spirit as
soon as possible, we assign students to groups on day one and schedule a shar-
ing exercise for the second day of class. We have found that the sooner the stu-
dents start to work together as a group, the sooner they are willing to share,
trust, and evolve into a confident, dynamic group. This is especially important
for the more introverted students. A first-day homework assignment has the
students complete the Kiersey Temperament Sorter via the Web. On the sec-
ond day, students come prepared to share and discuss their temperament with
their group. We also have them take home a Kolb Learning Style Inventory.
The purpose of these two exercises is to get the group members talking about
and appreciating the diversity within each group. We want the students to
understand that people learn in different ways and that people have differing
strengths. It is beneficial to the group as a whole if students can identify early
on group members strengths. One side benefit is the new knowledge that each
student takes away concerning himself or herself.
As of 1999, each group has a notebook. The notebook contains informa-
tion and ground rules for the group. Also, this was the first year groups were
expected to complete a contract containing a brief outline of what group mem-
bers should discuss in reference to the contract, such as what roles members
may play in the group (discussion leader, recorder, reporter, materials provider,
presenter, technology expert), and the consequences for being a nonparticipa-
tor. Each group wrote ground rules that included the consequences for not fol-
lowing those rules, and then each group member signed the sheet agreeing to
what had been written. Other information in the notebook covers teams and
leaders; problem solving; spotting and sorting through group problems; assess-
ment; and directions for using the digital camera, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Use of Peer Facilitators

The course has two sections: a regular section and an honors section. The hon-
ors section meets an extra hour per week, during which time they are intro-
duced to the concepts of group work and how to facilitate group work. We
discuss their role in the group and how to be an effective tutor/facilitator. It is
not uncommon, for example, for students to question the power of their
peer facilitators or to expect their content-driven questions to be answered by
124 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

the peer facilitators. We let the peer facilitators know that it is not their job to
answer content/knowledge questions; rather, it is the groups responsibility to
do library or Web searches for answers.
Honors students work closely with the instructors as they facilitate the
PBL class sessions. Early on, we had the honors students read through a book
that explained the concepts involved with active learning and the roles of peer
facilitators. We have found that the honors students prefer to learn facilitation
firsthand by doing rather than by reading how-to publications. While we
still read and discuss the same basic information presented in the books, it is
done in a more informal manner. Each student reads one chapter and presents
an overview of the major concepts. The honors students also work through a
classroom PBL exercise so they have a real PBL experience similar to what
the in-class groups will experience.
Two instructors are present during each of the PBL exercise days. The
instructors serve as technology troubleshooters and as resources for the peer
facilitators. The instructors roam the room and keep an ear open with regard
to whether groups are on track or not. The honors students meet weekly with
instructors and honors peers to discuss their in-class group progress. We use
these sessions to discuss conflict resolution and as group help/venting sessions.
Brainstorming through problems or challenges helps to reduce anxiety about
what is expected of them. We regularly update our course library on team
building, teamwork, and tutors; how to facilitate coming to reasonable con-
sensus; how to gather information; how to stimulate group functions; and how
to stay on task. The instructors make sure that the honors students are guid-
ing their groups toward an appropriate goal.

The PBL Exercises

The instructors developed the first PBL exercises used in the course based on
what was being discussed in the popular press. As of 1996, the honors stu-
dents develop the new PBL exercises. The honors students, with guidance
from the instructors, choose new PBL-exercise ideas by reading through files
put together expressly for this purpose. Honors students work in self-selected
teams to choose an idea for the development of a PBL exercise. Once an idea
is accepted, the honors students spend two weeks conceptualizing the exercise
as a whole, collecting resources and information, and creating the PBL exer-
cise. It is understood that development of a PBL exercise is a multiclass meet-
ing project, requiring time outside of class. Ideas and concepts are shared and
critiqued during class time by the other honors students and the instructors.
In some ways, the honors students are more in tune with what their peers
THE EVOLUTION OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN A BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSE 125

consider good exercise ideas. PBL exercises developed by the honors stu-
dents are no less thought provoking or sophisticated than those developed by
the instructors.
Exercise authorship stays with the students. The honors students have
developed some excellent exercises. Once a class has used a PBL exercise, the
exercise may be modified. We view the exercises as dynamic so they are
constantly modified, updated, and improved based on student (regular and
honors) use and experience. At midterm the students evaluate the class and
suggest revisions to improve the class and PBL exercises. After each PBL
exercise, the honors students are asked for ways to improve the exercise for
future use.
Students can earn bonus points by handing in popular press articles, car-
toons, or web addresses related to agricultural biotechnology. Appropriate
websites are added to the class web page. Biotechnology related cartoons are
worth a double bonus. These items (we have received as many as 247 in a
semester) are kept in a master file and serve as a source both of ideas for future
PBL exercises and as a miniresource library for exercises being used in class.
The PBL exercises vary in objective and length. Three class days are
devoted to the first and the third PBL exercises. Initially, the exercises were
broken up into four or five pieces that were handed out piecemeal as the
groups progressed through the exercise. The students, especially the facilita-
tors, did not like this format and requested that we combine all of the pieces
into a single unit and label them as day one or day two. We have used this
single-unit paradigm for the past two years and agree that it is a smoother
process for us; we dont have to photocopy a bunch of pieces and pass them
out piecemeal, and students have a clearer idea of what they are working
toward. In this way, they better understand the objective of the case. Each
exercise is handed out in a previous class period so that students have time to
read and understand their assignment. This way they can spend time during
the first PBL class meeting working on the questions and understanding what
their objective is (e.g., write an ad jingle or design an experiment). The stu-
dents have a lower frustration level when they know why they are answering
a series of preliminary questions. Some groups work faster than others at dif-
ferent points in an exercise. On these two PBL exercises, two in-class days are
spent learning and gathering material; the third day is reserved for group pre-
sentations. Ability to organize class time to access information in the pro-
vided files and via the Internet and library can reduce the out-of-class time
meetings.
The second PBL exercise is really a series of three minicases that are com-
pleted during one class period. Minicases are one paragraph long. Students
126 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

have five minutes to come to consensus on a controversial topic. Minicases

often consist of more than one part, with subsequent parts introduced after
consensus has been reached on earlier parts. Each successive part introduces a
more controversial aspect to the minicase. The purpose of the minicases is for
the students to understand the dynamics involved with reaching consensus and
the importance of time limits.
There is definitely an improvement in how the groups work as units over
the semester. Most of the students have not experienced PBL prior to our class,
so the first exercise is a real learning experience. None of our PBL exercises
has a right answer. Groups are expected to reach consensus and develop a
reflective presentation. Presentations for the first and third exercises are fol-
lowed by a brief question-and-answer period. Students who ask questions get
bonus points. The ability of a group to respond to questions is considered dur-
ing grading. The students answers to questions are not always correct, and
this is revealed at the end of the presentation. In the past, creative groups have
placed canned questioners in the audience.

Using Technology
Presentation requirements have evolved with the rest of the course. Initially,
students gave traditional presentations relying on costumed skits, the printed
page, posters, and 3-D artwork. Now students are required to use a laptop
computer and digital camera in their presentations. We have found that stu-
dents need clear directions for use of technology, as well as time limits. It is
difficult for them to summarize their work into a five-minute presentation.
While the creativity exhibited in the presentations has always been superb,
quality presentations have not been the norm, especially presentations for the
first PBL exercise. The groups learn by watching their peer groups presenta-
tions. While the first presentations are never really bad, the third presentations
are always very good. The presentations create a competitive spirit, and the
students prepare for them in a very professional manner. The instructors eval-
uate the presentations.
A USDA Challenge Grant allowed us to purchase three laptop computers
that we bring to class during the PBL exercises. The computers were intro-
duced to the class four years ago. Our course Web page has a number of infor-
mation links that the students can access during class time. Student acceptance
of the computers and willingness to use them during class time have improved
over the years. Although many think that everyone has great technology
knowledge, there are always a few students who are technophobes. The num-
ber of technophobes has become fewer each year. We spend part of one class
THE EVOLUTION OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN A BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSE 127

period with the groups working on a nongraded, impromptu assignment using

the offerings on our web page. This allows for a more nonthreatening learn-
ing environment. The downside of the computers is system crashes.
We have now made it mandatory for the groups to use computer technol-
ogy (e.g., PowerPoint) for the first presentation and a digital camera for the
third presentation. There are grumbles, but it is obvious that the techno-
confidence of the group members has increased tremendously by the third
presentation. Each group has at least one really technology-literate student
who teaches the rest of the group.
A new challenge since the addition of the technology requirement for the
presentations is time management. Early in the course history, each group just
got up and gave their presentation, but now each presentation needs to be
booted up, and this takes time. Therefore, we now have a much stricter time
requirement for the presentations.

Outcomes
Assessment of the course includes traditional exams and the PBL exercises.
Each successive PBL exercise is worth a greater percentage of the total grade,
so that students have the opportunity to become familiar with the PBL
process.
One of the most difficult aspects of PBL is assessment of the group exer-
cises. Our assessment instruments have evolved from more complex to less
complex. Prior to the use of student peer facilitators, each student was given
the opportunity to provide a self-evaluation and an evaluation of the contri-
bution of each member of their group. The third and last component of the
assessment is the instructors component. Students were provided with an
assessment form (Allen & Duch, 1998) identifying eight different aspects of
group work, such as, comes prepared, completes assignments, and
answers questions in a way that promotes group understanding. Students
wrote their name and the names of each group member across the top of the
form and scored each group member in each of the eight categories reflecting
the contributions each student made. Each student also rated him or herself on
the same scale. We found that students did not seriously consider the different
roles a person might play in a group. Rather than scoring individuals higher
for some tasks and lower on others, the students scored students somewhat
uniformly and highly for all the categories.
As instructors, we found it difficult to keep track of the contributions of
individuals in large groups, and when we added the honors section, we began
128 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

to use peer tutors in smaller groups. The peer tutors became the fourth input
for group assessment (peer, self, tutor, and instructor). We adapted a peer
assessment form (Allen & Duch, 1998) that used a different ratings scale and
listed other items such as contributes relevant information, and good lis-
tener, respects others opinions. At the same time, we adapted a similar
assessment form (with categories of possible group roles and contributions)
for the peer tutors (Allen & White, 2000). The tutors were asked to evaluate
each group member using the group form, and each group member was asked
to evaluate the tutor using the tutor form. The peer tutors provided more
meaningful assessment information, and although the grades were still high,
there was a range.
In order to get students to provide a more meaningful assessment of group
work, we added one line to the form, asking students to provide an overall
numerical grade (based on 100%) for each member of their group. It was
interesting that students did not seem to consider the total of the 10 categories
as being indicative of the numerical grade they should assign each member.
The numerical grades provided us with more range, but we were not sure how
to handle differences between the two scores. We were left with hours of cal-
culations and felt there was still significant grade inflation.
Because students seemed willing to provide a more realistic grade when
asked to assign their peers a numerical score, we decided to experiment with
a simplified assessment form that directed the students to consider the man-
ner in which each group member participated and contributed, and then to
simply provide an overall numerical score (Figure 11.1). The same form and
format was used for assessment of each groups peer tutor. Students were
also told that they must justify uniformly high scores. We have used the new
assessment form for two years now. Although we still experience some grade
inflation, students are providing us with a range of grades. It takes us con-
siderably less time to summarize and calculate the grades than it did when
we had 50 pieces of information (10 categories 5 group members) for each
student. Students are required to turn in a completed assessment form during
the class period following completion of each PBL exercise.
THE EVOLUTION OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN A BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSE 129

ANSC PLSC FREC 270 GROUP___________________

Biotechnology: Science CASE STUDY______________
and Socioeconomic Issues

Case Study Assessment of Individual Performance

Evaluation Scale. Use the following scale to numerically score each of your group
members: 7779 (C+); 8082 (B); 8386 (B); 9093 (A); 9496 (A); 97100 (A+).

Evaluation of Group Members. When evaluating the other members of your group,
consider the following: Did the person attend all class meetings, come prepared for the
discussion, and contribute to the groups discussion? Did the person ask relevant
questions and respond to the questions of others? Was the person willing to do any
work outside of class and bring relevant information back to the group for discussion?
Was the person a good listener who respected the opinions of others? Did the person
contribute to overall organization and group consensus?

Names of Group Members. Put your name on the first line Numerical Score
for your self-evaluation.

1. My name is_____________________________________ ______________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________
3. ______________________________________________ ______________
4. ______________________________________________ ______________
5. ______________________________________________ ______________
6. ______________________________________________ ______________
7. ______________________________________________ ______________

Comments:

Evaluation of Peer Tutor Group Member. When evaluating the peer tutor of your
group, consider the following: Did the person show active interest in all group members
by listening and responding to student concerns and/or problems? Did the person
facilitate use of the web page to interact with the distance members of the group? Did
the person help identify relevant issues, guide and intervene to keep the group on
track, and provide information when the group got bogged down? Did the person pose
questions back to the group rather than answer questions? Did the person help the
group refine their presentation? Did the person help the group come to consensus?

Name of Peer Tutor. Numerical Score

1. ______________________________________________ ______________

Comments:

FIGURE 11.1. Assessment instrument used from 1998 to 1999

130 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Authors Biography
Sherry L. Kitto is Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.
Lesa G. Griffiths is Associate Professor in the Department of
Animal and Food Science, and Associate Dean of the College of Agri-
culture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware.

References
Allen, D. E., & Duch, B. J. (1998). Thinking towards solutions: Problem-
based learning activities for general biology. New York: Harcourt
Brace, 153154.
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B., III (2000). Peer facilitators of in-class groups:
Adapting problem-based learning to the undergraduate setting. In J. E.
Miller, J. E. Groccia, & M. S. Miller (Eds.), Student-assisted teaching: A
guide to faculty-student teamwork. Bolton, MA: Anker Publications.
 12
A PBL COURSE THAT USES
RESEARCH ARTICLES
AS PROBLEMS
Harold B. White, III

Chapter Summary
Introduction to Biochemistry, a problem-based learning (PBL) course
for sophomore majors, uses a series of connected research articles as
problems and is a useful template for courses in other disciplines. In
addition to providing students with a historical perspective on their
discipline, the approach addresses many issues and skills relating to
the conduct of research that normally are not treated in textbook-
based survey courses.

Introduction
I am absolutely convinced that science is vastly more stimulating to
the imagination than are the classics, but the products of this stimu-
lus do not normally see the light of day because scientific men as a
class are devoid of any perception of literary form.
J. B. S. Haldane, 1968

While students in English classes read the works of renowned authors, play-
wrights, and poets, students in the sciences rarely read the classic articles of
their discipline. Rather, they read textbooks that condense, conceptualize,

131
132 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

and summarize major scientific discoveries. Much is gained by that approach,

but much is also lostthe context, the controversy, the uncertainty, the mis-
takes, the excitement, the interpretation of results, the design of experiments,
the personalities, the creativity, the motivation, and the history. So removed
are some textbooks from the practice of science that they convey the impres-
sion that science is a collection of facts and concepts rather than a powerful
way to cultivate curiosity and learn about the natural world. Courses based
on the primary literature attempt to recapture that which is frequently lost in
textbooks.
The campus atmosphere of the late 1960s tolerated bold departures from
standard pedagogy. When faced with teaching a section of introductory biol-
ogy for nonmajors, Herman T. Epstein (at Brandeis University) reasoned that
these students would learn more and be better served if he abandoned the sur-
vey approach and changed the focus of the course to what biologists do
(Epstein, 1970; 1972). His students devoted the whole semester to reading and
understanding a series of about eight research articles, culminating with one
he had authored. While Epstein made no attempt to cover biology, the con-
ceptual breadth required to understand most research articles permitted his
students to learn quite a lot of sophisticated biology within a context that sus-
tained their interest. At the time, Epstein provided a model for research scien-
tists at a number of universities to become involved in introductory science
courses (Epstein, 1972). However, the approach waned along with the
activism of the era, and few institutions, notably Hampshire College
(Woodhull-McNeal, 1989; McNeal and Murrain, 1994), still structure intro-
ductory biology courses around research articles.
Ironically, Epsteins nonmajors probably acquired a better understand-
ing of the nature of science than did their biology-major peers who had
taken an intensive fact-filled survey course. Recognizing this deficiency in the
formal education of majors, the University of Delaware included an intro-
ductory course (Introduction to Biochemistry) modeled on Epsteins as a
requirement in their new biochemistry curriculum (White, 1992). First
taught in 1989 with 10 students in an informal lecture-discussion format, the
course focused on hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia using a series of
10 articles spanning nearly a century. By treating the articles as problems, the
course shifted smoothly into a student-oriented problem-based learning
(PBL) format in 1993 (White, 1996a, 2000a). Three years later, peer tutor-
facilitators were added (Allen and White, 1999; 2000). While retaining
Epsteins emphasis on research articles and the motivation and activities of
scientists, this course has evolved into a distinctive and effective PBL course
that serves 20 to 35 students.
 A P B L C O U R S E T H AT U S E S R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E S A S P R O B L E M S 133

Model
Much of our educational system seems designed to discourage any
attempt at finding things out for oneself, but makes learning things
others have found out, or think they have, the major goal.
Anne Roe, 1953

Goals
Because Introduction to Biochemistry is not a survey course, its content goals
depend significantly on the set of articles selected as problems (White,
1996a). Thus, the content goals can vary somewhat from year to year. The
articles (problems) are vehicles for the more important process goals
(Table 12.1) that do not vary and could be achieved with a completely dif-
ferent set of articles. Although stated in the context of the discipline, these
process goals transcend the discipline and address the goals of general edu-
cation (Boyer Commission, 1998).

It is indeed rare for a scientific paper to remain central to current con-

cerns several decades after its publication; in general, papers decay
like last winters leaves or this summers pop songs, and scientists
instead cite the latest review paper.
Edward Ahrens, 1992

Selecting Articles as Problems

While each year the periodical literature generates thousands of articles, of
which many could serve as problems, classic articles provide the best scaffold-
ing for a problem-based course based on the primary literature. Classic arti-
cles punctuate and shape the history of every discipline. They often represent
conceptual advances or paradigm shifts that resolved long-standing contro-
versies. Typically, the authors are revered in the field. Instructors often know
this culturally important information but students rarely do. By using classic
articles, students not only learn major disciplinary concepts, they get a per-
spective on history, and in a sense, meet the giants in the field. How many biol-
ogy students (or faculty) have read Watson and Cricks short description of the
DNA double helix?
Earlier versions of Introduction to Biochemistry explored different
themes, such as Vitamin C and the Common Cold and Insulin and Dia-
betes. While they each used entirely different sets of articles than the current
theme of Hemoglobin and Sickle Cell Anemia, they had essentially the same
goals noted in Table 12.1. Regardless of the theme, students read at most
134 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 12.1. Instructional Goals for Students in Introduction to Biochemistry

1. Become intellectually independent learners.
2. Cultivate curiosity in the molecular processes that underlie observable
phenomena.
3. Recognize and confront areas of personal ignorance.
4. Review and apply principles from other disciplines in a biochemical
context.
5. Stimulate interest in undergraduate research.
6. Improve problem-solving skills.
7. Create, understand, and value abstract biochemical models.
8. See biochemistry in relevant historical and societal contexts.
9. Discover and use the resources of the library and the Internet.
10. Gain confidence in the ability to read and understand scientific
articles.
11. Experience the powers (and pitfalls) of collaborative work.
12. Appreciate the importance of clear oral and written communication.
13. Learn to organize logical arguments based on evidence.

10 articles in historical sequence so that the progression and timing of

advances emerge. Nobel Prize winners and prominent scientists appear among
the authors of almost every article.
Far more classic articles exist within each subdisciplinary area than can be
read in a semester. Consequently, one must use the course goals to provide
additional bases for selection. In the case of Introduction to Biochemistry,
sophomores will have taken a variety of prerequisite courses that may seem
irrelevant to them. One of the goals of the course (no. 4 in Table 12.1)
addresses the relevance of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics to bio-
chemistry. Thus, the articles in the course need to reveal how these disciplines
relate to biochemistry. A learning issue matrix (White, 1996a) enables an
instructor to see how well a set of articles meets a courses goals. The matrix
lists important course goals as column headings and articles as row headings.
The elements of the matrix display the contribution of each article toward
course goals (e.g., concepts from prerequisite courses) and reveals where
emphasis is weak or strong. Clearly, an instructor has great latitude and can
tailor the content of a course with a judicious selection of articles.

There is no form of prose more difficult to understand and more

tedious to read than the average scientific paper.
Francis Crick, 1995
 A P B L C O U R S E T H AT U S E S R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E S A S P R O B L E M S 135

Managing Student Anxiety

Few students subscribe to or regularly read the primary literature in their
discipline. Often their first encounter with a technical article is like reading
a foreign language and generates similar anxiety. Many words and concepts
appear without explanation. Initially, they do not understand and often lack
the resource skills to make sense of an article (McNeal, 2000). The problem-
based learning approach is ideal for this situation because it requires stu-
dents to define what they do not understand or are unsure of so that they
may seek the needed information elsewhere. While a dictionary may be suf-
ficient to get started, textbooks, the Internet, library resources, and other
people soon become valued resources. The fact that students work in groups
and can pool their findings and share their frustrations, provides consider-
able support. Nevertheless, they need to be properly prepared for this new
experience because at first many will have trouble accepting that the teacher,
who understands the article, wont simply describe it to them (White, 1996b,
2000a).
To establish the necessary study habits and resource skills takes time.
Thus, the first article/problem may take more time than subsequent articles. In
Introduction to Biochemistry, students spend three weeks or almost a quarter
of a semester on the first article (White, 2000b). Students also need this time
to establish functioning groups (White, Chapter 7 of this book). They gain
confidence and discover the strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues. By
the end of the course, most students do not expect to understand an article on
first reading, but they have the experience and confidence to know that with
some effort they can understand it. That self-knowledge proves helpful to stu-
dents in subsequent courses, where they may need to read the primary litera-
ture, but have to do it on their own.

Tutor-Facilitators
The experience and maturity of students significantly influences how an
instructor manages a PBL course of this type. In introductory courses with
students who are not familiar with the PBL process, there are considerable
in-class demands on an instructor to address student questions and keep
multiple groups on task. This requires more structure and frequent oppor-
tunities for the whole class to deal with issues. For experienced students in
upper-level classes, such close supervision is less important. My experience
suggests that 25 students and five groups in an introductory course are
manageable. However, tutor-facilitators significantly accelerate the process
and improve the experience for students and the instructor for introductory
136 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

PBL courses with larger enrollments (Allen & White, 2000). Typically, these
facilitators are students who have taken the course before, done reasonably
well (B or better), and have good social skills.

Only by understanding the difficulties encountered in trying to do

what now seems simple can a student appreciate the hurdles which
must be surmounted in modern experiments of which we, for the most
part, hear only the conclusions.
James Bryant Conant, 1946

Assignments
Assignments in a PBL class need to be challenging and reflect the goals of the
course. In order to engage students collaboratively and induce more than
superficial understanding, assignments must go beyond and be more complex
than typical end-of-the-chapter problems. Using articles as problems provides
the opportunity for some unique assignments that involve a mix of group
involvement and individual accountability (White, 2001). For example, older
articles often lack an abstract. Students as a group can read what an abstract
should include (e.g., Day, 1983), discuss this in the context of a particular arti-
cle, and then write abstracts individually.
In general, writing assignments do not work well as group assignments
because it is difficult to involve several people simultaneously. Alternatively,
assignments that involve visualization work well as group assessment strategies
for example, generating a group concept map or constructing a figure or model
appropriate for an article. Another type of assignment asks students to play the
role of an investigator who has read the article and must propose a line of inves-
tigation that elaborates or tests ideas in the article. Each group can present its
ideas to the class.

Examinations
One overriding principle guides the construction of midterm and final exami-
nations in Introduction to Biochemistrynamely, that examinations must
reflect the course goals. Consequently, there are individual and group parts to
each examination, with the individual part constituting 75% (White, 1997).
Students may bring notes, their course reader, a textbook, and any course
handouts. Because thinking takes time and the length of normal class periods
often discourages challenging questions, the examinations are longer and
scheduled in the evening. The individual part comes first and takes about two
 A P B L C O U R S E T H AT U S E S R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E S A S P R O B L E M S 137

hours. Typically, the last and particularly difficult question on the individual
part serves as the question for the group part of the examination.
Given that problem-solving and conceptual understanding pervade the
course, these features figure prominently in the examinations. Sometimes 50%
or more of an examination will ask students to relate what they know or have
learned to new situations. For example, students may be asked to read and
comment on abstracts from the recent literature or interpret data from a paper
they have not read. Such examinations are rare in introductory courses, and
they generate considerable anxiety. Students recognize that they cannot study
in the usual way (e.g., cram facts) for such an examination and must concen-
trate on concepts in preparation for the unknown. To prepare students, the
syllabus clearly lays out the nature of the examinations and students can
obtain copies of old examinations on the course website (White, 2000b).
While questions involving facts and calculations appear occasionally, most
questions require a narrative or a diagram. The headaches generated by assign-
ing grades after evaluating well-written flawed responses along with poorly
constructed valid ones and everything in between, tempts one to revert to
multiple-choice examinations. However, such ordeals reveal the importance of
subjective examinations in the sciences for conveying the value of good writ-
ing skills and logical thinking ability. Because the level of difficulty of these
examinations varies from year to year, it is impossible to establish numerical
cutoff values for different grades. The average grade is a B, and students rarely
fail the course.

Outcomes
Assessment
On the first day of class, all students complete an initial anonymous question-
naire on which they report their experience and reaction to student groups in
problem-based courses, their attitudes toward science, and their prior knowl-
edge of the subject matter of the course. Among other things, they reveal
whether they have sold their textbooks from prerequisite courses and what
newspapers and magazines they subscribe to or read regularly. At the midterm,
there are formative peer-self-group-course evaluations, evaluation of tutors by
students, and evaluation of students by tutors. These three evaluations are
repeated at the end of the course and contribute up to 5% of a students grade.
In addition, all students complete a summative anonymous course evaluation
that includes questions on attitudes and course goals. These data, representing
138 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

95% of the students who have taken the course over the past six years, along
with daily attendance data and the instructors annual reflective evaluation,
provide a multiyear record to assess changes in the course.
The introduction of upper-class tutor-facilitators in 1996 had a noticeable
and persistent effect on the course (Allen & White, 2000). Attendance, which
always was near or above 90%, improved even further to better than 94%.
Coincident with the increase in attendance was a greater than 20% increase in
the number of hours students reported they spent on the class. Almost every
student disagrees with the statement, My group would have done fine with-
out a tutor.
A significant number of students have difficulty accepting the daily
responsibilities imposed by problem-based learning. Often these are good stu-
dents who are not accustomed to working in cooperative groups and feel the
academic rules have been changed. They often suggest that the course have
more lectures. Tutors-facilitators, who in many cases are converted skeptics,
can use their experience to involve recalcitrant students and get groups to
function where an instructor would lack credibility. On a scale of 1 (excellent)
to 5 (poor), students average rating of the course is 2.02 in the five years since
first using tutor-facilitators.
Compared to their other science courses, students report that Introduction
to Biochemistry requires more library research skill, more writing, a greater
amount of collaboration with classmates, more use of oral communication
skills, and more conceptualization. When asked to reflect on the course after
a year or two, many students say that learning how to read a scientific article
was the most important thing they learned.
Given that students entering Introduction to Biochemistry have little and
often mistaken knowledge about hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia, there is
no doubt that they learn a lot about these topics in the course. Nevertheless,
if content knowledge were the major goal of the course, there would be more
efficient ways for students to learn the material. The course uses content as a
vehicle to sharpen various skills students will need eventually to learn on their
own and that are not emphasized in most of the other courses they take.

Suggestions for Adoption

Introduction to Biochemistry has an extensive website that provides a tem-
plate for adoption or adaptation (White, 2000b). While the course serves
majors, its origin comes from a nonmajors biology course (Epstein, 1970).
 A P B L C O U R S E T H AT U S E S R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E S A S P R O B L E M S 139

The PBL format works well with up to 35 students in facilitator-led groups

of four or five. In principle, any discipline with an extensive primary litera-
ture could use the model. Because few curricula include such a course, enroll-
ments may have to rely on satisfying certain general education requirements.

Author Biography
Harold B. White, III is Professor of Biochemistry in the Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of the Howard Hughes
Medical Institutes Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Pro-
gram at the University of Delaware.

References
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B, III. (1999). A few steps ahead on the same path:
Using peer tutors in the cooperative learning classroomA multilayered
approach to teaching. J. College Science Teaching, 28, 299302.
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B., III. (2000). Peer facilitators of in-class groups:
Adapting problem-based learning to the undergraduate setting. In J. E.
Miller, J. E. Groccia, & M. S. Miller (Eds.), Student-assisted teaching: A
guide to faculty-student teamwork. Bolton, MA: Anker Publications.
Boyer Commission. (1998). Reinventing undergraduate education: A blueprint
for Americas research universities. Washington, DC: Carnegie Founda-
tion. Available online at http://notes.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf.
Day, R. (1983). How to write and publish a scientific paper. Philadelphia, PA:
ISI Press.
Epstein, H. T. (1970). A strategy for education. New York, NY: Oxford Uni-
versity Press.
Epstein, H. T. (1972). An experiment in education. Nature, 235, 203205.
McNeal, A. (2000). How to read a scientific research paper.
http://helios.hampshire.edu/~apmNS/RESOURCES/HOW_READ.html
(2000, June 20).
McNeal, A. P., & Murrain, M. (1994). Drugs in the nervous systemA course
in learning to learn science. College Teaching, 42 (2), 4750.
White, H. B., III. (1992). Introduction to Biochemistry: A different approach.
Biochemical Education, 20 (1), 2223.
White, H. B., III. (1996a). Addressing content in problem-based courses: The
learning issue matrix. Biochemical Education, 24 (1), 4145.
White, H. B., III. (1996b). Dan tries problem-based learning: A case study. To
Improve the Academy, 15, 7591.
140 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

White, H. B., III. (1997). Untimed individual/group exams, problem-based

learning, In S. Tobias and J. Raphael (Eds.), The hidden curriculum:
Faculty-made tests in science. Part 2. Upper-division courses, pp. 102103.
New York, NY: Plenum Press.
White, H. B., III. (2000a). Confronting undergraduate dualism with problem-
based learning. In P. C Taylor, P. J. Gilmer, & K. G. Tobin (Eds.), Trans-
forming undergraduate science teaching: Social constructivist perspectives.
Philadelphia, PA: Lang Publishers, University of Pennsylvania.
White, H. B., III. (2000b). Homepage for CHEM-342, Introduction to Bio-
chemistry, Spring 2000. http://www.udel.edu/chem/white/teaching/
CHEM342.htm (2000, June 20).
White, H. B., III. (2001). Research articles as problems for problem-based
learning: Stokes 1864 spectroscopic study of the redox behavior of
hemoglobin. Journal of College Science Teaching, accepted for publication.
Woodhull-McNeal, A. (1989). Teaching science as inquiry: A course example.
College Teaching, 37 (1), 37.
 13
INTEGRATING ACTIVE
LEARNING AND THE USE OF
TECHNOLOGY IN LEGAL
STUDIES COURSES
Valerie P. Hans

Chapter Summary
This chapter describes the integration of active learning principles and
the use of technology in an undergraduate course on the criminal
courts. The project requires students to participate in teams in a plea
bargaining exercise, in which they research relevant law on the Web
and negotiate with others to resolve a hypothetical case.

Introduction
Snapping after years of abuse, a battered child kills his sleeping father. As his
defense attorney, should you employ the hotly debated battered child
defense to reduce or excuse the childs criminal culpability? As a prosecutor,
you handle the case of a college student who drove while drunk and caused a
serious automobile accident, killing a passenger in the other car. Is it more
appropriate to charge the student with vehicular homicide, manslaughter, or
even murder?
These are some of the questions my students are confronting firsthand in
problem-based learning (PBL) exercises I have created for my legal studies

141
142 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

courses. Courses in legal studies, criminology, and criminal justice, which

examine the operation of law and legal systems, are a superb arena for the use
of PBL. Employing actual and hypothetical court cases presents an opportu-
nity to convey the ethical and empirical issues inherent in many court cases in
a way that is very engaging to students. Active participation is also a superb
way to teach students how to use technology and on-line resources to obtain
information about law. There has been an explosion of law-related material on
the Internet, providing a rich resource for faculty and students interested in
learning about law and legal institutions (Greek & Henry, 1997). Students
must learn to navigate these resources to resolve PBL problems. The use of
law-related PBL problems, then, can be a highly motivating way to integrate
active learning and the use of technology in college teaching.

Background: Getting Started with PBL

and Technology in Teaching
In teaching courses on the courts and legal studies for two decades, I periodi-
cally used exercises and activities that called for students to take the role of
legal system actors, such as judges or jurors, or to conduct their own surveys
and experiments on course topics. I used these activities more frequently in my
smaller seminar classes. The large class that I teach regularly, a course about
the purposes and functioning of the criminal courts, consisted almost exclu-
sively of stand and deliver lectures. This was very consistent with the
lecture-based emphasis of the other introductory courses in my department.
I had become increasingly concerned about the large lecture class. The
course is required for Criminal Justice majors and fulfills a college social sci-
ence requirement, so the students in the class vary dramatically in their pre-
existing knowledge about the courts. Nevertheless, from my perspective, much
of the course material can be intrinsically interesting no matter what a stu-
dents background. The ethical and moral dilemmas of defense attorneys and
prosecutors, the challenges facing judges and jurors who try to do justice, and
the empirical realities of how the courts operate have succeeded in attracting
many viewers to legal news stories and CourtTV, as well as fictionalized legal
dramas on television and the movies (Hans & Dee, 1991). Despite the poten-
tially interesting subject matter, attendance in my lecture class on the courts
was low, and student performance on exams was mediocre.
Participation as a Fellow in the University of Delawares Institute for
Transforming Undergraduate Education (ITUE) in 1998 offered me the oppor-
tunity to refashion the course. The ITUE workshop demonstrated how active
learning approaches could be used to improve student understanding in a
 ACTIVE LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY IN LEGAL STUDIES 143

range of courses, including large lecture classes. The workshop organizers

structured the Institute so that all of the Fellows had time set aside to identify
a topic for a problem, sketch out the problem, work on staging, present a draft
of the problem to other Fellows and organizers, and receive feedback. I chose
to develop a plea bargaining exercise to use in my lecture class on the courts
(Hans, 1999b).

The Plea Bargaining Exercise: Combining

Active Learning and Technology
ITUE organizer Barbara Duch gives a valuable piece of advice to novices
developing their first PBL problem: select a central topic that is always covered
in the course (Duch, Chapter 5 of this book). The issue of plea bargaining eas-
ily meets that qualification for a courts class. It is arguably the most important
phenomenon in criminal case processing. Plea bargaining, which refers to the
negotiation procedure whereby the defense attorney and the prosecutor agree
to resolve the case with a guilty plea rather than a trial, is the method by which
the majority of criminal cases are concluded (Neubauer, 1999). Many legal
actors, including judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, claim that the sys-
tem would be overwhelmed if most cases were tried rather than resolved
through plea bargaining, yet the practice is controversial. The very term bar-
gain suggests to some critics that criminal defendants benefit from the practice
and that the outcomes are more lenient than they deserve (McCoy, 1993). In
some jurisdictions, it has been outlawed (Rubinstein & White, 1979). In recent
years, legislatures have affected plea bargaining by passing minimum manda-
tory sentences for crimes. Nevertheless, resolving a case through plea bargain-
ing reduces uncertainty and holds other incentives for both the prosecution
and the defense.
In prior years, I conveyed the complexities of the plea bargaining process
through lecturing about the phenomenon and presenting the findings of empir-
ical research. In contrast, the PBL problem takes an active approach, present-
ing a hypothetical case to students, allowing them to select roles, and having
them negotiate with one another in small groups to arrive at a resolution in a
specific case. The plea bargaining exercise gives my students a firsthand look
at the attractions and challenges of negotiating a guilty plea, covering some of
the same material as the lecture approach but in a more dynamic way.
Two weeks during the semester are set aside for the problem. Students are
assigned to four-person groups in advance and meet in their groups during
class time over the two-week period. After initial group-building activities,
144 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

such as identifying the pleasures and pitfalls of group work and setting up
group rules (Allen & Duch, 1998; Michaelsen, 19971998), students read the
description of a fatal accident:

[After drinking at a local watering hole], Sam Sad . . . began to

drive to his Newark home. However, according to several witnesses,
at the intersection of Routes 896 and 4, he ran a red left turn light and
hit head-on a car coming the other direction. Madeleine Mad was
driving the car, with her husband Mark in the passenger seat. Mark,
who was not wearing his seat belt, was thrown through the front win-
dow and was killed by the head-on collision. Madeleine, who was
three months pregnant at the time of the accident, was injured despite
the fact that she was wearing a seat belt. She suffered a concussion
and broken arm; furthermore, the day following the accident she
began bleeding and had a miscarriage. (Hans, 1999a)

Students learn that Sam Sads blood alcohol level was .23, exceeding the legal
limit, and that he was arrested by the police. They have an initial group dis-
cussion, identifying some of the legal and evidentiary issues in the case and
assessing what they will need to learn to negotiate a resolution to the case.
These small-group discussions are followed by a whole-class report, to ensure
that all students are aware of the full range of issues implicated in the case.
In the second stage of the problem, students select roles and engage in the
essential background research necessary to resolve the case. Students choose
their own roles in the negotiation. Each group must include a student repre-
senting the victim, the prosecutor, the defendant, and the defense attorney. The
roles are described in such a way as to highlight typical problems and issues in
criminal case resolution. For example, to emphasize the cost borne by families
of the incarcerated, the defendant is a young man who is the sole support of
his wife and two small children so that imprisonment will dramatically affect
his family. The surviving victim joins Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD), to illustrate the role of interest groups in litigation.
The four-person groups divide into two teams for the background
research and negotiation stages. The prosecutor and victim comprise the
prosecution team, while the defense lawyer and defendant collaborate to
research and present the defense perspective. They first discuss their interests
and priorities in the negotiation and determine what they will need to know
to negotiate effectively. The prosecution teams then research Delaware state
law and sentencing guidelines, which are available online, and propose an ini-
tial set of charges to the defense team. The charging process is complex, since
the accident and its consequences could well be charged in several different
 ACTIVE LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY IN LEGAL STUDIES 145

ways. In addition to selecting an appropriate initial charge for the passengers

death, the prosecution team has to undertake legal research about whether or
not the death of a fetus can be charged against the defendant. During this
time, the defense team is examining case law, information on rehabilitation,
and treatment programs for drunk driving, to use as counteroffers and bar-
gaining points in the negotiation. Students use law-related websites and
library resources to put together charges, counteroffers, and arguments.
During several class periods, the group members negotiate together until
they come up with a resolution of the case that is acceptable to all of them. To
assist them in negotiation, I assign Getting to Yes (Fisher & Ury, 1991), the
well-known negotiation text. I also set aside class time for group members to
outline and write a group paper that summarizes their negotiation. The paper
includes a discussion of the priorities of each group member, the initial charge,
the progress of the negotiation, and the outcome agreed upon by the group.
There is also an evaluative component. In line with the approach of Getting to
Yes to attempt solutions that best meet the participants goals, students ana-
lyze the degree to which their group outcome maximizes (or detracts from)
each partys interests.

Outcomes
Over the two years I have employed the plea bargaining negotiation, student
reactions have been generally favorable. Feedback from students is obtained
through anonymous evaluations of the pros and cons of the plea bargaining
exercise shortly after it is concluded, as well as in final course evaluations. The
majority of students (ranging from 60 to 70%, depending on the class) agree
that the plea negotiation is a valuable learning experience. Students report that
the negotiation problem improves their ability to use the Web and other
resources to find information about criminal law, expands their substantive
knowledge of criminal law and plea bargaining, and gives them good experi-
ence in cooperative teamwork. In the most recent evaluation, for example,
71% of the students said that their ability to use the Web to locate criminal
law information had improved; 79% agreed that their knowledge of criminal
law had expanded; 75% said that their knowledge of the plea negotiation
process had increased; and 65% stated that the exercise had provided them
with a good experience in cooperative teamwork. Student comments about the
positive aspects of the negotiation include: I liked applying the negotiation
process to a real problem. It made me better understand the process and the
law, while making it fun; the in-depth group collaboration, the actual
negotiation between the prosecution team and defense team because research
146 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

is just gaining knowledge but negotiating is gaining experience. Thus, oppor-

tunities to cooperate and participate actively with others are cited as aspects
of the negotiation that are most helpful in learning.
Students also identify aspects of the negotiation exercise that interfere
with learning. The chief culprits appear to be other students who dont con-
tribute their fair share, are absent, and whose schedules dont allow out-of-
class meetings. For example, group members not showing up or doing their
work, and the fact that is it too hard to get the whole group together, are
listed as serious problems by some group members. Some students note the
potential unfairness that someones grade can be greatly affected by a group
member not doing their part. Consistent with the students comments, my
teaching assistants and I did observe that in some groups, certain participants
did not contribute their fair share. A peer evaluation form distributed at the
end of the assignment allowed students to provide input on the contributions
of group members, which were taken into account in assigning credit. How-
ever, students were perhaps overly generous to one another in their ratings,
and only the most extreme failures to participate were penalized by group
members.
The book Getting to Yes has both fans and critics among my students; for
some it helps to know the negotiation process and make it more organized
and helps me learn how to use common sense in negotiating, while others
recommend dropping the book requirement, seeing it as a waste of time.
From my vantage point, the plea negotiation produces greater involve-
ment and more and better work from the majority of my students. Class atten-
dance improves, although one can count on the fact that there will always be
some students who miss the in-class group activities and interfere with their
groups progress. In my course, two weeks of class time is set aside for the
assignment (in the evaluations, some students requested more time). Even so,
students spend very significant amounts of time outside of class doing library
and web research and writing the final group paper. The vast majority of the
negotiating groups are able to arrive at a legally justifiable outcome. Indeed,
the most common plea recommended by groups is the outcome that Delaware
legal experts say would be the most likely outcome if the case were to occur in
the real world.
The quality of the group papers has been exceptionally high. For example,
the most recent time I used the plea negotiation, the paper grades were 16 As,
9 Bs, and 2 Cs. Many papers reflect a sophisticated understanding of the links
between law on the books and law as applied to individual cases, and an
appreciation of the different perspectives of the prosecutor, defense attorney,
defendant, and victim in negotiating a case outcome. The power differential
 ACTIVE LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY IN LEGAL STUDIES 147

between prosecution and defense hits home, as does the impact of minimum
mandatory sentences on case negotiation. Judging by the papers, the exercise
successfully moves students beyond Blooms cognitive levels of knowledge and
comprehension of plea bargaining (what my students would probably have
gained through the lecturing approach) to application, analysis, and evalua-
tion levels (Bloom et al., 1956).

Adoption
There are some good reasons, then, to employ law-related PBL exercises in
classes in criminal justice and legal studies. Giving students a chance to resolve
a case themselves can be an engaging way to communicate the factors that
influence plea bargaining.
All the same, the difficulties of employing an intensive problem-based
learning experience like this one in a large class should not be underestimated.
Even with the help of a PBL-savvy teaching assistant and undergraduate teach-
ing assistants who have done the problem themselves in a prior class, I find it
difficult to monitor the progress of 25 to 30 groups and to be able to intervene
in problem groups in a timely fashion. Using law-related PBL exercises in
smaller (2540 person) classes, I have discovered that it is more feasible to
speak to every group in each session to observe their development of the prob-
lems and to provide guidance. Absenteeism is lower and is also easier to spot!
One alternative is the use of undergraduate peer tutors (Allen & White, 1999),
who receive training in PBL and are assigned to one group or a small number
of groups during a semester. The peer tutor approach allows an instructor in
a large class using PBL to keep apprised of each groups progress and to inter-
vene when necessary.
Another factor that should be considered is the instructors time. The plan-
ning and supervising of the student plea negotiation groups takes much more
time than giving a set of lectures on the topic. The assignment asks for student
input about the progress of the negotiation, which needs prompt response, and
there are the papers to mark! An instructor could adjust the assignment to
conform to the amount of time available. For example, the instructor could
prepare a response sheet with specific questions for groups to answer when
they completed the negotiation, rather than requiring each group to write a
paper. Depending on class size, class presentations might be another alterna-
tive to the group paper for reporting the results of the negotiation. Whatever
method is employed, my experience indicates that getting students actively
involved in negotiating a court case outcome increases their motivation and
the intellectual quality of their work.
148 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Author Biography
Valerie P. Hans is Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the
University of Delaware.

References
Allen, D., & Duch, B. (1998). Thinking toward solutions: Problem-based
learning activities for general biology. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders College
Publishing.
Allen, D. E., & White, H. B, III. (1999). A few steps ahead on the same path:
Using peer tutors in the cooperative learning classroomA multilayered
approach to teaching. J. College Science Teaching, 28, 299302.
Bloom, B. et. al. (Eds.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. New
York, NY: Longmans, Green.
Fisher, R., & Ury, W., with Patton, B. (1991). Getting to yes: Negotiating
agreement without giving in. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Greek, C., & Henry, D. B. (1997). Criminal justice resources on the Internet.
Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 8, 9199.
Hans, V. P. (1999a). Crime and punishment: Case negotiation in the criminal
justice system. PBL Problem for CRJU202: Problems of the Criminal Judi-
ciary, Fall 1999. http://www.udel.edu/soc/vhans/negotiation.html (2000,
September 15).
Hans, V. P. (1999b). Plea bargaining: Active learning in a course on the courts.
About Teaching, Fall. Newark, DE: Distributed by the Center for Teach-
ing Effectiveness, University of Delaware. (Also available online at
http://www.udel.edu/cte/aboutteach/fall99/hans.html.)
Hans, V. P., & Dee, J. L. (1991). Media coverage of law: Its impact on juries
and the public. American Behavioral Scientist, 35, 136149.
McCoy, C. (1993). Politics and plea bargaining: Victims rights in California.
Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Michaelsen, L. K. (19971998). Three keys to using learning groups effectively.
Essays on Teaching Excellence, 9 (5). Valdosta, GA: POD Network.
Neubauer, D. W. (1999). Americas courts and the criminal justice system. Bel-
mont, CA: Wadsworth.
Rubenstein, M. L., & White, T. J. (1979). Alaskas ban on plea bargaining.
Law & Society Review, 13, 367383.
 14
PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING IN LARGE
AND VERY LARGE CLASSES
Harry L. Shipman and Barbara J. Duch

Chapter Summary
When an instructor uses problem-based learning (PBL) in a large
class, some changes need to be made in the method to accommodate
the changed teaching situation. The first part of this paper will
describe some ways we have used PBL in large and very large classes.
In general, the class and course require more structure than smaller
classes. The second part of this paper is a preliminary report on a
study of the implementation of PBL in two identical classes, a large
class of 120 students and a very large class of 240 students. We found
that the method did succeed in both classes. However, the experiences
of both students and instructors were better in the smaller class.

Introduction
Many students in colleges and universities in the United States find themselves
in very large classrooms, attempting to learn whatever it is that they are sup-
posed to learn. Class size is really not considered to be a teaching issue.
Classes of 4 coexist with classes of 400 and sometimes, depending on the
institution, even larger. These courses are taught in the same departments, in
the same major fields of study, and sometimes by the same professors. For

149
150 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

many administrative purposes, one course is the same as another, no matter

what the enrollment. In some large universities, the largest lecture halls are
only slightly smaller than Romes Colosseum, with the professor a tiny figure
who is barely visible, and sometimes not even audible, from the back row.
In precollege education, the issue of class size takes center stage in some
rather noisy debates among parents, teachers, administrators, and politicians
about teaching practice. Parents complain bitterly when their children are
placed in classes which are too large, meaning more than 25 students in
many cases. The State of California is spending $1.5 billion every year in an
effort to reduce class sizes in some of its primary schools to fewer than 20 stu-
dents (Bracey, 1999). In college, however, there is no such public debate. Our
educational system functions as if human beings can suddenly become adapted
to large lecture rooms at the age of 18.
Existing research on class size does show a larger effect of class size on
teaching effectiveness for younger students than for older students. A number
of studies (e.g., Finn & Achilles, 1999; Zahorik, 1999; and a nice review by
Grissmer, 1999) have shown that in elementary school, students in smaller
classes do learn better. At the college level, a large number of studies of teach-
ing effectiveness have shown mixed results. The results of a very early study by
Edmondson and Mulder (1924) showed that student performance on simple
cognitive tasks was not significantly different when the class size was changed
from 43 to 109. However, when more complex cognitive tasks, such as critical
thinking and real-world problem solving, are studied, research favors smaller
classes, but the effects are relatively small (Kulik & Kulik, 1989). Research on
samples of college students in a large university has shown that some college
students report a high comfort level with the anonymity of larger classes (Wulff,
Nyquist, & Abbott 1989). A brief but excellent review of the research is pro-
vided in McKeachies classic work (McKeachie 1994, pp. 198202).
The research on the effectiveness of teaching in large classes has practical
consequences. Many enlightened and informed administrators are aware that
research in college classes shows small or no benefits from small classes. So
faculty who advocate for smaller classes are challenged to make a case for
them. One reasoned response is that much of the research is based on the lec-
ture paradigm. We are not aware of any studies of the effects of class size on
teaching effectiveness where an inquiry-based mode of instruction such as PBL
is used as the basic teaching method. Consequently, we conducted the study
reported in the second part of this chapter.
This paper will not venture into the causes of the traditions that make
large lectures such a significant presence on college and university campuses.
Rather, we accept these conditions as reality for much of higher education in
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N L A R G E A N D V E RY L A R G E C L A S S E S 151

many parts of the world. A reform like problem-based learning must work in
large classes if it is to have a significant impact on American higher education.
If it can only work in medical schools and in small, liberal arts colleges, such
as Swarthmore (where the largest classroom on campus seats 40 students), its
impact is limited. The primary focus of this chapter is What happens when
an instructor implements PBL in progressively larger classes?

Barriers to the Implementation

of PBL in a Large Classroom
Both authors have experienced PBL, in some form, in large and small classes.
One of us (HS) probably has had the most extreme conditions in either direc-
tion, with using PBL in classes as small as 4 and as large as 340. We have team-
taught classes ranging in size from 8 to 240.
In a small class, we can give groups a problem to work on and let the indi-
vidual groups essentially take their own directions toward a solution. As long
as the class size is less than about 25, it is possible for one instructor to keep
in touch with what each group is doing and take appropriate action if the
group ends up going in a direction that the instructor knows is unproductive.
When the authors of this paper team-taught a physical science course to eight
students, most of whom were in-service teachers, we observed two different
groups of four students go off in completely different directions in solving a
problem relating to the science of color. We provided each group with appro-
priate guidance, and both groups developed an appropriate understanding of
the topic. In fact, the members of the two groups appreciated the different
paths that each had taken.
The principal change that takes place as the class gets larger is that an
instructor is not able to keep in touch with what is going on in all of the
groups. For example, in an interdisciplinary, team-taught class on Science and
Religion, a class of 50 students was divided into permanent groups, and both
instructors (HS and Jeff Jordan, a philosophy professor) roved around the
room, facilitating discussions within the groups. The first year this course was
taught, one group at the front of the room always seemed seriously engaged in
quite animated discussion. One student observed on a midsemester evaluation
that what was going on in the group was that an atheist and a theist were vig-
orously arguing and that the other group members were not participating in
the discussion. Actual classroom observation showed that the student was cor-
rect. While the instructor could, and did, intervene in order to try to include
all members in group discussions, the pattern had been set. Unless one of the
152 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

two instructors devoted his class time exclusively to that one group, it would
be slightly dysfunctional. Final student evaluations of group performance con-
firmed that the functioning of this group was less than optimal.
Several strategies can be employed to adapt a small-class PBL technique to
a large-class situation and are discussed in more detail in Chapters 4 and 8 of
this text. Instructors can do the following:

Find help, bringing peer tutors, graduate TAs, or other individuals

into the classroom so that more individuals can monitor groups.
Add more structure to the PBL teaching style, so groups are less likely
to get off track.
Use more minilectures to minimize the instructors need to know
what is going on in each group.

Find Help
Many Delaware instructors using large-class PBL have a number of additional
individuals in the classroom, either undergraduate peer tutors or graduate
teaching assistants. These additional individuals can circulate around the
room, monitoring many more groups than is possible for a single instructor.
Undergraduate peer tutors are described elsewhere in this volume by Allen and
White. The authors experience so far has primarily been with graduate teach-
ing assistants (TAs), who may or may not be able to be helpful depending on
the specifics of the teaching situation.
Graduate TAs can be helpful if they have had some experience with
inquiry learning techniques, have an opportunity to get to know individual
students in the class, and clearly understand that group facilitation in the large
class is part of their job. One of us (BD) taught a physical science class in the
spring of 2000 where the majority of laboratory and discussion section teach-
ing was done by two graduate TAs. Each of these individuals taught lab and
discussion sections to the same set of 48 students and so was able to get to
know them. Both of these individuals had better than average communications
skills. The course was set up in such a way that the TAs were able to antici-
pate what was going on in the larger class. However, when TAs simply come
into the large class to deal with students and learning situations they dont
know so well, their help has been less useful.

Add Structure
Flexibility in a PBL setting diminishes as the size of the class grows. When
dealing with 250 students, or even 120, our experience based on classroom
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N L A R G E A N D V E RY L A R G E C L A S S E S 153

observation shows that the group discussion time needs to be limited to no

more than 15 minutes at a time. Students should also be made accountable for
the results of their discussions by knowing that they will be reporting them
verbally or in writing. Giving groups overhead transparencies and pens at the
beginning of discussion is a good method for having many groups share their
ideas with the whole class. More detail on adding structure to large PBL
classes can be found in Chapter 4.

Use More Minilectures

We have found that one way of adding structure is to intersperse group dis-
cussion time with minilectures based on the results of issues that arise during
group discussion time. After students identify their learning issues and have
done some research on them, the instructor can base a minilecture on some
central ideas that are critical to understanding those concepts. In a sense, the
instructor can use minilectures to do the same guidance and probing that a
tutor or facilitator would do in a small group.

Facilitating the Transition to PBL

As was the case nationally, much of the PBL innovation at Delaware and in
the authors own careers started with smaller classes. One of the chief barriers
to introducing PBL in large classes is that instructors are concerned with what
will happen if things go wrong in a major way. This concern is repeatedly
raised by participants in the PBL workshops that we have offered, both on
campus and elsewhere in the country. It was crucially important for one of us
(HS) to create an opportunity where he could teach a small class to try out PBL
before it was tried in a large class.
Another way for faculty who habitually teach large classes to become
adapted to PBL is to have them begin with some easier techniques that permit
students to work in small groups, even in a class where the dominant peda-
gogical mode is still the lecture. Angelo and Cross (1993) describe a number
of such techniques. We have found that think-pair-share and the minute paper
are the easiest to adapt to larger class settings.
The presence, at the University of Delaware, of a substantial group of fac-
ulty who have adopted and adapted PBL in their own large classes has pro-
vided some consistent mutual support and encouragement to many of us. Sim-
ply knowing that someone who teaches more than a hundred students has
been able to get out of lecture mode can help faculty members surmount some
of the barriers. Someone elses success can encourage faculty to try inquiry-
learning techniques like PBL. In the early days (the early 1990s), there were
154 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

only a few Delaware faculty who had used PBL in large classes. Now, in 2000,
there are at least a dozen. It is often not even necessary to visit someone elses
classes to benefit from their experience (though classroom visits can help). A
few encouraging words in a short conversation can make a big difference.

PBL in a Large and a Very Large Class

In the spring semester of 1999, the two authors of this chapter studied the
implementation of PBL in two identical sections of the same course. The
course was a physical science course, offered to general audiences, including a
significant component of elementary teacher education majors, who were
using the course as one of their three required science courses. Discipline areas
covered included physics, chemistry, and astronomy. One class section, which
we refer to as the large class, enrolled 120 students. The other class section,
the very large class, enrolled 240 students. The two classes were taught on
the same day, with a 15-minute break in between the two, making it easier to
offer the same instructional experience in both classes. Both sessions of the
class were taught in the same room, an auditorium-style classroom originally
built in 1962 with fixed, forward-facing seats, raked upward toward the back
with only two aisles running toward the front of the room to provide student
(and teacher) access to the seats. This is not the kind of room that is usually
thought of as being conducive to group work.
The classes were taught with the PBL paradigm, based on the philosophy
of constructivism (Posner, Strike, Hewson, & Gerzog, 1982; Strike & Posner,
1992; Duit & Treagust, 1998). The teaching practices are generally congruent
with recommendations of national bodies (National Academy of Sciences,
1997). A webpage describing the way this course was offered can be found at
http://www/udel.edu/physics/scen102/. The 1999 offering of the course was
the one we studied.
In classes of this size, it is possible to gather an extremely large amount of
data. The authors both kept journals and were in class almost every day, even
when the other instructor was leading the class. We preserved all student arti-
facts, including the written reports of student groups. Occasionally, the class
was monitored by independent observers, and we used data that they gathered.
The data that played the greatest role in the present paper were journals of stu-
dents and professors, a midsemester course evaluation (which was indepen-
dently analyzed by Gabriele Bauer of the Universitys Center for Teaching Effec-
tiveness), interviews with focus groups conducted by Bauer and Beth Jones of
West Virginia University, and an end-of-semester evaluation conducted on the
IDEA system, a nationally validated and normed course evaluation instrument.
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N L A R G E A N D V E RY L A R G E C L A S S E S 155

The Success of PBL in Both Large

and Very Large Classes
Does PBL work in large classes? In summary, the answer is yes. A variety of
ways of ascertaining students ability to learn in groups shows that for the
majority of students, their experience in solving problems in small groups sig-
nificantly helped their learning and also prepared them for their working lives.
Only a small minority of students in both classes did not find that their group
worked for them. Student performance on examinations and in the class as a
whole was good.
According to students self-assessments, as validated by other measures,
most students could learn successfully in groups. In an evaluation at the mid-
point of the semester, students were asked in an open-ended question, what
aspects of this course contribute most to your learning? In both the large and
very large classes, group work was the second most often cited aspect of the
course, with only classroom demonstrations mentioned more often. Data from
the focus group interviews indicate that a majority of students feel very
strongly that they can learn actively (Bauer & Jones, 2000).
Independent assessments of group performance validate the students self-
reports. In a classroom observation conducted early in the semester, where
groups were monitored for 3 minutes and the observer recorded student behav-
ior, 43 of a sample of 55 randomly selected students (78%) spoke to others in
the group, 8 students (15%) did not speak but were attentive to group discus-
sion, and only 4 students (7%) were inattentive to the group work.
At the end of the semester, students were asked to send the instructor a
reflective journal in which they summarized their experiences in this
course, highlighting the significant ones (whether they were positive or nega-
tive). A few extracts from these student journals capture the flavor of student
reactions:

The item that I found the most helping and therapeutic was the fact
that we had groups. It was great to be able to have help on hand at
all times, not only from the professors but also from my peers. I dont
know if my group was an exception or not, but we have all become
extremely close. Not only do we spend time together in class, but we
spend time together outside of class now as friends too. (Female ele-
mentary teacher education major, large class)

I found it very interesting to work with the other students in my

group, in order to figure out a common problem. By combining all of
our thoughts, we were able to figure out what was on the bottom of
156 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

the cube, without looking at it. Some of the reasons proposed by my

group members fascinated me. (Female business major, large class)

Being in groups helped me to understand what problems and

strengths groups can have. I can use what I learned by trying to get
along in groups and tell my students difficulties and strategies that
worked for our group work. (Female elementary teacher education
major, very large class)

A minority of students did not respond positively to group work. In

midsemester and final course evaluations, their comments called for more
lectures, more explanations, and less group work. Some of these stu-
dents went so far as to completely tune out of group discussions during the
large class. In some cases, with some encouragement from professors and TAs,
students eventually would blend into the group. One of the four students who
conspicuously ignored his group during the observation made early in the
semester was credited by his group as being a full participant at the semesters
end. A journal comment from one of these students captures the concerns that
several expressed in different ways:

My group did hardly anything for me. There was a lack of interest in
the group and hardly any participation except for when we needed
participation points. I tried to spur conversation and get people think-
ing, but I got hardly any response. There was only one girl in my group
who actually tried. The other two just sat there and stared out into
nothing. (Male English secondary education major, very large class)

How many students did not buy in to the concept of group work? Depend-
ing on the way we answer this question and the intensity of student disengage-
ment, the percentage ranges from 5% to just under 25%. A small minority of
studentsby any measures, less than 10%had serious problems with group
work. We asked students to assess the extent to which their peers contributed
to group work. Only 20 students in both sections (5.5%) were credited by their
fellow students with less than full participation. The students reports are con-
sistent with two classroom observations which showed 7% of students not
interacting with their groups.
A larger percentage of students reported on evaluations that group work
was not their preferred learning style. On the midsemester evaluation,
21.4% of 219 respondents explicitly asked for less group work in response
to an open-ended question. Of 283 respondents on the final evaluation,
24.3% answered that the statement I can learn the important concepts in
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N L A R G E A N D V E RY L A R G E C L A S S E S 157

class with group learning was either definitely false or more false than
true. Fragmentary data on long-term trends at the University of Delaware
indicate that the percentage who do not prefer group work has significantly
decreased in the past five years. We do not have the data to determine how
many of the students who self-report an inclination against groups really
have troubles learning in groups. We can both think of examples of students
who contributed reasonably well to their groups yet told us that they really
would prefer it if we lectured more, or exclusively.
We regret that our use of group work and our explicit efforts to persuade
students that they will need group skills in their later careers only succeeded
with 7595% of our students rather than 100%. However, we are still con-
vinced that PBL and its use of collaborative groups are good ideas. Even stu-
dents who have difficulty with groups can learn from the experience. HS had
one experience with a student, Brett (a pseudonym), who had tremendous
difficulties with his group in the physical science course. His groupmates were
extremely upset when he was half an hour late to a major group presentation.
His TA reported that no two of the students in that group could work with
the third. One semester later, Brett took another course with HS that incor-
porated permanent groups. He had a completely differentand much more
positiveexperience the second time around. His groupmates credited him
with full participation, and classroom observation revealed a smoothly func-
tioning group. We are pleased that Brett was able to learn how to work in
groups in college rather than in a much less forgiving settingon the job.
Student performance on examinations confirms the previously discussed,
more subjective, data that shows that our use of PBL was a success. We used
a number of questions that had been used in previous years with the class,
which one of us (HS) has taught since 1989. Student performance in the study
year of 1999 was consistent with performance in previous years, including the
1989 time period when the course was largely lecture-based. We used some
questions from the Force Concept Inventory test. We cannot directly compare
the performance of our general-audience students with average math skills
(i.e., struggling with fractions and algebra) who studied motion for three
weeks in a course with the performance of scientists and engineers who stud-
ied force and motion for a full semester in a calculus-based course. However,
our students did substantially exceed our expectations. The number of Ds
(10), Fs (1), and withdrawals (12) is a very small fraction of the 360 students
in both sections of our course. There were no significant differences in the per-
formance of a sample of students from each section on examinations, even
when we matched a sample from each section using sex, major, and year in
school.
158 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Greater Success of PBL in the Smaller

of the Two Classes
One purpose of our division of our physical science class into a class of 240
and a class of 120 was to investigate the effects of class size on student learn-
ing. In summary, while PBL worked in both the large and very large classes,
from the viewpoint of both students and instructors, it worked better in the
large class of 120 students than in the very large class of 240 students.
One of the most important objectives of a science class for general audi-
ences lies in the affective domainin the area of developing a better attitude
toward the subject, as well as a greater understanding of it. Thus, the fact that
we had comparable exam scores in the two classes only tells part of the story.
Our future elementary teachers are more likely to spend their time and energy
teaching science if they actually like the subject. The other students in our
class, who include business leaders and politicians, are more likely to express
their interest in science in their later lives through their entertainment selec-
tions and tax dollars if their college courses have fostered a positive interest in
science.
A variety of measures of students activities in their groups indicate more
positive attitudes in the large class of 120 than in the very large class of 240.
Twenty-six out of 81 respondents in the large class to the midsemester course
evaluation (32%) mentioned group work as being something that contributed
most to their learning. Only 33 out of 150 respondents (22%) in the very large
class made similar mentions of group work. Other measures of student satis-
faction with group work, such as their success on their Big Projects or
student-designed, long-term independent laboratory investigations, also indi-
cate greater engagement in the large class than in the very large class.
The most statistically significant of these measures come from an end-of-
semester course evaluation conducted using the IDEA system. This course
evaluation instrument, in development at Kansas State University for nearly
30 years and with most of the questions stable since 1975, has been nationally
normed and validated with more than 100,000 student responses. Cashin
(1995), Cashin and Downey (1992), and Sixbury and Cashin (1995) provide
background on this system of course evaluation and support the validity of
using it.
Table 14.1 lists the 5 of the 10 rating dimensions of the IDEA system
where there were statistically significant differences between student ratings
in the large class of 120 and the very large class of 240. Evaluations were
administered on the same day by the departments laboratory coordinator,
with neither instructor present when students filled out the evaluation. We
 Table 14.1. Differences in Measures of Teaching Effectiveness
Significance Level Significance Level
Very Large Large Class (Number of Standard (from a T-test;
Criterion Class Score Score Deviations; Adjusted Data) Unadjusted Data)
Improved student attitude 40 46 4.7 _ p < 0.02
toward subject
Overall excellence of teacher 47 51 3.1 _ p < 0.04
Overall excellence of course 41 50 7.1 _ p < 0.006
Learning fundamental 37 46 5.5 _ p < 0.0006
principles, generalizations,
or theories
Acquiring an interest in learning 38 44 4.7 _ p < 0.02
159

more by asking my own

questions and seeking answers
All 10 items reported by 52.3 49.7 6.5 _
the IDEA system
Because these data are reported by the IDEA center as T-scores, which all have a standard deviation of 10, the standard deviations of the mean are
identical (0.73 for the large class, with N=92, and 1.04 for the very large class, with N=185). The first five items in this table report only those
criteria where the difference between the large class and very large class is statistically significant and where the difference is consistent with and
without IDEAs adjustments. The IDEA system adjusts the data for the effects of class size, student desire to take the course no matter who taught
it, and other student motivational influences, based on their experience.
The last two columns report the significance of the data. The fourth column uses the language and methods of the physical sciences and reports
the difference between the IDEA-adjusted means in units of standard deviations of the mean. The usual criterion of significance depends on the
investigator but is generally 2 or 3 standard deviations (23 _). The fifth column uses the language and methods of science education researchers to
report the difference between the unadjusted data, using students two-tailed T-test. For a description of the IDEA system, see
http://www.idea.ksu.edu or Cashin and Downey (1992).
160 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

find it particularly interesting that the difference between the two classes per-
sists even when the IDEA system corrects its ratings for the effects of class
size, using an algorithm developed from all of the classes in its database (the
majority of which are lecture-based). We also find it interesting that two of
the dimensions on which there is a difference (Improved Student Attitude
Towards Subject and Acquiring an Interest in Learning More. . .) are pri-
marily from the affective domain.

Implications
At the current stage of data analysis, it is not possible to determine exactly
why PBL was more effective with a group of 120 than with a group of 240.
However, we can offer a number of observations. We could give the students
in the class of 120 considerably more individual attention than those in the
class of 240. In the spring of 1999, the room could hold exactly 283 students,
which meant that conditions in the class of 240 were quite crowded. The
impact of teaching the large class on the instructors time was considerably less
than is the case with the very large class.
A class of 120 students sounds like a large class and is a large class, but
when students work in groups of 4, there are 30 student groups, and it is pos-
sible for an individual instructor to give each group some attention at least
occasionally. When groups are asked to report to the large class, it is occa-
sionally possible to get students to speak in front of the large group without
feeling intimidated. Our experience in the spring of 2000, when each of us
taught a class of 120, was that we could learn many if not all students names
and, indeed, could treat them as individuals. We can deal more easily with
individual groups and be more attentive to their needs. Our perceptions are
quite consistent with the data reported for smaller classes and earlier grade
levels by Zahorik (1999).
From an administrative perspective, the issue is not just how large an indi-
vidual class is, but how many students a particular instructor is responsible for
during a given semester. During the study year (1999), the two of us were col-
lectively responsible for 360 students, and one of us had some administrative
responsibility for the laboratory for the entire course of 480 students. In the
spring of 2000, each of us was only responsible for one class of 120, with one
of us having some responsibility for the course laboratory (which again
enrolled 480 students). We both found that when we only had 120 students to
deal with in one semester we could give them considerably more attention.
Another issue is room capacity. In the class of 120, we left several rows of
seats vacant so that we could be in conversation with every single group in the
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N L A R G E A N D V E RY L A R G E C L A S S E S 161

room. While we intended to leave a few vacant rows in the class of 240, we
had to fill up those vacant rows; thus, we could not gain access to some stu-
dent groups. In addition, groups that were assigned seats in the back of the
room could not move if they wished. In the class of 120, we called our seat
assignments for groups initial assignments and permitted groups to move
where they wanted. (In HSs class of 120 in the same room in the spring of
2000, about one-third of groups moved from their initial positions). In the
class of 240, we were not able to move students. The effects of the room size
and crowded conditions appeared in one student journal:

I was placed in the back of the room. Usually in large lecture classes
it is to my advantage to sit in the front where I can participate and
interact with the professor more. I found that even though I spoke to
you and Dr. Duch, [it was] to no avail[;] I could not be moved. I found
the back to be distracting and as a result my learning was not to the
fullest. I think that group work on the whole is a noble idea but not
in the lecture hall setting.

Our last observation about class size involves our reaction as instructors.
All college instructors are used to putting in overtime, and we are no excep-
tion. However, keeping track of the group assignments as students added
and dropped the course simply consumed the attention of one of us (HS) for
the first three weeks of the semester. Fortunately, BD was leading the class
during that time. During the semester, we had to intervene to help manage a
few groups, all of which were in the very large class. At the end of the study
semester (spring 1999) neither of us was willing to manage permanent
groups in a class of 240. The following fall, when HS had a class of 280
(taught in a different, larger room), he used casual groups, in order to avoid
the management problems of dealing with permanent groups. He did use
permanent groups in his other classes that academic year, which had enroll-
ments of 30 and 120. BD has used permanent groups in her classes, which
had enrollments of 120 or less.
Teaching is a sufficiently subtle and complex process that we do not
believe it is possible, on the basis of the present study, to say (for example) that
it is always all right to use PBL in a class of 120 and always not all right to
use it in a class of 240. Indeed, one of us has used PBL in a class of 280 since
this class was taught, but with casual groups rather than permanent groups.
However, we do believe that the present study suggests that class size makes a
difference when inquiry-learning techniques, such as PBL, are implemented.
The research literature indicates less of a difference when a class is taught pri-
marily by lectures.
162 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

As a recommendation for both further studies and administrative prac-

tices, we believe it is particularly important to pay attention to class size when
the size goes beyond 100 students. Another significant variable is the total
number of students a faculty member is responsible for in all of that instruc-
tors courses. It is also important to consider the size of the room that a par-
ticular class is taught in, compared with the number of students in the class.
PBL teaching techniques can benefit from extra space so that students can
move around.

This research has been supported by NSF grants DUE-95-53787,

DUE-97-52285, and by the Pew Charitable Trusts. We thank
Gabriele Bauer, Beth Jones, and Judi Provencal for their observations
of this class at various times in the spring of 1999 and Duane Pontius
for his encouragement.

Authors Biographies
Harry L. Shipman is the Annie Jump Cannon Professor of Astron-
omy, in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University
of Delaware.
Barbara J. Duch is Associate Director of the Mathematics and
Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware.

References
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San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bauer, G., & Jones, E. (2000). Summary of major findings from student focus
groups on problem-based learning (PBL) experiences. Internal University
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Bracey, G. W. (1999). The ninth Bracey report on the condition of public edu-
cation. Phi Delta Kappan, 81(1), 147148, 150160, 162168.
Cashin, W. E. (1995). Student ratings of teaching: The research revisited.
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Cashin, W. E., & Downey, R. G. (1992). Using global student ratings for sum-
mative evaluation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84, 563572.
Duit, R., & Treagust, D. (1998). Learning in science: From behaviorism towards
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national Handbook of Science Education (pp. 326). Boston: Kluwer.
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Edmondson, J. B., & Mulder, F. J. (1924). Size of class as a factor in univer-

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McKeachie, W. (1994). Teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for col-
lege and university teachers. Lexington, MA: Heath.
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Posner, G. J., Strike, K. A., Hewson, P. W., & Gerzog, W. A. (1982). Accom-
modation of a scientific conception: Toward a theory of conceptual
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Sixbury, G. R., & Cashin, W. E. (1995). Description of database for the IDEA
diagnostic form. Technical Report No. 9 Manhattan, KS: Instructional
Development and Educational Assessment Center.
Strike, K. A., & Posner, G. J. (1992). A revisionist theory of conceptual
change. In R. Duschl and R. Hamilton (Eds.), Philosophy of Science, Cog-
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Wulff, D. H., Nyquist, J. D., & Abbott, R. D. (1989). Students perceptions of
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Zahorik, J. A. (1999). Reducing class size leads to individualized instruction.
Educational Leadership, 57 (1), 5053.
 15
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING:
PREPARING NURSES
FOR PRACTICE
Christine A. Cannon
and Kathleen A. Schell

Chapter Summary
Nurses in practice today are challenged by a variety of problematic
situations in providing healthcare. Nursing education must integrate
problem-based learning (PBL) strategies that prepare students to
approach and manage these real-life situationsultimately, resulting
in the safe, effective, and efficient delivery of care.

Introduction
To prepare students to step into professional practice, nursing educators focus
on the most common roles and responsibilities assumed by nurses in practice.
Preparation includes a foundation in the arts needed for caring in an expand-
ing and increasingly diverse world, and in the many sciences upon which
rational and systematic care is based. In addition, learning how to approach
common situations, how to make decisions, and solve problems related to
practice is critical. Application of knowledge occurs in a variety of practice
settings from the classroom and lab to in-patient and community settings.
The use of real-life problems is essential for preparing students for practice
making a strong case for the use of problem-based learning throughout the

165
166 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

curriculum. This chapter describes the rationale for integrating PBL within
nursing curricula, a brief review of the nursing literature describing the use of
PBL, and the implementation of a PBL model at the University of Delawares
Department of Nursing.

The Case for PBL

Problem Solving in Practice
The rationale for integrating PBL into nursing curricula is obvious when one
considers the most common practice responsibilities. For example, nurses use
the scientific, problem-solving method known as the nursing process during
care delivery in many settings. Steps in this process include: (a) the collection
of history and physical assessment data through systematic questioning,
inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation, (b) the prescription and/or
review of laboratory and diagnostic test results, (c) collaborative planning
based on the information gathered, (d) the delivery of coordinated care in
which the client and family participate, and (e) the evaluation of responses to
interventions to refine the plan of care. Each of these steps involves activities
requiring thinking approaches that can be developed through PBL. For exam-
ple, acknowledging first impressions, comparing data with norms, making
hunches, and clustering data are steps in reasoning required for daily clinical
assessment and evaluation. These thinking processes lead to continuing
focused inquiry and problem solving essential for efficient and effective care
(Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 1999). Based on qualitative analysis of observations
and semistructured interviews of 80 novice and expert staff nurses, Taylor
(1997) found that one thinking process, referred to as diagnostic reasoning, is
a problem-solving strategy used while providing care. However, novice nurses
infrequently implement this strategy. She suggests that PBL in undergraduate
courses will improve problem-solving abilities in practice. PBL also promotes
students ability to collaborate and to participate in shared decision making,
essential skills in health care (Amos & White, 1998; Bentley & Nugent, 1996).
Critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity required for
care must be practiced throughout the educational experience.

Changes and Challenges

Dramatic changes in health care have created many new challenges that
require the critical thinking skills that are so much a part of PBL. Today,
nurses practice their professions in homes, communities, and over the Internet,
as well as in the more traditional settings of hospitals, clinics and physician
offices. The economic changes in health care delivery continue to challenge
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G : P R E PA R I N G N U R S E S F O R P R A C T I C E 167

providers and recipients of care. Medical advances and economic mandates

have contributed to shortened hospitalizations for clients with acute illnesses
or trauma and for those undergoing surgeryleaving little time for psycho-
social support and educational preparation. The consumer-focused health care
system with active participation of health care recipients at all levelsfrom the
provision of physical care to involvement with end-of-life decisionsis chang-
ing the advocate and educator roles of nurses. Creativity, flexibility, and the
ability to apply practice knowledge and skills to changing contexts, new situ-
ations, and more involved recipients of health care require the use of logical,
analytical, and problem-solving skills that characterize PBL (Catalano, 1996).
Nurses identify and approach an abundance of issues and problems affect-
ing the profession. In 1999, during the American Nurses Association conven-
tion, delegates discussed a number of global issues including the following:
(a) the impact of Medicare payment systems on nursing practice, (b) rising inci-
dence of occupational injuries and illnesses that face health care workers,
(c) the need for engineering controls to prevent needle stick injuries and expo-
sure to blood-borne diseases, (d) the preservation of privacy and confidentiality,
(e) the use of genetic information, as well as (f) nursings responsibilities related
to the use of weapons and in mass casualty incidences (American Nurses Asso-
ciation, 1999). Any of these issues representing problems being addressed in
todays health care arena would make excellent examples for PBL activities.

The Practice-Education Gap

To strengthen the case for integrating PBL in nursing curricula, it must be
remembered that those in nursing practice have long criticized those in nurs-
ing education for distancing students from the real world of health care. Tra-
ditional teaching strategies do not produce the desired outcomes of critical
thinking, independent decision making, and autonomy that are needed by
todays graduates (Bentley & Nugent, 1996; Biley & Smith, 1998; Heliker,
1994). Moreover, Creedy, Horsfall, and Hand (1992) claim that although
graduates of traditional Australian baccalaureate nursing programs possessed
analytical skills, they lacked the ability to synthesize information and place it
in social context. The survival of educational programs is dependent on
preparing students to practice in todays challenging health care environment.
It is impossible to provide the breadth of knowledge that students will need to
practice. Rather, relevant and meaningful information must be selectively cho-
sen to reflect real-life situations (Horsburgh, Lynes, & Oliver, 1984). Knowl-
edge acquired must be retained and applied to practice (Andrews & Jones,
1996; Bentley & Nugent, 1996; Heliker, 1994). PBL links theory with practice
(Creedy et al., 1992; Frost, 1996).
168 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Problem-based Learning in Nursing Education

Problem-based learning in nursing education was first described in the litera-
ture of the 1980s and was primarily used in Australia and New Zealand
(Creedy et al., 1992; Horsburgh et al., 1984; Little & Ryan, 1987). This
approach is slowly gaining acceptance in the United States, but it continues to
be considered innovative in nursing (Heliker, 1994). PBL has been incorpo-
rated in undergraduate, baccalaureate for the registered nurse, and graduate
nursing programs. It has been used in an interdisciplinary course for medical
students and nurse practitioner students (Frost, 1996). Biley and Smith (1998),
Creedy et al., (1992), Heliker (1994) and Tanner (1990) describe the theoret-
ical underpinnings of PBL.

Incorporation of PBL in the Nursing Curriculum

PBL may be the primary teaching-learning approach used in a nursing pro-
gram (Alavi, 1995; Little & Ryan, 1987), or it may be combined with other
strategies (Andrews & Jones, 1996). For example, Helicker (1994) suggests
that PBL discussion groups focusing on actual clinical situations could follow
minilectures. Generally, students work on a PBL case for several class sessions
(Bentley & Nugent, 1996; Garbett, 1996; King, Sebastian, Stanhope, & Hick-
man, 1997).
PBL has been applied to courses focusing on health and life changes
(Alavi, 1995); adult health nursing (Garbett, 1996), nursing management of
patients with pathophysiological problems (Horsburgh et al., 1984), health
breakdown (Alavi, 1995; Little & Ryan, 1987), pharmacology-nutrition
(Helicker, 1994), home health (Bentley & Nugent, 1996) and community
health (Frost, 1996; King et al., 1997). PBL is effective in facilitating clinical
postconferences for senior-level nursing students (Bentley & Nugent, 1996). In
a baccalaureate program for registered nurses, PBL has been used to validate
the students current knowledge base and level of experience in several spe-
cialty areas, such as critical care, obstetrics, pediatrics, and psychiatry (Amos
& White, 1998). PBL has also been incorporated into a preceptorship to facil-
itate the transition from student to graduate nurse during the first 6 to
12 months of professional practice (Crowe, 1994).

Implementation and Evaluation of PBL

The mechanics of PBL vary among nursing programs. Students may work in
groups of between 4 and 10 (Amos & White, 1998; Biley & Smith, 1998; Lit-
tle & Ryan, 1987). However, Alavi (1995) describes groups of 20 students
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G : P R E PA R I N G N U R S E S F O R P R A C T I C E 169

who eventually work in smaller subgroups to gather information. Typically,

the problems or situations are based on actual clinical cases (Alavi, 1995;
Bentley & Nugent, 1996; Garbett, 1996; Little & Ryan, 1987). In fact, Alavi
(1995) describes how faculty used information on patients admitted to a local
Emergency Department during one shift to create a learning package that
spanned the semester. Open-ended questions, guidelines, audiotapes, and
videotapes may assist the students to explore the problem (Alavi, 1995; Bent-
ley & Nugent, 1996; Frost, 1996; Horsburgh et al., 1984; King et al., 1997).
Anecdotally, PBL receives positive feedback from nursing students and
faculty. Improvement in critical thinking, creative thinking, learning how to
learn, teamwork, and research skills has been reported (Amos & White,
1998; Bentley & Nugent, 1996; King et al., 1997). Although PBL was chal-
lenging and a lot of work, students experienced personal growth as their self-
esteem and professionalism increased (Amos & White, 1996). However, stu-
dents may experience difficulty adjusting to faculty who do not simply
provide knowledge and may need time to develop skills in self-directed learn-
ing (Little & Ryan, 1987). They may feel overwhelmed with this less tradi-
tional thinking process and may be anxious that they will not be able to pass
final licensure examinations (Garbett, 1996). Upon program completion, stu-
dents find PBL empowering and informative and are more confident in their
problem-solving skills.
Andrews and Jones (1996) conducted a case study of the phenomenon of
the problem-solving process among 11 senior-level baccalaureate students par-
ticipating in the adult branch component of a course. The researchers observed
six 3-hour PBL learning sessions, provided debriefing sessions for students,
and then reflected on the previous events. Several concerns were expressed.
For example, instructors often predetermine problem identification so that
students may be weaker in recognizing problems. In turn, this may hinder
application of classroom concepts to the clinical setting. They found that stu-
dents were more competent at handling concrete problems than abstract prob-
lems. Furthermore, students were able to collect large volumes of information
but did not consistently attain the depth of understanding desired. Because a
variety of teaching methods were used in the course, identification of the direct
outcomes of PBL was not possible.
Biley & Smith (1998) recommend that nurse educators cautiously adopt
PBL because much of the supportive outcome research is found in medical lit-
erature, the research focuses on isolated variables, and the articles submitted
are written from a pro-PBL stance. Evaluative research in the nursing discipline
is essential for nurse educators to confidently embrace PBL in the curriculum.
170 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Integration of PBL Methods Throughout the Nursing

Curricula at the University of Delaware
Supported by the multiplicity of problems found in health care practice today
and the opportunities within nursing education to learn problem solving in
various settings, PBL methods need to be fully integrated throughout the cur-
ricula of basic and graduate programs. Concurrent with new curriculum devel-
opment of the baccalaureate in the science of nursing program at the Univer-
sity of Delaware, PBL methods are gradually being integrated into didactic and
clinical courses as faculty are searching for the most effective ways to prepare
tomorrows nurses. This complementary methodology is one of many used to
foster learning, contributing to the achievement of course objectives and pro-
gram outcomes.
Students begin the nursing courses with the advantage of exposure to PBL
experiences in the science courses. The nursing content in each course builds
on knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed in the preceding courses, con-
ducive to developing problems that are addressed over more than one course.
For example, prepared with information related to blood coagulation, cardio-
vascular functioning, and the immune response in injury from a course in
human physiology, students are actively involved in learning about the etiolo-
gies, structural and functional alterations, and their associated clinical mani-
festations related to hemorrhage in a sophomore-level nursing course, Patho-
physiological Concepts. A case study in which a teenager suffers massive
trauma and proceeds into hypovolemic shock is analyzed by small groups of
two to five students using PBL. In the junior-level Pathophysiology course, the
same case study is reintroduced with PBL focused on complications that
develop from shock related to blood loss, such as prerenal failure. Nursing
care planning related to the case example is integrated within the medical-
surgical courses at a time when students may have clinical opportunities to
care for accident victims. In addition, the psychosocial issues for the teen and
his family; the medication regimen; and related professional, safety, legal, eth-
ical, and cultural issues, such as exposure to contaminated blood, use of safety
helmets, end-of-life decisions, and organ transplantation may be discussed
within additional courses. Extending problems over several courses guides
learning from the understanding of basic concepts to managing complex situ-
ations of increasing depth and breadth. As knowledge of course content is
acquired in a stepwise fashion, it makes sense to build systematic problem
solving in the same manner.
This section will highlight the specific strategies used in sophomore-,
junior-, and senior-level courses by the chapter authors. In the search for active
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G : P R E PA R I N G N U R S E S F O R P R A C T I C E 171

learner involvement and the need to focus on how to approach problems, the
authors describe strategies, including PATH charting, discussion section and
small group analysis of simple to complex case studies, and the integration of
case studies within large group lectures.

PATH Charting
The active learning strategy called PATH charting was developed to guide nurs-
ing students in their first nursing course, Pathophysiological Concepts. In this
three-credit didactic course of 90 to 140 students, PATH charting was taught
to help students think about assigned readings in ways that increase under-
standing and retention of the most important content. This technique used by
students in preparation for class, by teachers during class, and in small groups
in the process of analyzing case studies, actively engages students in categoriz-
ing, condensing, and connecting disease and injury-related information in ways
meaningful to them. Causal links are made within and between disease etiolo-
gies, structural and functional physiological alterations, and clinical manifesta-
tions for a selected disorder. The process of PATH charting requires learner
interest, motivation to learn how to think, and an understanding of basic
physiological concepts. It involves a series of steps including (1) the collection
of information about the disorder (often from the course textbook); (2) the cat-
egorization of information in 3 columnsetiologies that include internal or
external causes, risk factors, and precipitating factors; structural and functional
alterations at the cellular, tissue, organ, and system levels presented in a flow
diagram chronologically starting with initial changes and progressing to
include complications and/or resolution; (3) the connection (with arrows) of
column 2 alterations with associated clinical manifestationsgroupings of
signs, symptoms, and lab and diagnostic test findings. The product of the PATH
charting process is a concise, informational chart with paths of interrelated
cause-effect pathophysiological content.
In addition to the usefulness of PATH charting in preparing for PBL case
studies, students have cited its helpfulness in reviewing for course and licen-
sure exams, in learning focused history-taking and physical assessment, as well
for planning and implementing client and family education. On evaluation,
students reported an evolving sense of confidence and competence in organiz-
ing new and managing complex information, ease in visualizing a mental pic-
ture of pathophysiological relationships, preparation for more advanced con-
ceptualization required for practice, and increased understanding, recall, and
retention of content. Many students described their increased ability to sys-
tematically approach learning about health alterations (Cannon, 1998).
172 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Case Study Discussion Section

Weekly case study discussion sections of one hour were added to the junior-level
Pathophysiology course several years ago with the intention of gaining greater
student participation following a weekly two-hour lecture instead of offering
three hours of lecture. Lecture content, textbook and research reading assign-
ments, and PATH charting prepare students to analyze 25 to 30 case studies dur-
ing the courses discussion sections of 15 to 20 students each. The case studies
are included in the course workbook along with related lecture content. Lecture
content is organized by alterations that affect each system, so a case study on a
person with Cushing disease is scheduled during the week that common
endocrine disorders are presented. Specific case study topics are not discussed in
lectures. Two to three case studies are reviewed at each weekly discussion.
Each student selects two case studies, partnering with another student for
the first case and presenting the second case independently. The presenters are
responsible for developing four to five questions for each class member to
answer prior to coming to class and creating ways to involve class members in
the discussion of the case study. Some of the most interesting presentations
have involved role play (patient, family, nurse), video clips and X rays or scans
of actual cases, human organ or tissue specimens, brief interviews of students
with the disorder under discussion, gaming to test knowledge, and the inclu-
sion of food tied in with the case (miniature peanut butter cups representing
Ghons foci in tuberculosis and minidonuts for herniated disks). In preparation
for the case review, the presenters develop a PATH chart distributed to class
members and a brief reference list that includes at least one research study
related to the case study topic. Class members are required to review the cases
to be presented and highlight key information related to the etiologies, risk
factors, and precipitating factors found in the clients chief complaint and
medical history in the initial section of the case. In the Course of Illness sec-
tion, subjective (symptoms) and objective (signs, lab and test results) data are
identified, and the underlying basis for their occurrence is hypothesized. The
changes representing the resolution or progression of illness are noted. Stu-
dents are asked to know the definitions of unfamiliar terms and descriptions
of tests and treatments before coming to class.
Six pop quizzes during the semester and student participation in class pro-
vide evaluation data related to preparedness. Sixty percent of the course final
exam tests subject matter from the case study discussions. Student presenters
are graded on their ability to involve the class, their own preparation and
organization of presentation, use of audiovisual aids, as well as the quality and
quantity of references, the identification of a good research study publication,
and the development of a comprehensive PATH chart and class preparation
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G : P R E PA R I N G N U R S E S F O R P R A C T I C E 173

questions. Students evaluate the case study discussion activities as part of the
course and instructor evaluations.

Small Group PBL in the Large Classroom

More recently, case studies were introduced in the sophomore-level course,
Pathophysiology Concepts. At the end of three lectures, 30 to 40 minutes are
left in the 75-minute lectures to break the class of over 100 students into over
20 small groups to begin the systematic analyses of three uncomplicated case
studies associated with the lecture content. The case studies are divided into
meaningful segments with questions for discussion and research attached to
each segment. The goal of using this approach is to develop logical thinking
processes for team analysis of real-life situations and problems. Questions
focus on the definition of terms used; comparisons of assessment data, such as
blood pressure, pulse, common lab results with normal values, the develop-
ment of client questions based on the hunches made from preliminary data
provided, as well as the formulation of hypotheses about the underlying
pathophysiological alterations. As the questions in each segment are answered,
the groups are given feedback from the teacher or teaching assistant, who pro-
vides the next segment of data with questions. Within the small groups, each
member is given an assignment for the next class during which 30 minutes is
provided at the beginning of the class to exchange information and complete
the remaining questions. All work of the group is submitted for grading sim-
ply using a scale of 0 (no evidence of participation) to 2 (good evidence of par-
ticipation). At the end of the course, the zero to six points are divided by two
and added as percent points to the final course grade.
Overall, student evaluations of this method were favorable. The main
problem was teacher availability to such a large number of small groups meet-
ing in two large rooms. At times, it was difficult to control discussions unre-
lated to the case studies.

Integration of PBL Within Senior-Level

Lecture Courses
Didactic class time offers another opportunity to promote questioning and
decision making. For example, in a senior-level nursing course, Restorative
Nursing Practice II, with an approximate enrollment of 100 to 130 students
each semester, more complex disease processes, such as shock and neuro-
trauma and their interdisciplinary management, are presented through analy-
sis of case studies presented in PowerPoint lecture format. In the large group,
students are asked to analyze data and propose their actions. They are given
partial data and are asked to determine what other information they would
174 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

like to have to gain a thorough understanding of the patients picture. The

instructor validates answers and provides summaries of essential concepts in
subsequent PowerPoint slides. Once or twice during class, students are asked
to work in pairs to identify nursing diagnoses, expected outcomes, and evi-
dence of the attainment of goals. Then pairs volunteer their ideas in a larger
class discussion.
In a critical care elective course, four to five classes are devoted to stu-
dents working in groups of three or four to analyze case studies. Students are
required to bring textbooks and at least a few recent journal articles on a
general topic that is given to them a week before the actual group work. The
topics presented through the case study may have been addressed in various
ways in previous courses but are not part of a formal class during the cur-
rent course. Therefore, students tap previously obtained knowledge, as well
as current literature and textbooks to analyze the cases. The instructor pro-
vides some resources for the groups and distributes the case, one page at a
time, to be certain that the group is focused and working together. Once the
group understands and is satisfied with the answers to the questions for that
page, the next page is distributed. Student roles of leader, recorder, and
group process analyzer are determined among the group and rotated each
case study. The instructor facilitates the learning process by providing guid-
ance if students are off-track, assisting with the group process and offer-
ing positive feedback. A one- to two-page group process summary is sub-
mitted with the answers to the case study. A group grade is assigned to the
case study, and group members evaluate each others preparedness and con-
tributions to the work.

Lab and Clinical Practicums

Intended outcomes of clinical teaching in nursing programs include knowl-
edge, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, psychomotor skills,
interpersonal skills, organizational skills, professional socialization, and cul-
tural competence (Gaberson & Oermann, 1999). Clinical teaching occurs in
practice labs and in the actual patient care setting.
Throughout the curriculum, learning labs provide PBL opportunities to
prepare students for clinical practice. In addition to the mannequins, mod-
els, and equipment used in clinical practice, the nursing labs contain an array
of multimedia learning resources. Often, problems are scenarios incorporat-
ing assessment of situations, hands-on practice of psychomotor skills, and
the development of communication skills needed before going into the clini-
cal setting. Sources for problems include computer programs, interactional
 P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G : P R E PA R I N G N U R S E S F O R P R A C T I C E 175

videodiscs, videotapes, audiotapes, and CD-ROMS, as well as the Internet

and nursing textbooks. Through interaction with faculty and/or use of
technology-based simulations, students solve patient care problems in a safe
environment.
Skills gained in the nursing labs are then transferred to the practice setting.
Students are assigned to or may select a variety of patients during clinical rota-
tions in actual acute care or long-term care settings. Prior to and during clini-
cal shifts, students are required to review patients charts to collect data
revealed in histories, physical exams, lab values, diagnostic results, and inter-
disciplinary progress notes. Data are also collected through interaction with
other health care personnel, such as staff nurses, physicians, and physical and
respiratory therapists. Patients and their significant others are key sources of
data, while their health situations become the problems around which learn-
ing continues. Analysis of this information provides students with direction in
understanding treatment plans and in planning their own nursing interven-
tions. Hands-on care by students provides some of the best problem-solving
opportunities, as students strive to provide textbook care amidst the nuances
of reality. Clinical faculty, as well as staff nurse preceptors, encourage critical
thinking as they ask students to select the most pertinent data, identify and
explain relationships among data, plan care, and evaluate appropriateness and
effectiveness of care. Written assignments are also mechanisms to assess stu-
dents understanding of data and their relationships and how this information
directs patient care.
Students also problem solve in the community setting. They may be
assigned to coordinate health education activities, such as trauma prevention
in an elementary school, stroke risk screening among university staff, or pre-
vention of osteoporosis in a senior center. They interact with the agencies per-
sonnel to determine scheduling, location, and appropriateness of teaching
materials and methods, and evaluation of activities. Health problems and
goals included within Healthy People 2000 and 2010 often focus community
coursework. Newspaper articles describing public health threats, such as
increasing antibiotic resistance, global increases in tuberculosis and HIV infec-
tions, or issues of accessibility to care and economic constraints facing the care
of specific populations, such as the elderly, provide many good examples for
developing PBL projects.
Gradually, PBL is being incorporated throughout the BSN curriculum, not
as a separate entity, but as one of several effective methodologies critical to the
preparation of students as safe, responsible practitioners of nursing. With
increasing integration of PBL within the curriculum, faculty are learning how
to use PBL to their own and their students advantage.
176 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Authors Biographies
Christine A. Cannon, Ph.D., R.N. is an Associate Professor at the
University of Delaware.
Kathleen A. Schell, M.S., R.N. is an Instructor of Nursing at the
University of Delaware.

References
Alavi, C. (1995). Problem-based learning in a health sciences curriculum. Lon-
don: Routledge.
American Nurses Association (1999, June). Agenda items presented at the
Annual American Nurses Association Convention. Washington, DC.
Amos, E., & White, M. J. (1998). Teaching tools: Problem-based learning.
Nurse Educator, 23, 1114.
Andrews, M., & Jones, P. R. (1996). Problem-based learning in an under-
graduate nursing programme: A case study. Journal of Advanced Nursing,
23, 357365.
Bentley, G. W., & Nugent, K. E. (1996). Problem-based learning in a home
health course. Nursing Connections, 9, 2939.
Biley, F. C., & Smith, K. L. (1998). Exploring the potential of problem-based
learning in nurse education. Nurse Education Today, 18, 353361.
Cannon, C. A. (1998). Path charting: A process and product for linking patho-
physiological concepts. Journal of Nursing Education, 37 (6): 257259.
Catalano, J. T. (1996). Contemporary professional nursing. Philadelphia: F. A.
Davis.
Creedy, D., Horsfall, J., & Hand, B. (1992). Problem-based learning in nurse
education: An Australian view. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17,
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Crowe, M. (1994). Problem-based learning: A new model for graduate transi-
tion in nursing. Contemporary Nurse, 3, 105109.
Frost, M. (1996). An analysis of the scope and value of problem-based learn-
ing in the education of health care professionals. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 24, 10471053.
Gaberson, K. B., & Oermann, M. H. (1999). Clinical teaching strategies in
nursing. New York, NY: Springer.
Garbett, R. (1996). Problem power . . . problem-based learning. Nursing
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Heliker, D. (1994). Meeting the challenge of the curriculum revolution:
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Horsburgh, M., Lynes, L., & Oliver, L. (1984). Problem based learning: An
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King, M. G., Sebastian, J. G., Stanhope, M. K., & Hickman, M. J. (1997).

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Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, B. K. (1999). Critical thinking in nursing: An
interactive approach. Philadelphia: Lippincott.
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Taylor, C. (1997). Problem solving in clinical nursing practice. Journal of
Advanced Nursing, 26, 329336.
 16
THE LARGE AND THE
SMALL OF IT
A CASE STUDY OF INTRODUCTORY
BIOLOGY COURSES

Richard S. Donham, Florence I.

Schmieg, and Deborah E. Allen

Chapter Summary
Problem-based learning (PBL) is used in both small and medium-large
sections of a two-semester Introductory Biology sequence. Our expe-
rience suggests that while class size affects the instructors choice of
classroom management strategies, students value PBL and working in
groups in both settings.

Introduction
. . . careful inspection of methods which are permanently successful
in formal education . . . will reveal that they . . . give pupils some-
thing to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature
as to demand thinking, or the intentional noting of connections; learn-
ing naturally results.
John Dewey, 1916

179
180 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

The enhancement of learning by students doing, as described by Dewey, is

at the heart of most of the efforts to improve classroom experience, including
use of PBL. With PBL, learning occurs as students move naturally from a tan-
gible, engaging scenario to an increased understanding, and in the process gain
experience with abstractions, generalization, and logical reasoning. It gives
students personal experience with these sophisticated elements of understand-
ing. It incorporates recommendations for effective teaching contained in sci-
ence education reform documents, e.g., Science for All Americans (AAAS,
1989) and From Analysis to Action (NRC, 1996). Learning occurs best in con-
text, by engaging students in authentic questions and by involving students in
inquiry. PBL not only provides for content development, but also gives stu-
dents practice in applying knowledge to real-world issues. The instructor can
use problems to serve as tangible and accessible entry points leading to student
development of abstraction abilities and reasoning skills.
Adoption of undergraduate PBL in the Department of Biological Sciences
at the University of Delaware began in 1993. At the present time, courses
available to science majors or nonmajors number at up to 12 per year, with a
total impact on up to 700 students per year. In some courses, parallel offerings
of PBL and lecture-based sections by the same or alternate instructors occur,
which is the case for the biology sections described in this chapter.
In this chapter, we discuss our experience with the use of PBL in Intro-
ductory Biology, a multisection, high-enrollment, two-semester sequence taken
mostly by freshman science majors. Most of the other instructors teaching the
course use lectures as the primary pedagogical method. All sections adopt a
syllabus with common objectives for content understanding. Our purpose here
is to contrast the decisions made by the instructors for the best ways to use
PBL in a small section (about 2030 students) of Honors students with that of
a medium-large section (6580) of general students. Although there are some
accommodations for class size, there are also some common features in both.

Model
How PBL Works: Common Features
Instructors in both the small and larger enrollment sections introduce PBL early
in the semester to get a head start on building student acceptance. Students not
previously exposed to such a student-centered learning paradigm have legitimate
questions and concerns about the method. We find it useful, within the context
of the course syllabus, to discuss our skills objectives for the students. The list
includes skills and qualities often cited by employers as being important for
 THE LARGE AND THE SMALL OF IT 181

success on the job, important for success in professional schools, and important
for students to continue learning beyond the undergraduate setting. Practice in
these skills is provided by PBL, and early acknowledgment of these goals helps
us to point out the potential value of the PBL method to students.
PBL problems support student learning in the content objectives in both
sized sections; similarly, other features of a good problem are the same in both
the large and small classes (see Chapter 5 in this volume). We like to start with
an engaging scenario described on a single page. This first page problem sce-
nario concludes with two or three divergent questions that lead students to
identify what they already know or may need to know, but do not direct them
to a solution. The pattern of activity and learning initiated by the problems
follows a similar general sequence, as summarized in Table 16.1.
At the second class period of a PBL problem, students report the results of
their investigations to their groups. Freshmen frequently report frustration
with their initial efforts. We, therefore, find a class discussion of what worked
for some students to be an effective way to insert guidance that eases frustra-
tion, and this is an appropriate strategy regardless of section enrollment size.
For example, particularly at the start of the semester, we lead discussions of
Internet search strategies, including ways of evaluating reliability of informa-
tion on the Web. This is part of a more general (and ongoing throughout the
semester) discussion of appropriate and productive resources for researching
problems.
In both small and larger enrollment sections, instructors informally mon-
itor the student presentations of learning issues and the attendant discussions.
If needed, minilectures are inserted on the spot to address general student mis-
understandings about significant issues. In general, the extent of instructor
facilitation during the PBL cycle is a decision made by considering personal
preference, the prior biology background of the students, the time point in the
semester, and the nature of the problem. If, for example, groups are asking
off-target questions that lead group activity away from the content that we
as instructors wish them to engage, the temptation is to provide directive ques-
tions that, in effect, tell the students what to research. It is sometimes difficult
for us, because of our content concerns, to keep in mind that thinking about
the problem is as important as coming up with the right answer. Too much
direction may short-circuit the thinking process and compromise our skills
objectives; too little direction in a freshman course may result in nonproduc-
tive student frustration.
The iterative process of problem reading and discussion, development of
learning issues, research outside of class, exchange of information and group
182 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 16.1. Sequence of Classroom PBL Activities: General and Common

Features of Both Small and Larger Sections of Introductory Biology
Student Activities Instructor Roles
Class Period and Responsibilities and Responsibilities
Session 1 Students read, discuss Preface remarks on
Page 1 of problem problem problem
List/discuss prior Observe group discussions
knowledge that relates to Facilitate (if necessary)
problem development/prioritization
Develop, prioritize Monitor group
learning issues functioning-sharing of
responsibilities, tasks,
Assign research
participation in discussions,
responsibilities
respect for others opinions
Out-of-Class Individual Research
Session 2 Reporting on learning Observe group
issues to group members discussions, minilectures
with discussiondevelop as necessary to facilitate,
new learning issues? focus student inquiry
Facilitate new learning
Page 2 of Problem Application of prior
issue development (if
knowledge to new
necessary)
material, develop new
understanding, learning
issues
Assign new research
responsibilities based on
newly developed learning
issues

Out-of-Class Individual Research

Session 3 Reporting on learning to Minilectures or lead class
group members with discussions toward
discussion. resolution or
understanding of
Distribute materials Resolution of problem
problem/learning objectives
associated with development of group
assessment of product for assessment. Assessment of group and
learning individual achievement
 THE LARGE AND THE SMALL OF IT 183

discussion, and development of new understanding with new questions con-

tinues, as necessary (Table 16.1). Often a problem will conclude with a second
or third stage, which provides some resolution of earlier stages, although not
necessarily clear answers. By the time students arrive at the final stage of the
problem, they are beginning to work on the product required, such as a posi-
tion paper, a recommendation for a congressional subcommittee or an NSF
panel, a dialogue or debate, a short essay, or a concept map. Final wrap-up by
the instructor often includes a minilecture to help students see how specific
content objectives relate to the big picture and to draw connections with
other problems.

How PBL Unfolds in Honors Introductory Biology

In the small-class Honors sections, instruction is entirely through the use of six
to eight problems that require two to five 75-minute class periods each to com-
plete. These problems were aligned with the content objectives we had for the
course (see Table 16.2 for a list of the problems and the general topics covered
please note that these topics are not statements of content objectives).
Group function is monitored by the use of peer facilitators (see Chapter 8
in this volume), so assignment of rotating individual roles (accuracy coach,
recorder, reporter, etc.) is not as crucial as it might otherwise be without the
peer facilitators. Each day, the instructors preview the problem-related activ-
ity at the beginning of the class, including any reporting of points and goals
for the day. The peer facilitators responsibility is to help the groups move
themselves toward those expectations. The instructors leave time in class for
students to complete group assignments, particularly complex ones. Exams are
entirely short answer and essay in format (as they might be for a more tradi-
tional small class); some questions require students to apply their content
knowledge to analysis of new (but much shorter and less complex) problems.

How PBL Unfolds in Large Sections

of Introductory Biology
The instructor of the medium-large enrollment section (FS) uses three PBL
problems in combination with lectures; PBL occupies about one-third of the
available 50-minute class periods. Class time is carefully structured to accom-
modate class size and the attendant splintering of instructor attention between
student groups. After the students receive the first problem, they are allowed
about 30 minutes to discuss learning issues and to allocate responsibility for
researching these issues. Midway during this period, the instructor may call
the class together and ask individual groups to report on their learning issues,
184 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 16.2. Sequence of PBL Problems for Honors Introductory Biology

(First Semester) with the General Topics (Not Statements of Content
Objectives) That Were Introduced by the Problems
Problem Title1 General Topics Introduced by Problem
Don Tries to Culture Fish Cells Osmosis and osmoregulation;
composition of body fluids; requirements
of life at the cellular level, structural
features of eukaryotic cells
The Geritol Solution The global carbon cycle; photosynthesis;
biological productivity; the energy cycle;
marine ecosystem and food webs
Jimmy Harris Central metabolic pathways; enzymes;
oxidation/reduction reactions; structure
and function of proteins; mechanisms of
genetic inheritance
Kryptonite in His Pocket? Central metabolic pathways; cellular
(by Richard Donham) energy sources; cell structure and function
When Twins Marry Twins Meiosis and sexual reproduction;
mechanisms of genetic inheritance
To Be Tested or Not to Be Mechanisms of inheritance; review of
Tested (by Linda Dion) metabolism and cellular energy sources;
DNA structure and function; how to
sequence and localize genes
Anna or Anastasia? DNA structure and function; DNA
fingerprinting; inheritance of mitochondrial
genes; forensic analysis; how good science
is done; societal views of science
A Problem with Pore Behavior Active transport; cellular processing of
proteins; modern diagnostic methods for
genetic diseases; introduction to
population genetics
1
Problems authored by Deborah Allen, or as noted beneath the individual titles. All problems
are from Allen and Duch (1998).
 THE LARGE AND THE SMALL OF IT 185

thus generating a list of common learning issues for the entire class. For these
students, an entire week is allowed for the individual research before the in-
class PBL cycle resumes.
When groups reconvene to present their information, each student is
required to submit a summary (with citations of references) of his or her
research to the instructor for grading. On the final day of a problem, groups
are chosen at random to present their ideas and solutions to the problem, and
the instructor conducts a wrap-up discussion of the problem content. This dis-
cussion helps students make connections between previous and future lecture
material and the context in which it is relevant to the real world.

Managing and Monitoring Groups

Careful management of groups is crucial to success in PBL (see Chapter 6 in
this volume). In both small and large classes, groups of four to six students
each are formed as soon as possible in the semester, usually after the student
drop-add flurry has subsided. We follow the evidence suggesting the advan-
tages of creating heterogeneous groups. In the smaller-enrollment course, the
instructors use information, such as students majors, interests, and home
addresses to select groups. In the medium-large section, the instructor prefers
to have all members of each group in the same laboratory section, thus pro-
viding them an opportunity to meet together outside of the classroom.
One of the most difficult problems in using PBL comes from monitoring
groups and their learning. Small classes better allow the instructor to keep stu-
dent groups on task, motivated, and otherwise working productively, particu-
larly if peer facilitators are used. In any case, instructors walk around the class-
room to listen to student discussions but try to resist the temptation to lead the
group discussions or to answer questions directly. Too much instructor input
may result in students relying more and more on the instructor for the under-
standing that they are in the process of learning to uncover themselves.
We move around the class to look for physical and verbal signs of group
dysfunction. In the larger class, these signs must be more overt to be notice-
able by the instructor, so the incorporation of formal mechanisms for moni-
toring groups into the course design is even more essential.
Several of these formal mechanisms are used in the larger class to keep stu-
dents on task. As mentioned previously, students are expected to submit sum-
maries of their individual research, which are graded. Some questions on the
content examinations are derived from the problems for this same purpose and
to promote individual accountability for learning.
186 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

In both sections, anonymous peer evaluations that count toward the grade
are used. In the small class, these are filled out twice per semester (see Allen &
Duch, 1998 for a sample evaluation form) and contribute to 10% of the final
grade. In the larger section, evaluations are filled out at the end of each of the
three problems; uniformly low evaluations are used to remove group points
from a students grade. In both sections, students draft ground rules for their
groups operation. These rules can be subsequently referred to as a reminder
of the agreement that each group member made to be good group citizens.
While peer group facilitators (discussed in more depth in Chapter 8) may
not be available in many circumstances, in our experience the use of upper-
class biology majors as peer facilitators for freshmen promotes good group
function, group cohesiveness, in-depth learning, and student satisfaction with
this transitional experience. Well-coached peer facilitators keep the group
activity on task, push students beyond their self-satisfaction level of inquiry,
help to balance student participation, and promote respect for others opinions
and contributions. A good peer facilitator becomes, for incoming freshmen, a
model for success and, as a result, can be a powerful advocate for the method
and for general satisfaction in the course.

Assignments for Assessing Student Learning

Chapter 9 by Barbara Duch and Susan Groh in this volume discusses the
major issues associated with assessment and PBL. One of the surest ways to
disappointment as an instructor is to fail to link instruction to assessment; if
problems do not support content objectives and the learning required for suc-
cess on exams, students quickly learn to disdain the significance of the prob-
lems. Furthermore, if students are expected to collaborate in the development
of understanding, then assessment of group products should be part of the
grade (but not to the extent that individual accountability is compromised). In
the small-enrollment course, for example, group work contributes to approx-
imately 25% of the students final grade in the course; in the large-enrollment
section about 30% of the grade is derived from PBL (some of this comes from
questions on the hourly content exams that are presented in a separate section
of the exam).
Group products can be somewhat novel as compared to traditional assess-
ment tools but the best are probably characterized by being enhanced by stu-
dent collaboration. As an example, we have used concept maps for group
assessment during or at the end of a problem. For example, The Geritol Solu-
tion is a problem written by Deborah Allen (1993) that has been used in Hon-
ors Introductory Biology for six years. An early version is available at the Uni-
versity of Delaware PBL website (http://www.udel.edu/pbl/) or also, slightly
 THE LARGE AND THE SMALL OF IT 187

revised, in Allen and Duch (1998). The problem begins with a scenario about
John Martin, a marine biologist who hypothesized that low iron content of
certain areas of the ocean limits productivity. He proposed that seeding the
water with iron might, therefore, help combat global warming. Several large-
scale experiments (Iron Ex) have since been conducted to test various aspects
of these assumptions. The problem evolves to engage students thinking about
the flow of energy through the biosphere, carbon and nutrient cycling, marine
ecosystems, and the photosynthetic reactions. Near the end of the problem
sequence, we ask groups to construct complementary concept maps. This in-
class activity (the assignment handout is shown in the appendix for chapter16)
culminates in oral presentations by each group of the thinking reflected in the
concept map. The maps are submitted for instructor evaluation but are used
primarily as formative feedback on student understanding of the connections
between major concepts in biology. In larger classes, concept maps can be
drawn and submitted on overhead transparencies; the instructor can then
select and show representative maps to the whole class to provide feedback,
thus alleviating the necessity to do extensive grading and written comments.
In the small-enrollment course, we also use dialogues (information about
their use is provided by Herreid, undated document on the National Center
for Case Study Teaching in Science website) and position papers as group
assignments. Group problem assessments can serve as effective formative
assessments, allowing the instructor to evaluate student understanding of
underlying concepts. If misconceptions or superficiality is suggested, there is
time for remediation.

Outcomes
For small sections of Honors Introductory Biology, student reactions are
overwhelmingly positive to the thoughtful use of PBL. End-of-course evalu-
ations from 120 students indicate that students value working in groups,
having a peer facilitator, the process of applying concepts to problems, and
if given a choice, they would take another PBL course (Table 16.3).
Responses of students to end-of-course questions in the larger sections also
have been quite favorable. When asked if they would have liked less, more,
or the same amount of PBL, 85% reported more or the same (35% would
have liked more). Students reported that they saw the greatest amount of
improvement in team skills, ability to use resources to solve problems, and
upon their ability to see real-world applications of the material covered in
the course. They report an average amount of improvement in their content
knowledge.
188 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 16.3. What Students Say: End-of-Course Ratings for the Small-
Enrollment Section of Introductory Biology
Ratings Question Mean Score1
The following aspects of the course were beneficial to my
learning of biology:
Working in groups 1.38
Working with a peer tutor 1.36
Application of concepts to problems 1.35
Lectures 2.70
If given the choice, I would take another class designed like 1.50
this one.
1
Responses are on the following scale: 1strongly agree to >5strongly disagree. Numbers are
the average of 120 students over several years.

If there is a critical undertone to an individual response to free-range ques-

tions on the end-of-semester evaluations, student complaints often fall into
one of these areas: there were not enough lectures (but, we have also heard the
opposite) or that their group did not function well.
A common comment by students is that they think learning is more in-depth
and connected to the real world. They often complain that they work harder
in their PBL courses than other similar courses. Interestingly, however, this is
largely from the choice they make not to let their group down. They sometimes
complain that instructor guidance is insufficient. Students almost always report
that the group is among the most valuable aspects of their experience. They
often bond so tightly with their other group members that at the end of the first
semester they plead to keep their group together in the second semester!

Suggestions for Adoption

For individuals interested in trying PBL in an introductory course setting, we
have the following suggestions for implementation, whether in a small- or
large-enrollment section:

1. Use problems early and often enough to make problem assignments

a significant part of the course grade.
2. Have problems support major course objectives, not just minor or
trivial ones.
3. Have assessment aligned with problem activities.
 THE LARGE AND THE SMALL OF IT 189

4. Make both individual effort and group participation count in the

grading.
5. Give the groups something to do that is challenging enough that
they will see obvious benefits in collaboration.
6. Give students an opportunity to reflect on what may be a new
classroom experience (through both informal and formal means),
and respond to their input. Align these course evaluations to the
PBL method.

Conclusion
One of the satisfactions that we as instructors have from PBL is that we get to
know our students better than we do with a traditional lecture class. By
removing ourselves from the center of classroom action, we get to observe and
listen to students during every class. This allows us insight into the structure
of their understanding of biology and gives them experience in doing what we
all know is the most effective way to learn a topicteaching it. This creates a
classroom situation in which learning naturally results.

Authors Biographies
Richard S. Donham is Associate Policy Scientist in the Mathematics
& Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware
and has a adjunct appointment as a faculty member in the Depart-
ment of Biological Sciences.
Florence I. Schmeig is Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at
the University of Delaware and an affiliated faculty member of the
University Honors Program.
Deborah E. Allen is Associate Professor and Undergraduate Pro-
grams Director in the Department of Biological Sciences, and an affil-
iated faculty member of the University Honors Program at the Uni-
versity of Delaware.

References
Allen, D. E. (1993). The Geritol Solution. University of Delaware Problem-
Based Learning Website. http://www.udel.edu/pbl/ (2000, Sept. 26).
Allen, D. E., & Duch, B. J. (1998). Thinking toward solutions: Problem-based
learning activities for general biology. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders College
Publishing.
190 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1989). Science for all
Americans. Washington, DC: Author
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York, NY: Macmillan,
p. 181.
Herreid, C. F. (Undated). Dialogues as case studies. National Center for Case
Study Teaching in Science. http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/
dialogues.html (2000, Sept. 26).
National Research Council. (1996). From analysis to action: Undergraduate
education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Washing-
ton, DC: National Academy Press.
 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 16
DIRECTIONS FOR GROUP ASSIGNMENT
ON DEVELOPING A CONCEPT MAP FOR
THE GERITOL SOLUTION

Introduction to Concept Mapping

A Tool for Learning, Organizing,
and Retaining Concepts
Construct a concept map with one of the following titles (to be handed in by
the beginning of the next class):

The Light-Dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis

The Light-Independent Reactions of Photosynthesis
The Global Carbon Cycle and The Geritol Solution
The Flow of Energy Through the Biosphere

A concept map demonstrates meaningful relationships between concepts

through the use of propositions. A concept is a noun or mental image, such as
plant, photosynthesis, or solar energy. A proposition is two or more
concepts linked by words in a phrase or thought. The linking shows how the
concepts are related. For example, these terms might be mapped in several
wayssee the reverse side of this assignment for an example.
There is no single correct way to develop a concept map. Conversely, con-
cept maps are meant to be rearranged and redrawn. Your first attempt will

191
192 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

certainly have gaps and flaws and can be improved. As new information is
obtained, new insights of relationships may occur to you. A concept map
should draw on the ideas of the entire group.
Here are some tips about common strategies for constructing a concept
map:

1. Identify words or series of words representing key concepts. It is

convenient to write these words on Post-it Notes until the map
takes final shape.
2. Rearrange the words (notes) in hierarchies of importance, with
more general concepts at the top. The concepts should get
increasingly more specific toward the bottom of the map. (Some
maps are constructed so that the most general concepts are on the
edges and the most specific at the center, or vice versa).
3. Then draw lines between related concepts, and write a word or
phrase that establishes the link between the connected concepts
above each line (referred to as propositional linkages).
4. Crosslinks can then be constructedthese are connections between
concepts in different map areas.
 17
PBL, POLITICS, AND
DEMOCRACY
Kurt Burch

Chapter Summary
Several features of problem-based learning (PBL) are especially apt
for social science courses. With its use of open-ended problems and
student groups, a PBL course can, in itself, model political behavior
and participatory democracy. This chapter illustrates efforts to under-
score these features in a pair of upper-level courses in political science
over a seven-year period.

Introduction
In a democracy, compromise . . . lies at the heart of things because
you have to accept that people are going to have different views, espe-
cially on the most volatile matters and the most important issues.
Czech dissident upon election to Parliament in 1990

The structure and dynamics of a PBL course advance pedagogical goals and
enhance student performance. The structure and dynamics also convey polit-
ical and ethical content. This essay illustrates how the format of a PBL
course models political behavior and participatory democracy in several
ways. First, PBL problems present students with insufficient information for

193
194 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

a ready solutionconditions that mirror political problems. Second, the sub-

stance of politics involves crafting policies and solutions via public discus-
sion and deliberation. These features describe student interactions in PBL
study groups. Thus, study groups provide a microcosm of political life.
Third, the dynamics of PBL group study stimulate studentsnotably
women, minorities, and introvertswho typically remain relatively unin-
volved in traditional course formats. That is, PBL formats promote demo-
cratic practices and ethical considerations. This chapter describes how these
features have been underscored in two upper-level courses in political science
over a seven-year period.

What Is Problem-based Learning?

PBL is a teaching strategy that shifts the classroom focus from teaching to
learning. The central premise of PBL holds that most students will better learn
information and skills if they need them; need arises as students try to solve
specific, open-ended problems. Beyond an orientation to problems, a PBL
course promotes learning via activity and discovery. Students interact with
each other and engage course material in a shared enterprise of learning-by-
discovery. As students explore problems, they discover much about their top-
ics and themselves. A discovery-oriented course provides students with oppor-
tunities and responsibilities to make significant decisions about what to
investigate, how to proceed, and how to solve problems. Teachers guide stu-
dents by asking Socratic questions about the engaging problems and the
research strategy.
Educational research demonstrates that active learning is the most effec-
tive technique for students to learn, apply, integrate, and retain information
(e.g., Bonwell & Eison, 1991). Also, most people prefer active, problem-
oriented learning because it arranges information in students preferred
sequence from concrete to abstract.
Several principles comprise the structure and dynamics of PBL courses
(e.g., Burch, 2000). Two central principles are open-ended problems and
student study groups. Problems are vehicles for learning; groups are fuel.
Problems transport students from the classroom to tangible, real-world sit-
uations that stimulate their curiosity and creativity. Well-devised problems
provide insufficient information for immediate solution. Instead, students
must identify key issues, focus their efforts, marshal resources, and collab-
orate. Since students immediately apply the knowledge they discover and
explain it to others, students learn by doing. In the process, students
 PBL, POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY 195

develop new social and cognitive skills, responsibilities, and understand-

ings. An example of a problem follows:

Why might the International Labor Organization, UNICEF, U.S. labor

unions, and a class action lawsuit in U.S. courts join widespread calls
to boycott soccer balls manufactured in Asia? Why do you (not) think
the criticisms are fair?

The second key principle of PBL is that learning occurs in groups. Stu-
dent groups investigate problems by coordinating their efforts, cooperating
toward a collective goal, and collaborating in writing and presenting conclu-
sions. Indeed, PBL students participate in a four-stage cycle of learning
(Svinicki & Dixon, 1987). At each stage, group members discuss material and
receive feedback from peers and the teacher. The first stage is the problem,
for which students identify questions and apt resources for investigating those
questions. Second, students analyze the problem. Students draw on their
existing knowledge to identify which aspects of the problem they do (not)
understand. They also identify what information they require and what (poli-
cies) must exist to proceed. Third, students conduct research. Last, they pres-
ent findings to each other, other groups, the class, and perhaps the public.
Findings may provoke further research, refined policymaking, or other
actions.
Problem-oriented learning is active and applied rather than passive and
absorbed. As students engage a real-life problem, they first identify what they
do not know: these are learning issues. Some learning issues are quite basic:
Do the circumstances that concern critics of soccer balls occur often or infre-
quently? Occur in few or many places? What is a class action lawsuit? Fur-
ther questions require more sophisticated cognitive skills: What are likely con-
sequences of a boycott of soccer balls? What, if anything, do these protests
over soccer balls tell you about Asian countries, economies, culture, and laws?
What does one mean by Asian? How might you respond to the claim that
calls to boycott Asian-made soccer balls represent a form of discrimination?
As students address learning issues, they identify basic principles and concepts,
develop a stock of knowledge, integrate and organize their knowledge, and
develop critical-thinking skills. Students help teach each other because they
constantly interact in order to share information and ideas, develop and refine
points, and offer assistance.
In short, one organizes a PBL course around problems and student
groups. Open-ended problems and student groups mirror several features of
political life.
196 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

PBL Problems Mirror Political Problems

PBL problems are microcosms of political life. PBL problems mirror the com-
plexity, richness, and ambiguity of problems that confront policymakers. Also,
students interactions within their study groups mimic the contingencies and
uncertainties of all manner of politics. Social actors in any setting confront
other actors with disparate views and differing information. Actors strive to
reconcile their disparities to become a coherent group that can then draft
cogent rules of behavior, public policies, and solutions to problems. Thus, both
politics and PBL problems embrace complexity, ambiguity, and indeterminacy.
One familiar definition describes politics as the art of the possible. PBL
problems provoke students to ask, What is possible? and What can be
done?
The striking feature of PBL problems and political problems is that they
have indeterminate solutions. Under what conditions might Congress
reform the Social Security system? What consequences might follow if the U.S.
government abrogates the Antiballistic Missile treaty in order to pursue Star
Wars technologies? What sorts of Social Security reform or nuclear defense
would you recommend? Possible solutions to such questions are political
rather than algebraic. One cannot solve for x, deduce the correct solution,
or conduct laboratory experiments. Solutions are always political, drawn from
asserted premises and consequent conflict or debate. Incomplete information
complicates indeterminacy. Advocates of Social Security reform cannot know
how the stock market will perform in future or how current grade schoolers
will feel about tomorrows implications of todays decisions. Similarly, U.S.
strategic policymakers cannot be sure how military analysts in other govern-
ments will react to U.S. decisions. Might they build chemical arsenals in
response?
Each PBL problem is a political problem; each student group is a political
system. The realization that PBL groups are microcosmic political systems
offers teachers unique opportunities to use the PBL experience as a tool for
illustrating political themes. For example, do students triumphs and tribula-
tions in their groups mirror broader political conditions? What implications
for democracy follow from students choices and experiences?

PBL Group Dynamics Mirror Political Life

and Democratic Practices
Experiences in PBL groups illustrate revelatory implications for democracy. For
instance, both PBL problems and the demands of politics involve declaring
 PBL, POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY 197

values, creating rules, assessing circumstances, advancing and contesting solu-

tions, allocating responsibilities and resources, making and justifying choices,
and questioning the choices of others. Further, PBL group interactions model the
practices of participatory, pluralistic democracy because all members must, and
should, participate by drawing on their diverse knowledge and experiences. The
more diverse and varied the participation, the better a group succeeds and the
more democracy flourishes. As one sage notes, democracy is both the cause and
consequence of cultural variety and social pluralism (Niebuhr, 1947, p. 122).
Such democracy is an ongoing process, a result of collective efforts to solve
problems by crafting, applying, distributing, limiting, and directing authority in
the name of governance and management (Dryzek, 1996, pp. 4, 14).
My initial attraction to PBL was political because PBL group interac-
tions are microcosms of participatory democracy and public deliberation. PBL
groups promote four features of public life significant for politics and democ-
racy: participation, diversity, public deliberation, and transformative multicul-
tural education.
PBL enhances participation by forming students into groups of three to
seven members. The comfortable scale of group work improves participation
because people of all ages and skills are typically far more willing to participate
in a small group than in a large one. The cycle of learning in PBL also height-
ens participation because it requires contributions from all group members.
The greater the participation, the greater the range of diverse perspectives.
As more students engage each other and the material, the range of views
becomes wider and richer. Students learn from the material and from the
diversity of others experiences and impressions. Also, PBL group interactions
improve the participation, achievement, and enthusiasm of women, minori-
ties, introverts, and those frustrated by the competitiveness and alienating iso-
lation fostered by typical classroom teaching (Tobias, 1990). Thus, participa-
tion enhances diversity and, reciprocally, diversity enhances participation.
By enhancing and widening the diversity of expressed views, PBL courses
become models of pluralism, multiculturalism, and equity. The scale, dynam-
ics, and purposes of PBL groupwork promote greater fairness in the classroom
because they provide students a greater range of opportunities and a wider
horizon of outcomes. This distinction mirrors the familiar difference between
procedural justice and substantive justice.
By enhancing participation and diversity, PBL groups also expand the
breadth and depth of deliberation. Said simply, more people are pondering and
engaging matters of public concern, and they do so with more thoughtfulness.
Public deliberation involves sharing reasons that might convince others par-
ticipating in a given discussion. Such reasons likely extend beyond ones mere
198 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

self-interest toward a broader general interest (Bohman, 1996, pp. 45). Delib-
eration occurs in two ways in PBL groups. First, the cycle of learning that
occurs within PBL groups demands public deliberation. Members must reflect
upon, share opinions about, engage other opinions, and finally form a con-
sensus about how to proceed. Second, the PBL problem requires a response,
an action aimed at addressing the problem. Again, members must deliberate
about the characteristics of the problem and potential policies intended to
solve the problem.
Discussion, deliberation, and consensus are necessary hallmarks of
democracy. Further, as diversity, participation, and equity enhance discussion
and deliberation, a more robust participatory democracy emerges. To allow
for and encourage diverse viewpoints is to encourage the value of diversity and
open debate (Sleeter & Grant, 1994, p. 129). Such diversity and debate are
essential because a democracy requires citizens who are capable of critical
thought and collective social action (Sleeter & Grant, 1994, p. 219). Such
democratic practice involves more than mere majority rule. As John Dewey
(1988, p. 365) wrote many decades ago:

The means by which a majority comes to be a majority is the impor-

tant thing: antecedent debates, the modification of views to meet the
opinions of minorities. . . . The essential need, in other words, is the
improvement of the methods and conditions of debate, discussion,
and persuasion (Bohman, 1996, p. 1).

PBL groups provide opportunities for such improvement. PBL students

continuously engage in discussion, persuasion, and deliberation. If deliberative
democracy requires creating social circumstances and institutions that pro-
mote public reasoning (Bohman, 1996, p. 238), then PBL groups are such a
creation. Moreover, the task of PBL studentsto coordinate themselves, so to
manage and direct themselves, so to solve problemsmirrors the functions of
public reasoning:

The basic task of critical public reason should be thought of in more

practical terms: the point of political deliberation is to solve social
problems and to overcome political conflicts. The criterion for suc-
cessful deliberation is, therefore, that it restore the conditions of ongo-
ing cooperation in problematic situations (Bohman, 1996, p. 240).

If discussion and equality prevail among participants, then public delibera-

tion becomes workable, thereby improving both PBL groups and public
democracy.
 PBL, POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY 199

In this sense, to form student groups is to make substantial ethical choices.

First, a contemporary philosophical debate rages over the merits of communi-
tarian and individualist principles of social interaction. For students to partic-
ipate in a cooperative group is a valuable tonic for the often lonely, asocial
individualism of our contemporary society and education systems. Second,
groups and societies are ruled either by dominant ideas, by superior authori-
ties, or by an exchange of promises (rights and duties) among members. In the
latter case, democratic principles are often effective means. Yet democracy is
under fire; what forms of democracy will or should prevail? Scholars, policy-
makers, and citizens call for democratic reform (e.g., Elshtain, 1995; Dryzek,
1996; Laidi, 1998, pp. 3137). One demand cries for radically multicultural
democracy (Matustik, 1998), a form of democracy that challenges interlock-
ing forms of oppressionsuch as ageism, racism, sexism, and resource
inequalitiesby seeking to overcome narrow identities in favor of multiple
and fluid identities. PBL groups foster both communitarian interactions and
multicultural, pluralistic participation.
In this sense, elements of PBL foster multicultural and social reconstruc-
tionist education (see Table 17.1) (Sleeter & Grant, 1994, chap. 6). To the
extent the dynamics of PBL learning require students to confront problems,
conceive the possible, and construct alternatives, then PBL fosters skills to
enable students to reconstruct society. Such experiences help students develop
the power and skills to articulate both their own goals and a vision of social
justice for all groups and to work constructively toward these ends (Sleeter
& Grant, 1994, p. 210). These educational principles share much with the
pedagogies of both John Dewey (e.g., 1938, 1959, 1966) and Paulo Freire
(e.g., 1970, 1985, 1994).
In part for these reasons, the PBL strategy is a remarkably adept and
adaptable vehicle for advancing the three goals of my courses, to develop in
students the following:

1. Core knowledge in a content area

2. Cognitive skills, such as analysis, synthesis, application, evaluation,
and critique
3. Action skills, such as managing conflicts, organizing time and
resources, coordinating, negotiating, and tolerating

Since PBL group work fosters coordination, collaboration, and cooperation,

thereby placing these endeavors on a par with conflict and competition, stu-
dents possess a wider array of experiences and models for addressing future
200 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 17.1. Comparing PBL to Transformative Multicultural Education

Transformative
PBL Multicultural Education

Audience All Students

Social Goal Promote eager, successful Promote equitable social
learners; structures and cultural
Promote equality and pluralism
diversity in the classroom
Educational Goals Promote equal Promote equal
opportunities in opportunities in schools;
classrooms; Promote cultural
Promote diversity, pluralism and alternative
pluralism, participation, social arrangements;
and deliberation; Prepare citizens to work
Promote collaborative actively toward equitable
endeavors; social arrangements
Enhance the content and
applicability of learning;
Enhance social and
cognitive skills
Curriculum Organize content around Organize content around
problems; social issues/problems;
Organize learning Organize learning
around experiences and around experiences and
perspectives of individual perspectives of different
students; social groups;
Use students personal knowledge and experiences as
starting points for analyses;
Teach critical-thinking skills, analytic skills, social
action skills, and empowerment skills
Instruction Use cooperative learning;
Adapt to students levels of skill;
Build on students learning styles;
Actively involve students in democratic decision making
Support Teacher serves as a facilitator or guide;
Teacher helps students adapt to as much diversity as
possible
Adapted from Sleeter & Grant, 1994, p. 211, Table 6-1.
 PBL, POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY 201

personal and social problems. Such knowledge and skills greatly enhance citi-
zens as members of overlapping communities and democracies in the Infor-
mation Age of the global political economy.

How PBL Works in Two Upper-level Courses

Although PBL is applicable across the curriculum, I draw examples in this
essay from two of my junior- and senior-level courses. In the course entitled
International Organization (IO), with an enrollment of 35, students form per-
manent groups and prepare a formal moot court presentation. In Contempo-
rary Problems in World Politics, typically 2530 students, students engage a
new problem each week and form different groups almost every day. In both
courses, students investigate explicitly political problems.
In IO, I use the character of PBL group interactions to model the interna-
tional system. That is, PBL group interactions illustrate the problematic qual-
ity of political life in the anarchic international system. Anarchy means the
lack of a ruler. No mayor, emperor, junta, or world government presides over
the international system. All governments are formally equal, although they
possess unequal resources. This same condition describes a student group.
Each of the students is formally equal. No individual student or subgroup
rules the larger group. How will these students organize themselves and coor-
dinate their efforts? I turn this anxious proverbial question into an illustration
of problematic qualities of the international system. Every student anxiety mir-
rors an ominous condition of international life.
As students study global capitalism, competing countries, international
law, and international organization, they are studying mere academic subjects.
Their experiences in PBL groups, however, provide tangible analogies. An
economy may develop as group members exchange tasks, favors, and
resources, such as ones promise to buy pizza if another types the group report.
Threats of any kind often polarize a group. Group ground rules become simi-
lar to international law. Honor and reputation affect how members treat each
other. Tensions between fairness and efficiency become central concerns to
members. Some seek to lead, others to follow. Students experience in micro-
cosm what world leaders experience on a broader scale.
Since I began using PBL in 1993, no student has noted any similarities
between PBL groups and the global system. When I introduce the analogy
many weeks into the semester, after they complete a major assignment, their
interactions in the groups become richer and more meaningful because they
are no longer studying abstract, distant ideas, but building directly upon their
202 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

own experiences. In the last few weeks of the semester we review the prior
material in light of their group experiences.
The second course, Contemporary Problems in World Politics (CPWP),
addresses a range of contemporary problems, particularly violence and
oppression. If in IO we highlight the student groups as groups, then in CPWP
we emphasize individuals in group contexts as a means to illustrate ethical
themes: the global contexts and consequences of individual choices. The PBL
group interactions model the virtues of personal expression, participation, and
deliberation as potential remedies to oppression and as fragile components of
democracy. Films and brief novels illustrate the contemporary problems. In
each source, the main character is a young adult confronting a dilemma. Mak-
ing choices is a central theme of PBL, democracy, and this course.
Problems that demand reflection and choice often spark students. In Imag-
ining Argentina, Carlos ponders how to confront the regime he suspects of
authorizing his wifes abduction and whether to join resolute mothers march-
ing outside the Argentine equivalent of the White House to protest missing
loved ones, the disappeareds presumably kidnapped by the government. In
Dawn, Elisha anguishes over whether to execute a captured British officer. In
A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More weighs whether to compromise his
principles and live comfortably or to challenge King Henry VIII and risk
death. Each source asks students enduring questions: How can citizens resist
tyranny and violent oppression? What consequences follow or resistance or
acquiescence?
In one course, few would follow More to the executioner by maintaining
principles, but half would protest in Argentina or execute a British officer to
advance the cause. Spirited discussion follows about what is a good cause
because it is ground in historical events and in the students vicarious experi-
ences. Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and massacres in Rwanda, as well as earlier
historical atrocities, become more compelling and problematic circumstances.
Depictions and subsequent questions in Elie Wiesels Night, Rigoberto
Menchus I, Rigoberto, Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart, and Erich Maria
Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front become more harrowing for stu-
dents because they vicariously participate in the characters choices as they
decide for themselves. For example, I have asked students to apply Wiesels
political principles from Night and from his inaugural speech at the Holocaust
Museum in Washington, DC to allied strikes in Baghdad and Belgrade.
By the end of the course, we shift our attention from the books and films
to the authors and directors. Why would a Central American peasant devas-
tated by civil war bother to learn Spanish and write I, Rigoberto? Why
would Achebe write a tale of a Nigerian village in the 1880s, but craft the
 PBL, POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY 203

tale in impeccable English and classic Western literary form? Why do virtu-
ally all of the protagonists in Imagining Argentina pursue a creative hobby
or professionwhether painter, jeweler, dancer, choreographer, musician,
journalist, writerbut the antagonists are thoughtless and robotic? These
individuals are driven to express themselves, to share their experiences and
views, to participate in a wider discussion that embraces multiple, diverse
perspectives. These authors and their characters demand greater public
deliberation and wider participatory democracy. As students participate in
PBL groups, they enjoy precisely these opportunities.

Conclusion
By decentralizing the classroom, students discover the latitude to explore
ideas, form opinions, and express themselves. They also find they must engage
others and confront novel ideas. Not every student will appreciate or take
advantage of the opportunities, but they will fare no less well than in a con-
ventional course. Those who become engaged will shine because they can radi-
ate their creativity. According to course evaluations, students enjoy and value
these courses and experiences. For example: This course was very valuable
for it allowed students to participate in lectures and discussion. I gained a lot
of insight from other students viewpoints. The course required a lot of inde-
pendent discipline. . . . Ive grown (Spring, 1994). [The class] allowed stu-
dents to work through the issues on their own rather than simply presenting
conclusions to them (Spring, 1995). I enjoyed the assignments because they
allowed me to experience different perspectives rather than read about them
(Spring, 1996). I really did learn a lot in the course, not only about World
Politics, but also about interacting with people, making a point, and being
receptive to other points of view (Spring, 1997). I learned more than I
thought possible from one course (Fall, 1998). I liked the learning process
that we used. Forcing us to admit what we didnt know and understand
worked well. The group project was difficult, but I learned an exceptional
amount from it (Winter, 1999). Nonetheless, some students may be frus-
trated, particularly those who dualistically define learning as the collection
of concrete right-or-wrong facts.
Research drawn from twenty years of PBL experience conclude that PBL
has done no harm in terms of conventional tests of knowledge and that stu-
dents may show better clinical problem-solving skills. They also show that stu-
dents are stimulated and motivated by PBL as a method (Albanese &
Mitchell, 1993; Vernon & Blake, 1993; quotation in Barrows, 1996, p. 10).
Students retain information longer and recall it more quickly and accurately
204 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

(Barrows, 1984; 1996, p. 6). Thus, the foremost role of instruction should not
be to convey information, but to assist students to develop the necessary skills
to direct their own learning and to construct knowledge in ways that are
effective for them (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1992). This conclusion reinforces
my goal to teach substance and skills.
Similarly, students valuably learn skills necessary to direct their social and
political lives in constructive and enriching directions. Students benefit from
personal experiences that illustrate collaboration over competition, participa-
tion over indifference, listening and deliberation over knee-jerk reaction, and
democracy over disillusionment or despotism. Developing these political and
ethical sensibilities is as important as fostering cognitive skills. Fortunately,
PBL methods promote political, social, and cognitive abilities.

Author Biography
Kurt Burch is Associate Professor of Political Science and Interna-
tional Relations at the University of Delaware.

References
Albanese, M. A., & Mitchell, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: A review of
the literature on its outcomes and implementation issues. Academic Med-
icine, 68 (1), 5281.
Barrows, H. S. (1984). A specific, problem-based, self-directed learning
method designed to teach medical problem-solving skills, self-learning
skills, and enhanced knowledge retention and recall. In H. G. Schmidt and
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pp. 550563.
 18
USING PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING IN GENERAL
CHEMISTRY
Susan E. Groh

Chapter Summary
Problem-based learning (PBL) has become the central component of
a yearlong Honors general chemistry course for science majors. Real-
world, contextual problems are used to introduce concepts; students
working together find and master the information and ideas needed to
generate a solution. Whole-class discussions of the problems are sup-
plemented by minilectures, demonstrations, and other active learning
techniques.

Introduction
The main intent of general chemistry is to provide an introduction to the most
important principles and applications of chemistry. Its roots lie in descriptive
chemistry, which focuses on the physical and chemical characteristics of the ele-
ments and their compounds and stresses a practical knowledge of reactivity and
applications. Over the years, as the nature of the discipline itself has changed,
general chemistry has become more complex, with a strong emphasis on the
mathematical and theoretical aspects of the science. Rather than supplanting
descriptive chemistry, however, this more abstract material has simply been
added, with little integration of the two aspects. In addition, as the clientele

207
208 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

taking general chemistry has expanded from mostly potential chemistry majors
to a host of students from a wide range of disciplines, the desire to show the role
of chemistry in each of these areas has led to the incorporation of even more
information, resulting in a situation shared by many other survey courses
a curriculum a mile wide and an inch deep. (Lloyd, 1992)
In attempting to narrow the range of the subject somewhat, the University
of Delaware offers seven different general chemistry courses for specific sub-
sets of majors, ranging from Chemistry and the Environment aimed at fos-
tering chemical literacy in nonscience majors, to a rigorous Honors course for
chemists and chemical engineers. Honors General Chemistry 103-104 (CHEM
103-104H), the course described here, targets first-year students in the Uni-
versitys Honors Program who plan to major in a science or a branch of engi-
neering other than chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical or environmental engi-
neering. Most of the students in the class are biology (including premedical
interest) or mechanical/civil engineering majors; other disciplines represented
include physics, art conservation, athletic training and physical therapy, ani-
mal science, psychology, and even economics and political science. Present as
well are a handful of undeclared students who are searching for a major. This
course, then, addresses academically strong students with a fairly wide range
of interests who are taking general chemistry as a requirement for their cho-
sen field of study.
What do such students need to take away from a course in general chem-
istry? Defining essential topics and the balance between breadth and depth
of coverage become issues difficult to reconcile when dealing both with stu-
dents for whom this is a terminal course in chemistry (e.g., engineers) and
those (biologists) who will go on to take several more courses in the disci-
pline. In taking stock of the learning objectives I had for the students in this
course, I realized that memorizing a large body of specific chemical facts and
information was not among them; few of these students would go on to sit-
uations in which retention of such details would be important. Nor did I par-
ticularly value their ability to plug numbers into equationsof more impor-
tance was for them to understand the relationship expressed by the equation
and its implications. What I wanted them to gain from this course were (1) a
deeper (rather than superficial) understanding of the fundamental guiding
principles of chemistry; (2) the ability to recognize how one can explain the
observable properties and behavior of the material world by understanding
the behavior of matter at the atomic and molecular level; (3) the ability to
identify chemistry in action in the real world and the role it plays in other
disciplines; (4) the ability to think critically and analytically and to solve
problems; (5) the ability to learn independently by discerning when infor-
 U S I N G P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N G E N E R A L C H E M I S T RY 209

mation is needed and where/how to find it; and (6) the abilities to commu-
nicate clearly and to work effectively with others.
Given these goals, the appeal of PBL became clear. What better way to
illustrate the importance of chemistry in the real world than by drawing on
real-world situations as a stage for introducing chemical concepts? Similarly,
using such situations as a starting point allows students to ground the abstract
theories they encounter in a more concrete and meaningful context, making
the connection between the observable macroscopic and invisible microscopic
worlds more obvious. It becomes easier for students to gain and retain a
deeper understanding of these principles when they are able to relate them to
more familiar situations. Since PBL requires students to assess their own
knowledge, to recognize deficiencies, and to remedy those shortcomings
through their own investigations, it provides them with an explicit model for
lifelong learning. In addition, the group format can teach students the power
of working cooperatively, foster the development of valuable communication
and interpersonal skills, and help establish a community of learners enriched
by the gifts of each person.

Model
Course Format and Rationale
CHEM 103-104H is a two-semester, four-credit course that includes a labora-
tory component. The typical fall enrollment is 7585 students; this drops to
4050 in the spring, since several majors require only one semester of chem-
istry. Because this is an Honors course, enrollment in the lecture section is lim-
ited to 2024 students, which results in three to four sections in the fall and
two to three in the spring. The relatively small laboratory accommodates only
1214 people, so there is no correlation between a students lecture and lab
section. Students may encounter a completely different set of classmates in lab
and in lecture, making it impossible to keep the same groups of students
together in both lab and lecture. Each lecture section meets for 50 minutes,
three days a week, with the different sections meeting back-to-back.
Several factors figured prominently in the design of this course. As men-
tioned earlier, the students in this course are mostly freshmen beginning their
college studies. They are very bright, motivated by grade pressure to do well
but as nonmajors, are often not particularly interested in chemistry, and may
even feel intimidated by it. The material they will encounter is often very
abstract and quantitative; furthermore, as an introductory course, general
chemistry deals with a wide range of seemingly disconnected concepts that
provide the basis for understanding the discipline. Many real-world situations
210 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

involving chemistry are fairly complex and bring in ideas that are well beyond
the scope of an introductory course. Given such factors, I felt that these novice
students would need a greater sense of structure and direction than they might
be able to find on their own. Without any guidance in generating learning
issues, it would become easy for them to be sidetracked by trivialities or over-
whelmed by complexityespecially since I would be the only instructor avail-
able. With five to six groups of students and a 50-minute time slot, it would
be hard for me to guarantee having enough time to spend with each group if
they encountered difficulties in moving forward.
For these reasons, it seemed to me that a model in which PBL was
blended with lecture would be more suitable to this audience than a totally
PBL format. Problems would be used to introduce concepts whenever possi-
ble, but some ideas (such as bonding theory and quantum mechanics) that
have not lent themselves as well to problems could still be dealt with through
interactive/Socratic lectures, to keep students actively involved with the mate-
rial. Similarly, problems would be constructed with a few guiding questions
to steer students in an appropriate direction, rather than leaving them com-
pletely on their own. While less student-centered than traditional PBL, this
approach helps to compensate for the lack of the dedicated tutors found in
the more traditional setting, while still giving students groups the opportunity
to chart their own course within a more restricted domain.

A Sample Problem: Winter Woes

Perhaps the best way to illustrate this model is to examine a particular prob-
lem, how it is used and how it fits into the context of the course. Winter
Woes (see Chapter 18 appendix) is a problem whose content issues center on
solutions and their properties. In its original form, it comprised four parts,
each focusing on a specific set of issues. On the first page of the problem, the
reader meets two University of Delaware students who, on an icy winter day,
are attempting to coax an old car into running. The chugging engine prompts
the suggestion from one that they add some dry gas to the fuel tank to keep
the fuel from freezing. Somewhat skeptical about whether the gas might actu-
ally freeze, they accept that dry gas apparently does something useful in win-
ter and move on. The second page finds the students at a local hardware store,
trying to choose from among the various deicers on display. On the third page,
they are found in a checkout line at a grocery, passing time by reading a story
about the problems with the city water purification system, due to recent tor-
rents depositing more debris than usual in the feeder streams; included in the
report is a comment from a city official advising people to get rid of the heavy
chlorine smell in their drinking water by refrigerating it. Finally, as they head
 U S I N G P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N G E N E R A L C H E M I S T RY 211

home on the last page, a radio newscast tells of the dilemma faced by a small
town where flooding has led to the runoff of thousands of pounds of road salt
into the reservoir.
In each case, a few questions are used to lead the students in an appropri-
ate direction. For example, in the first part they are asked to predict whether
gasoline might freeze around 5C based on its structure (which they must
find), and to determine how the main ingredient in dry gas (methanol) might
interact with gasoline and water. The deicer page asks them to pick the best
deicer among three choices and to justify their choice. The news story about
water purification asks for comments on the city officials advice, as well as
bringing in some other material related to how water is purified. The reservoir
dilemma is used to prompt a comparative examination of distillation and
reverse osmosis as means of removing the salt.
The Winter Woes problem kicks off the second semester of the course;
as a result, one of its purposes is to stimulate recollection of relevant material
covered in the first semester, such as intermolecular forces and their relation-
ship to molecular structure. This first page of the problem prompts this review,
as the students go back to reconstruct their knowledge of this area; it also
opens up a discussion of the process of solution formation and sets the stage
for a discussion of colligative properties. Colligative properties remain the
theme in the deicer story and appear again in the discussion of osmosis and
distillation. Ideas concerning the effects of temperature and pressure on solu-
bility, as well as a discussion of ways to express concentration follow from the
water purification story.
This example is one of the few cases in the course where an entire unit is
covered solely through problems. In recent practice, not all parts of the prob-
lem are used in class every year because of time constraints: going through all
four took around 10 class periods, which was more time than I felt could be
allotted to this subject. Generally, just the first and last pages are now used
with groups in class, and the other two worked into other assignments or dis-
cussions. (The deicer comparison, for example, was transformed into a lab
experiment.)

A Typical Learning Cycle

For most of the broad topics covered in this course (e.g., kinetics, stoi-
chiometry, equilibrium, etc.), one to three PBL problems are used to intro-
duce the concepts of interest. Most problems are one to two pages in length,
include a few leading questions, and are designed to take about one to two
class periods to work through and discuss. Generally, only standard chem-
istry texts or reference works are necessary resources for these problems,
212 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

although students are not limited to those; a cartful of such books is made
available in the classroom, and the chemistry library (including Web access)
is close enough to the classroom that students can make use of it during class
if they so choose.
New chapters or topics typically begin with a problem. After the instruc-
tor provides a brief introduction to set the stage, groups of students work
through the problem either to completion or to the end of that class period. As
the students work, the instructor wanders from group to group, listening to
get a sense of how the students are approaching the problem, of misconcep-
tions that might arise, and of the general progress being made. If most groups
seem to be on the right track, the students may be asked to finish and write a
brief report or solution to the problem before the next class. If it seems that
more time will be needed, the problem is carried over to the next class. In some
cases, especially when time is tight, students may be asked to suspend work on
some questions in order to begin reporting on the initial questions. Group
work may then be resumed on the remaining questions, or we may switch
instead to a whole-class discussion of those points. Having this flexibility is
useful since, even with problems that have been used in previous semesters,
predicting how much time an individual class section will take to finish is
tricky.
Reporting may proceed in different ways. One technique that has been
quite successful has been to have each group present a summary of their solu-
tion on an overhead transparency. The realization that all of their peers will
see their work provides more incentive for them to do a good job than one
might have expected! Transparencies have the advantage, particularly when
calculations or graphs are involved, of preserving the oral report in a form
that can be easily photocopied and duplicated for the class. Students are then
free to listen to one another without scrambling to take notes during the pre-
sentations. During the reporting phase, the instructor can join in with ques-
tions to probe their understanding and to connect ideas that emerge in the
discussion with concepts that either have already been seen or will be forth-
coming.
Once a problem is finished, a new problem may be introduced to address
the next set of concepts. Alternatively, some material may be presented through
a lecture, especially in order to model particular types of calculations or analy-
ses, to deal with more abstract topics (e.g., atomic orbitals) that are difficult to
address with problems, or simply to touch on ideas that are not revealed
through the problems. Chemical demonstrations and hands-on activities are
also important components of the course and can be used as the basis for a
 U S I N G P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N G E N E R A L C H E M I S T RY 213

problem. For example, in a discussion of aqueous reactions, solubility rules are

introduced as an empirical guide to predicting salt solubilities. The class is then
challenged to apply these rules in identifying two different unlabeled solutions,
given a number of possible choices. A number of different known solutions are
available to use in cross reactions with the unknowns; in the interest of safety,
these reactions are run as a demonstration for the whole class. Each group then
examines the precipitation patterns and uses those patterns to identify the
unknowns. One unknown gives ambiguous results, so another charge for the
group is to suggest other tests that can be tried on the spot to resolve the ambi-
guity. This combination of PBL problems, lecture, and other activities provides
a good balance between group and individual work, and contains components
that appeal to a range of learning styles.

Groups
During the first two weeks of a semester, students are still dropping and
adding courses; for this reason, collaborative work during this period is done
through informal groups pulled together as needed. Once the registration has
stabilized, permanent groups of four are formed and maintained for the rest of
the semester. In constructing the groups, there is an attempt to balance gender
and majors, as well as to spread out the students who report having had two
years of high school chemistry (vs. only one). This changes a bit in the spring;
since at that point more is known about many of the students, the instructor
can better distribute the stronger (and weaker) students, being mindful as well
of potential personality conflicts.
The use of groups in CHEM 103-104H is fairly standard. Information
about group work is provided in the course syllabus and discussed at the
beginning of the course. Each group is asked to meet outside of class to pre-
pare a list of ground rules and consequences (see Chapter 6 of this volume), a
copy of which, signed by each group member, must be given to the instructor.
The roles of discussion leader, reporter, recorder, and advocate/resource per-
son rotate among the group members at the start of each new problem. Twice
during the semester (midterm and at the end), group members evaluate each
persons contribution (including their own) to the group (see Chapter 6). After
the midterm report, students receive feedback from the instructor concerning
their perceived strengths and weaknesses. This feedback is a distillation of con-
structively phrased comments made by their peers and is presented as coming
from the instructor, with student contributions remaining anonymous. The
second report counts toward the course participation grade (5% of the total).
In general, group assessment and accountability is more informal in this class
214 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

than in many other PBL coursesmost group reports and presentations

receive check/plus/minus acknowledgments rather than a letter grade. As a
consequence, perhaps, there have been virtually no problems with dysfunc-
tional groups. (Interestingly, these qualitative ratings do provide motivation
for the group to improve their productsno group has ever received a second
check minus rating!)

Assessment
Most of the assessment procedures in this class are aimed at the individual stu-
dent. The final grade is based on the items and weightings in Table 18.1.
Hour exams are blue book based and include essays, interpretation and
application questions; calculations are worked into the context of these
questions, rather having them stand alone. A periodic table and appropri-
ate constants are always provided, as are certain equations. Students have
the limited option of buying information, such as equations or formulas
that they want for their solution. The information is written into the blue
book by the instructor so that it will be noticed at grading time. At that
point, the amount of credit that would have been allotted to that piece of
information is deducted. This practice allows a student to proceed with the
remaining sections of a multipart problem and show his or her abilities to
deal with the other concepts addressed by the question. It is up to the
instructor to determine the propriety of when and what information to pro-
vide; help is limited to specific factual information, as opposed to strategies
for solving problems. Three hours are allotted for these exams, and partial
credit is used in grading.
The final exam uses multiple-choice questions, due to time constraints in
preparing course grades at the end of the semester. The hour and final exams
are coupled through a system known as point recapture, modeled after a pro-
cedure originally reported by Herschbach and Pickering (1991). The idea of
point recapture is that points lost on hour exams are not lost permanently;
they may be regained if the student is able to demonstrate mastery of that
material on the final exam. The rationale here is to encourage students to
revisit concepts they did not understand and learn them before the end of the
semester. Each part of a question on an hour exam addresses a particular con-
cept or concepts in a certain way. Once the exams have been graded, a spread-
sheet is constructed to keep track of each students score for each question or
part. Questions on the final are correlated to many of the hour exam ques-
tions, especially those for which the class average fell below 75%. They are
designed to address the same concept(s) from essentially the same direction. If
 U S I N G P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N G E N E R A L C H E M I S T RY 215

Table 18.1. Basis for Final Grade Determination in CHEM 103-104H

Item Percent of Final Grade
Hour exams (three) 45
Final cumulative exam 15
Problem sets and assignments 15
Laboratory reports 20
Class and group participation 5

the student demonstrates mastery by answering the final exam question cor-
rectly, the points lost on that question in the hour exam are awarded, raising
the score on that exam. The students final grade is then calculated using these
revised hour exam scores.
The laboratory component of CHEM 103-104H is integrated with the
rest of the course; assessment here is based largely on lab reports. These are
graded using a manuscript revision system (Herschbach & Pickering, 1991):
reports are accepted, accepted with minor revision, accepted with major
revision, or rejected. Each category is defined by a rubric made available
to the students. Minor revision generally encompasses a limited number of
technical (rather than conceptual) errors, whereas major revision implies
several conceptual errors or a multitude of technical problems. Each category
is awarded a set number of points. Students then have the option to revise the
reports by correcting the areas in error and resubmitting the original report;
revised reports, if done correctly, can earn back most of the points available.
This policy, like point recapture, encourages students to deal with their areas
of ignorance, rather than discounting them.
Fifteen percent of the grade is allotted to problem sets and other assign-
ments. Three problem sets of five to six questions each are assigned each
semester. Students are allowed to work on these together, provided that any
consultations with others are documented and that each student provides
solutions in his or her own words. Other assignments vary and may include
reports, web searches, or other projects. While this has not yet been used, it
is feasible to consider converting group projects graded on a check/
plus/minus scale into numerical scores to include in this category. The par-
ticipation component of the grade covers class attendance (roll is taken dis-
creetly at each class); individual participation in class (noted after each
class); and group participation (based both on peer evaluations and the
instructors assessment).
216 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Outcomes
Instructors Observations
It is impossible to declare that student understanding of general chemistry has
greatly improved since the introduction of PBL into CHEM 103-104H, in the
absence of some way to measure any changes in an objective and reliable fash-
ion. Exam questions and other means of assessment in this course are coupled
tightly to how the course plays out in class during a particular semester. Cer-
tain topics that are stressed one year may not be emphasized as heavily the fol-
lowing year, depending on what sort of discussions evolve from the problems.
Because of the point recapture grading system, it is possible to compare class
averages on similar questions from year to year; unfortunately, however,
enough data are not available from the pre-PBL period to enable any mean-
ingful comparisons. Qualitatively, it seems that student learning of fundamen-
tal concepts is not significantly different with or without PBL. Certainly, stu-
dent performances (in terms of overall course averages) since the change in
course format have been at least as good as those before the change. With
many uncontrolled factors contributing to a final grade, however, such com-
parisons have little validity.
Where the differences are more obvious, however, are in behaviors and
skills. While its hard to tell whether higher-order thinking skills have improved,
because those were not really being assessed before the introduction of PBL, I
have found that, on average, students do quite well in meeting my expecta-
tions in their answers to critical-thinking questions. I have found that the type
of exam questions that might have stumped classes from earlier years are now
being handled more easily by the majority of the class. Students seem better
able to make connections between what they are learning in chemistry and
their other classes, particularly among the biologists, and frequently bring up
such connections both in class and on exams. Their ability to work together
effectively in groups clearly improves throughout the year, as does their facil-
ity in using texts and other available resources to find information related to
the problem at hand. Perhaps the most obvious difference, though, becomes
apparent in comparing class meetings in which students are working on a
problem, with those that are predominantly lecture-based. In the former, stu-
dents need to be told when time is up and the class is over, and often a group
or two will remain and continue to work until the next class comes in to dis-
place them. When the class has been all lecture, attention flags, and students
are quite aware of quitting time! Even if it were to do nothing else, PBL assures
that students spend some time grappling with the material at hand, thinking,
and discussing.
 U S I N G P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N G E N E R A L C H E M I S T RY 217

Student Response
Student reaction to the PBL format has been quite positive. In final course
evaluations, they comment that group work, in particular, is helpful. They
benefit from seeing that their peers often have the same questions and misun-
derstandings that they do; from being able to share scientific ideas with equals;
and from the chance to try out their ideas and interpretations without fear of
ridicule or dismissal. Groups provide a sense of community that is particularly
valued by these first-year students: many report continuing to work together
in later classes with their group and classmates from CHEM 103-104H.
The emphasis in the course on critical and conceptual thinking over mem-
orization is also valued. Discussions with students a year or two after they
have finished CHEM 103-104H almost invariably include the sentiment that
they both learned and retained a lot of information from the course. Premed-
ical students often assert that they anticipated (and/or found) no trouble with
the chemistry portion of the MCAT because of the preparation afforded them
by this course. While in the minority, a number of students do suggest that
they would have preferred a greater amount of structure in the course, with
more lecturing, more detailed working out of problems by the instructor in
class, and more assigned end-of-chapter problems. On the whole, though, the
combination of PBL and lecture used in this course seems to be quite effective.

Summary
A course format that uses a more directed form of PBL in conjunction with lec-
tures and other activities has been found to be an effective way to give first-year
students a powerful learning experience in general chemistry. Using problems to
introduce concepts provides students with a motivation for learning, as well as
the opportunity to share ideas and information with their peers. Using problems
with directed questions developed by the instructor provides a structure and
focus for the learning issues that might otherwise be lacking among this group of
novice nonmajor learners in a somewhat intimidating subject. Lecture segments
tie together issues generated in a problem with prior and future concepts, as well
as demonstrate expert strategies and ways of thinking in the field.

Author Biography
Susan E. Groh is Assistant Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry
and an affiliated faculty member of the University Honors Program at
the University of Delaware.
218 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

References
Herschbach, D., & Pickering, M. (1991). Making grading less painful. Jour-
nal of College Science Teaching, 21, 377379.
Lloyd, B. W. (1992). A review of curricular changes in the general chemistry
course during the twentieth century. Journal of Chemical Education, 69,
633636.
 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 18
WINTER WOES

Part 1
For nearly a week, the Eastern seaboard had been blasted by what weather
forecasters euphemistically called a wintery mix of snow, sleet, and freezing
rain. The resulting ice-glazed streets and sidewalks sent residents scurrying for
shovels, ice choppers, salt, sand, dirt, cat litteranything to make transporta-
tion possible.
Chris and Lee, the only two of a group of housemates left in Newark
during winter session, tried to avoid the problem for a while, until their
dwindling supply of Doritos and Diet Coke made a shopping trip impera-
tive. They gingerly made their way out to the car and, after two hours of
hacking away ice from the door and windows, managed to get in. Twisting
the key in the ignition, Chris was delighted to hear the battery turn over
immediately, and mentally posted a note of congratulations for taking
advantage of a battery sale just a few weeks earlier. The engine, however,
didnt catch for a while and, when it finally did, ran very roughly, surg-
ing and chugging.
It acts like its not getting enough gas, Lee noted. Have you added any
dry gas recently?
Huh? Chris responded.
Its some stuff that you can add to the fuel tank of the carits supposed
to keep the fuel lines from freezing up, Lee said. You just toss a bottles worth

219
220 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

in when you tank up, and it eliminates the chugging. My folks swear by itkept
our old car running forever in the winter. We can get some at the gas station.
But that doesnt make sense, said Chris the theoretician. Gasoline
doesnt freeze at these temperatures5F is cold, but that isnt enough to
freeze gasolineis it?
I think it has something to do with the gas getting wet. At least, I thought
thats why they called it dry gas. I dont knowI just know that dry gas
always worked for us. Whatever the reason, it cant hurt to try.

Questions to Consider
1. In chemical terms, what is gasoline? Given the chemical nature of
gasoline, what general expectations do you have about its freezing
point? Why?
2. Suppose some water did get into the fuel lines. How would you
expect water and gasoline to interact? Will the presence of water
change the freezing point of gasoline?
3. The chief ingredient in dry gas is methanol. How might the presence
of methanol perturb the gasoline-water system?

Part 2
After tanking up at the gas station, Chris and Lee slide down to Agway on
Main Street to pick up some salt for deicing their sidewalk. Theyve lucked
outa new shipment just came in. The board over the counter reads:

Rock Salt $5.00/100 lbs.

Calcium Chloride $18.95/80 lbs.
Urea $8.00/100 lbs.

Now what? Lee said. I thought salt was salt; I didnt know there were dif-
ferent kinds! Beats me, Chris agreed. I heard the traffic guy saying some-
thing about it being too cold for salt to work. Maybe one of these other things
would work better.
 U S I N G P R O B L E M - B A S E D L E A R N I N G I N G E N E R A L C H E M I S T RY 221

Questions to Consider
1. Draw up a general description of a good deicing agent for streets.
Be prepared to back up your description using chemical principles.
2. Which material do you think they should buy? How much will they
need to clear 100 feet of sidewalk? (The sidewalk is 2.5 feet wide,
covered by 1 inch of ice. Make any other assumptions you feel are
necessary.)

Part 3
Next, they headed for College Square. While waiting in the checkout line at
Pathmark, Lee picked up a copy of the Newark Post and saw the following
article:

RECENT RAINS TIED TO STRANGE TASTE

IN LOCAL DRINKING WATER
Newarkers experienced the taste of a summer day at the pool in
their drinking water this week. David DeNagy, commercial manager
at Wilmington Suburban Water Treatment Plant, said last Fridays
heavy rain caused flood conditions at the plant. Water, ice, trees and
sticks ran off the streets into the water supply, and turbulent condi-
tions caused a lot of mud to be churned into the water. Chlorine and
ferric chloride were increased to combat a high bacteria level.
If customers dont smell chlorine they should be more concerned
because its an inhibitor for bacteria, DeNagy said. DeNagy sug-
gested that customers bottle their water and refrigerate it for a couple
of hours to dissipate the chlorine.
The highly treated water. . . .

You were right about the chlorine smell, Chris, Lee pointed out. Bet-
ter go back for some Evian; Im not drinking this stuff.

Questions to Consider
1. Do you agree with the plant managers suggestion for getting rid of
the chlorine in tap water? Explain.
2. The water purification code specifies that the chlorine content of
tap water, at the point of delivery, must be at least 1 g of Cl2 per
222 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

1000 kg of water. Express this concentration in units of molarity,

parts per million, and molality.
3. How do chlorine and ferric chloride combat a high bacteria
level?

Part 4
Driving back from their errands, Chris and Lee listen to the latest reports of
storm-related mishaps on the radio. One in particular catches their attention:
a small coastal town farther south had thought itself lucky to catch the warm
side of the most recent storm. The resulting torrential rains, however, caused
a creek retaining wall to fail. The rampaging creek, cresting a dozen feet above
flood level, washed tons of temporarily stockpiled rock salt into the towns
reservoir. Tests showed the salinity of the reservoir to be nearly 3%almost
as salty as ocean water. The news report indicated that the town was consid-
ering its options for repurifying the water, including using the facilities of a
nearby chemical plant for distilling the water. In the meantime, the local naval
base had sent the townspeople an emergency shipment of reverse osmosis
desalinators, normally stocked in life rafts, for purifying water at home.

Questions to Consider
1. Describe what would happen during distillation of the reservoir
water. What would the initial boiling point be for a sample of this
reservoir water? Why?
2. Suppose the reservoir had been contaminated by a spill of methanol
instead of salt. Would this change your answer to the first question
in any way?
3. What is meant by reverse osmosis? What is the molecular-level basis
for this process?
4. Why isnt salt water drinkable?
 19
A SKEPTICS LOOK AT PBL
Elizabeth M. Lieux

Chapter Summary
The author compares lecture and problem-based learning (PBL)
teaching methods in a course for junior-level dietetics majors. Stu-
dents are shown to achieve comparable test scores on a nationally
administered exam. Student evaluations of the course are different for
PBL and lecture-based classes.

Introduction
Dietetics, like many other professions, requires a certification examination
upon completion of the four-year undergraduate program and a six- to nine-
month post-baccalaureate internship. Although undergraduate programs are
not driven to teach to the examination, for an academic program to remain
accredited students from the college or university must have an 80% pass rate
on the exam among other criteria. One of the areas of expected competence
for dietitians is an understanding of how foods are prepared and served to
large groups of people. Even though most dietitians do not practice as man-
agers of foodservice organizations, they still must have an appreciation of how
meals are planned, prepared, and delivered in a variety of settings, including
hospitals, nursing homes, university and school dining facilities, and many
other sites. For as long as I had been teaching the foodservice management
courses, the average score of University of Delaware students was above the

223
224 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

national mean in the foodservice component of the Registration Examination

for Dietitians. I was unwilling to relinquish this level of success as I considered
changes in teaching methods.
The course offered in most schools providing a dietetics program that
addresses some of these concepts is Quantity Food Production and Service.
This course is viewed negatively by many students because they cannot see
why they need to take it, and they cannot imagine themselves working in a
large foodservice operation. They struggle through the course with little enthu-
siasm but with an expectation of earning a good grade because they need it to
achieve a place in an internship. A second major constraint in teaching this
course is students limited knowledge of food. Many of them have not tasted
a wide variety of foods and are not adventurous about trying new flavors. Few
of them have food preparation skills. In recent years, cooking has been
reduced in many American homes, and few families share the production and
consumption of meals together. Some students have developed a dislike of
many foods either through fear of gaining weight or through adoption of a
vegetarian lifestyle. Many students are oblivious to the fairly obvious concept
that consumption of food is the delivery method of choice to achieve good
nutritional status. They naively do not recognize the need to have a compre-
hensive knowledge of food to be able to provide competent advice to con-
sumers about nutrition.
For 12 years I taught Quantity Food Production and Service to 25 to 80
students per year in a lecture format. Class met twice a week for 75 minutes.
Evaluation of learning was through quizzes, exams, and abstracts of foodser-
vice literature. I provided a great deal of information, and students busied
themselves with taking excellent notes. I was proud of my lectures, which were
encyclopedic and humorous. I told many stories about the real world to illu-
minate the concepts. End-of-semester course evaluations rated the course and
me as very good to excellent. The pass rate for the credentialing exam was
high, so I was doing my job and the students were learning the material. There
was no reason to make any changes in the course except I was bored, and the
students were bored. Teaching was just not fun anymore. The final straw came
on a day when I was lecturing in a very large tiered classroom that would have
held 250 students, and 50 students were present. In the midst of the lecture, a
young man took orders from his row of students, left the classroom, and
returned with coffee and doughnuts for his neighbors. This experience sug-
gested to me that I was not capturing the interest and attention of students and
something different was needed.
A few colleagues in Biology and Physics had adopted PBL and were
offering workshops to interested faculty. I attended several before I began to
 A S K E P T I C S L O O K AT P B L 225

see PBL as an approach that would challenge me and my students to become

more connected to a discipline that always has problems and emergencies
that must be addressed. What better way to learn Quantity Food Production
and Service than working with real problems that occur in a variety of food-
service operations?

Model
Problem Development
In 1994, the course included both nutrition and dietetics students and students
majoring in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (hospitality). It
seemed important to write problems that could appeal to both groups because
they have different orientations to foodservice. Dietitians tend to view food-
service from a nutritional perspective, and hospitality students view foodser-
vice from a marketing and profit-making perspective. Problems written about
hospitals or nursing homes would not appeal to hospitality students. Problems
about fine dining or limited-service restaurants would be dismissed by dietet-
ics students. I decided to develop problems that would have some interest to
both groups (Lieux & Luoto, 2000).
Both groups needed to understand food safety, so I used a highly publi-
cized outbreak of food-borne illness in a quick service restaurant as the basis
for three problems. The first was to learn about the microorganism that
caused the illness, the second to identify methods that would have prevented
the outbreak, and the third investigated the effect of the outbreak on the com-
pany. These three problems were very successful with both groups. The dietet-
ics students, who have a strong science background, were able to teach the
hospitality students about microbiology. The hospitality students helped the
dietetics students understand how the stock market, marketing and public
relations, and franchise relationships work, and how to read and use the infor-
mation from a profit and loss statement.
With the help of a registered dietitian who manages the Child Nutrition
Program for a nearby school district, I created another set of problems around
the school lunch program. The six problems focused on menu planning, pur-
chasing, production controls, and food production methods.
Finally, there was a problem about a business and industry foodservice
account that investigated inventory control and another in a hospital setting
that explored food delivery systems.
Generally, both groups of students found the problems interesting and
learned the intended material. About three years after I began using PBL, the
hospitality program developed their own course in Quantity Food Production
226 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

and Service so their students no longer were a part of this PBL class. My class
is now offered exclusively to nutrition and dietetics students.

Comparing PBL and the Lecture Method

I was concerned that students who took the revised course would learn as much
as previous students had learned. Certainly, it was evident that PBL students
would not be exposed to as many topics because in the lecture format much
more information can be presented. I was granted the opportunity to teach the
same course in both formats during the fall semester, 1994 (Lieux, 1996). A
PBL section and a lecture (LB) section were offered two times a week at
8:00 A.M. When they registered, students did not know there was a difference
between the courses. For each course there were 26 sessions, each 75 minutes
in length. I used the same course objectives and textbook. Requirements in the
LB section were submission of six abstracts of foodservice articles, two group
miniprojects, three quizzes, two hour exams, and a final exam. In the PBL sec-
tion, the students, working in groups of six, studied the problems for two class
sections and then turned in a well-referenced group report reflecting what they
had learned. Peer evaluations were conducted twice and contributed to the
grade in the course. There were two hour tests and a final exam, which used
problems. For both classes, a major portion of the final exam was the same. It
was an essay exam consisting of eight questions. Students chose five questions
to answer. I collected a variety of data, which were used, along with the final
exam results, to compare the effectiveness of the two teaching methods. For
both sections, there was a pretest of expected knowledge about food and nutri-
tion; a Learning Environment Survey (LES), which provided information about
the students intellectual and ethical maturity administered as a pre- and
posttest (Woods, 1994); attendance; and a course evaluation using the Instruc-
tional Development and Effectiveness Assessment instrument (IDEA, 1991).
In the fall of 1995, the study was repeated with minor modifications. In
the PBL section, the class met three times a week for 50 minutes, worksheets
on topics in the textbook were an added requirement, and brief essays were
added to the two hour tests. The LES instrument was not repeated.

Outcomes
Demographics
PBL classes were limited to 36 students based on the size of the available PBL
classroom. Male students were equally divided between both sections (see
Table 19.1). The first time the class was offered twice as many hospitality
 A S K E P T I C S L O O K AT P B L 227

Table 19.1. Demographic Characteristics of the Quantity Food Production

and Service Classes
Major and Gender LB PBL
1994 Dietetics 24 26
Hospitality 21 10
1994 Male 7 7
Female 38 29
1995 Dietetics 41 22
Hospitality 12 13
1995 Male 8 7
Female 45 28

Table 19.2. Scores on a 22-Item Pretest of Food Principles and Basic Nutrition
Year Lecture-based Problem-based
1994 Number 38 36
11.9 ( 2.4) 12.5 ( 2.6)
1995 Number 50 32
12.8 ( 2.9) 12.6 ( 2.8)

students were in LB as were in PBL, and the second time twice as many
dietetics students were in LB.

Prerequisite Knowledge
Courses in nutrition and food are taken before students enroll in Quantity
Food Production and Service. There was no statistical difference in the knowl-
edge of food and nutrition between the students in LB or PBL sections based
on a pretest administered early in the semester (see Table 19.2).

Intellectual Maturity
The Learning Environment Survey measures the maturation of the learner
based on Perrys model of intellectual and ethical development (Perry, 1970).
The PBL students had a higher level using the Perry model than did the LB stu-
dents (see Table 19.3). I believe this was because, due to scheduling incom-
patibilities, all of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP) students were in
the PBL class. This group was selected for CP through a rigorous admission
process and tended to be more mature and focused than traditional students.
228 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 19.3. Learning Environment Survey Comparing Lecture-based

Students and Problem-based Students before and after a Quantity Food
Production and Service Course
Average Perry Position Lecture-based Problem-based
Before 2.45(a) 2.97**
After 2.48 2.83**
(a)
1 = dualist, 3 = multiplist, 5 = relativist
**p < 0.01

Table 19.4. Average Percentage of Classes Attended in Lecture-based and

Problem-based Sections of Quantity Food Production and Service
Year Lecture-based Problem-based
1994 67% 90%
1995 82% 92.5%

Neither PBL nor LB increased LES scores. Both groups started at a rela-
tively low level of intellectual and ethical development and remained there.
They were in transition between the dualist position (Level 1) and the multi-
plist position (Level 3). For these students, the preference is for a teacher-
centered environment with limited discussion. They prefer to view the teacher
as the source of right and wrong answers and wish to learn what they need to
know in order to get good grades. This level of student is uncomfortable with
an unstructured environment and when forced to take responsibility for his or
her own learning. Many students know how to be successful in a lecture-based
classroom, but they find the PBL class to be anxiety producing.

Attendance
There were significantly more students coming to class in the PBL sections in
1994 than those who attended the LB section (see Table 19.4).
In 1994, students in the lecture-based class attended an average of 17.5
( 5.1) classes of 26 sessions offered (range = 626). Students in the PBL class
attended an average of 23.5 ( 1.9) classes (range = 1826). In 1995, LB stu-
dents attended an average of 23 classes of 28 offered (range = 1228). Students
in PBL attended an average of 37 classes of 40 offered (range = 3340). PBL
students are much more likely to attend class even when sessions meet three
rather than two times each week.
 A S K E P T I C S L O O K AT P B L 229

Table 19.5. Final ExamFrequency of Answering an Exam Question and

Scores for Each Question in Lecture-based and Problem-based Sections of
Quantity Food Production and Service, Fall 1994. Students Chose Five of
Eight Questions.
Average Average
Frequency Frequency Points Score Score
Question LB% PBL% Possible std LB std PBL
1 67 64 9 8.4(0.9) 7.3(1.4)*
2 84 92 9 5.0(1.8) 5.6(2.1)*
3 49 47 9 6.9(2.4) 7.1(1.5)
4 13 19 9 5.0(2.5) 7.2(2.1)
5 87 78 9 5.6(1.7) 6.1(1.7)
6 87 81 4 2.9(1.2) 2.9(1.1)
7 49 39 4 1.5(1.2) 2.5(1.1)*
8 62 81 4 2.8(1.3) 3.0(0.9)
*p < 0.05

Student Learning as Measured

on a Common Final Exam
A major portion of the final examination in both courses was an essay test.
Students were offered a choice of questions to answer. The frequency of choos-
ing to answer each question and the scores for each question were collected
and analyzed (see Table 19.5 and Table 19.6). All of the students answered the
questions in blue books that were merged and graded anonymously.
The first time LB was compared with PBL there were significant differ-
ences in the scores for three exam questions but no differences for the total
scores on the exams. For questions 2 and 7, PBL students did better. LB stu-
dents performed better on question 1. Students chose to answer questions at
approximately the same frequency. Questions 2, 5, and 6 were answered by
over 75% of the students in both classes. Question 4 was chosen by less than
20% of the students in both classes. Only question 8 was chosen by many
more PBL than LB students. A linear regression of independent variables
(major, GPA, gender, and section) developed a two-variable model as the best
fit, F (2,27)=7.57, p < 0.005, R2 = 29.0%. That is, 29% of the variance in the
final exam total score was accounted for by the grade point average (GPA) and
major. Students with higher GPAs and students majoring in hospitality per-
formed better on the final exam. Whether the students took the class LB or
PBL did not have an effect on the final exam total score.
230 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 19.6. Final ExamFrequency of Answering an Exam Question and

Scores for Each Question in Lecture-based and Problem-based Sections of
Quantity Food Production and Service, Fall 1995. Students Chose to Answer
Five of Eight Questions.
Average Average
Frequency Frequency Points Score Score
Question LB% PBL% Possible std LB std PBL
1 44 80 6 5.2(1.3) 5.1(1.2)
2 86 97 6 5.1(0.8) 4.8(1.0)
3 86 86 6 4.7(1.3) 4.0(1.2)*
4 55 26 6 4.5(1.6) 4.7(0.9)
5 46 34 6 4.4(0.9) 4.3(0.9)
6 40 51 6 3.6(2.1) 2.9(2.0)
7 73 35 6 5.4(1.1) 5.0(1.0)
8 75 55 6 4.4(1.3) 4.3(1.3)
*p < 0.05

In 1995, for only one question was there a significant difference between
the scores of LB and PBL students. There was, once again, no difference
between the two sections total scores in the final exam. Linear regression of
the independent variables (GPA, GPA in major, number of credits in the major,
and section) found that only GPA served as a predictor of the final exam total
score. Twenty-nine percent of the variance was accounted for by the GPA.

Student Perceptions of the Course

The IDEA rating form was completed both years. IDEA is a nationally refer-
enced instrument that allows comparison with courses from similar disciplines
offered at many institutions. In 1995, the results were compared statistically
(See Table 19.7). Only those items for which the sections were different in
1995 are reported.
The percentage of students completing the survey instrument is lower in
the LB class, mirroring the attendance rate. Questions 1 through 3 look at the
students perception of their improvement in subject matter mastery and skills
as a result of taking the course. LB students thought that they gained more fac-
tual knowledge and more professional skills and viewpoints than did PBL stu-
dents, but PBL students perceived that they enhanced their communication
skills much more than did LB students.
Questions 4 and 5 look at the course description. PBL students felt they
had more reading and other work than did LB students. The difference
 A S K E P T I C S L O O K AT P B L 231

Table 19.7. IDEA Rating-Comparison of Quantity Food Production and

Service Taught by Either Lecture-based or Problem-based Learning in 1994
and 1995.
1994 1994 1995 1995
LB PBL LB PBL
Percentage of students 58% 97% 71% 94%
completing the survey
1. Factual knowledge 4.0@ 3.3 3.9(0.66) 3.5(1.09)*
2. Professional skills and 3.7@ 3.5 3.9(0.81) 3.6(1.12)*
viewpoints
3. Effective communication 3.0@ 3.7 2.6(1.12) 3.8(1.25)****
4. Amount of reading 2.5# 2.7 2.5(0.82) 3.0(0.81)**
5. Amount of other work 3.2# 3.6 3.1(0.77) 4.2(0.71)****
6. Worked hard 2.8 3.2 2.7(0.86) 3.9(0.79)****
7. Promoted student-teacher 3.7 4.1 3.5(0.94) 4.3(0.85)***
discussion
8. Helped student answer 3.6 4.1 3.3(0.81) 4.3(0.94)****
own questions
9. Encouraged student to 4.0 4.2 3.9(0.89) 4.4(0.86)*
express themselves
10. Demonstrated the 4.4 3.8 4.6(0.59) 3.9(1.01)***
significance of the subject
11. Made it clear how each 4.3 3.4 4.6(0.55) 3.9(0.95)***
topic fit
12. Clearly stated objectives 4.5 3.5 4.3(1.10) 3.7(0.98)*
of the course
13. Explained course 4.3 3.1 4.3(0.77) 3.7(1.01)**
material clearly
14. Related material to real 4.6 4.0 4.7(0.46) 3.8(1.21)***
life situations
15. Stimulated students to 3.2 3.9 2.9(1.18) 3.6(0.90)**
high intellectual effort
16. Introduced stimulating 3.7 3.5 3.9(0.68) 3.4(1.00)*
ideas about the subject
17. Gave exams stressing 2.5 2.6 2.2(1.23) 3.0(1.33)**
unnecessary memorization
18. Exam questions were 2.6 2.2 1.9(1.09) 2.7(1.07)*
unreasonably detailed
****p < 0.0001, ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05
@ 1 = Low, 5 = High
# 1 = Much less than most courses, 5 = Much more than most courses
1 = Definitely false, 5 = Definitely true
1 = Hardly ever, 5 = Almost always
232 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

increased from 1994 to 1995 when requirements were added to the PBL class.
Question 6 looked at students self-rating, and here again PBL students
thought they worked harder than LB students did. I do not view more read-
ing, more other work, and working hard negatively and am encouraged by
these results.
Questions 7 through 9 looked at methods of involving students, and PBL
students reported more instances of involvement in discussion, answering their
own questions, and expressing themselves. Questions 10 through 14 addressed
communication of content and purpose. Here PBL students awarded lower
scores than LB students, both in 1994 and 1995. When I looked at these
results in 1994, I tried to do a better job in this area, and there was some
improvement in 1995. I suspect these scores will never be as high in a PBL
course as in a LB course because the students have a greater responsibility for
developing their own learning issues and conducting the research. When fac-
ulty no longer tell them everything they need to know, the students are likely
to believe they have to create the structure of the course themselves.
Questions 15 and 16 look at creating enthusiasm. PBL students believed
they were stimulated to high intellectual effort but did not believe that there
was an introduction of stimulating ideas about the subject. The last two ques-
tions were about preparing exams. PBL students were less satisfied with their
exams than LB students and thought they had to remember more details.
What may be seen from these results is a preference on the part of less
mature students for an instructor-centered course. They still would like to
learn in ways that are comfortable with less responsibility for their own
learning. They do recognize that their communication skills are greatly
improved. Along with this are greater opportunities for teacher-student dis-
cussion and self-expression. They yearn, however, for the teacher to tell them
what they need to learn and how everything fits together. We can hope that
increases in the use of active learning methods at all levels of education will
relegate using primarily lecture-based teaching methods to the scrap heap.
Then perhaps students will expect to share responsibility for their own learn-
ing with the faculty instead of expecting the instructor to shoulder most of
the burden.

Performance on the Registration Examination

for Dietitians
Scores in foodservice management for our students have, with very few excep-
tions, been above the national average (see Table 19.8). The first time Quan-
tity Food Production and Service was offered as a PBL course was fall semes-
ter 1994. Not all of the dietetics students were in the PBL section. This was
 A S K E P T I C S L O O K AT P B L 233

Table 19.8. Comparison of Test Scores in Foodservice Management for

University of Delaware Graduates and All Test Takers Nationally in the
Registration Exam for Dietitians
UD Score National
Year Month Total Passed ( std) Score ( std)
1991 May 4 4 18.75 (1.41) 16.01 (4.45)
1991 October 8 7 18.50 (2.55) 17.51 (4.11)
1992 May 4 4 18.00 (0.71) 16.58 (4.35)
1992 October 9 9 19.88 (3.48) 17.84 (4.30)
1993 May 2 2 21.0 (2.0) 18.0 (4.2)
1993 October 13 12 18.5 (3.3) 18.4 (4.1)
1994 May 5 4 21.80 (1.33) 17.95 (4.44)
1994 October 10 10 20.60 (3.23) 18.81 (3.91)
1995 October 16 15 18.38 (3.50) 18.86 (4.00)
1996 May 1 0 12.00 (0.00) 18.44 (4.13)
1996 October 13 12 18.15 (4.47) 18.34 (4.06)
Standard and Exam Were Changed
Year Total Passed UD Score ( std) National Score ( std)
1997 17 17 18.88 (2.14) 17.66 (3.82)
1998 28 25 18.50 (3.74) 18.15 (3.72)
1999 18 17 17.50 (4.35) 17.11 (4.13)

true in 1995 as well. Students who had the PBL experience, however, started
challenging the registration exam in 1996 and, from then on, more and more
of the test takers would have had their Quantity Food Production and Service
as a PBL class. Only in 1995 and 1996 were scores for University of Delaware
students not above the national average. Since then, these scores have been
above the national average in foodservice management. This clearly indicates
that students are as well prepared using PBL methods of teaching as they were
using LB methods.

Ways the Course Has Changed Since Its Inception

Every semester I find some modification to make to the course, most of which
have improved it. Group size has been decreased from six to four students.
This has placed added responsibility on each member of the group, and there
is less opportunity for a student to resist contributing to the group. Groups are
not willing to carry unproductive members, and this is more evident in a group
of four.
234 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Quizzes are given after each problem is completed. The content of the quiz
is based on the problem and the worksheet that supports the problem. Seventy
percent of the quiz is for individual effort, but there is always one question
that is completed by the group working together.
I developed technology enrichments for the course a couple of years ago
that seem to have had a positive impact. A web page contains the syllabus and
resources for each problem. I identified a variety of Internet sites that provide
useful information. Many of the periodical articles that I had previously
placed on reserve in the library are now available through electronic reserves
in the library. I present the wrap-ups for each problem using multimedia pres-
entation software (PowerPoint). This has increased the students interest in
the information.
Deliverables for each problem are usually a written group report. For
some problems, oral reports are presented. This has helped students improve
their presentation skills. Of late, most groups elect to use PowerPoint as
their method of providing the information visually. The PBL classroom used
for this course has fine multimedia capabilities. I make a laptop computer
available, and students bring their presentations on disks they have created
elsewhere. They are developing great skill in utilizing this medium and deliv-
ering more effective presentations.
Peer tutors have been used in many semesters to work with the groups as
they develop an understanding of each problem. This has been particularly
effective when one tutor is responsible for two to three groups. The tutors are
able to communicate to students my expectations in ways that help them to
learn.

Lessons Learned
Over the years, I have gained a great deal of confidence in PBL. I find that the
students are certainly capable of learning much information on their own and
applying it to real-world situations. PBL has great advantages in helping the
students develop team skills, improve their oral and written communication
skills, and help them to think critically. Many students would still prefer that
I revert to previous teaching methods and tell them everything they need to
know. I continue, however, to believe that using active teaching methods is key
to helping the students become lifetime learners. No profession allows mem-
bers to use only the information they acquired as students. It is crucial for
members of the profession to continue to learn. I believe the PBL helps stu-
dents acquire the skills they need to continue their education on their own.
 A S K E P T I C S L O O K AT P B L 235

Author Biography
Elizabeth M. Lieux is an Associate Professor in the Department of
Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Delaware.

References
Instructional Development and Effectiveness Assessment. (1991). IDEA system,
Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Kansas State University.
Lieux, E. M. (1996) The effect of teaching method on students knowledge of
quantity food production and service, course evaluations, and propensity
for participative management. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Vir-
ginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.
Lieux, E. M., Luoto, P. K. (2000). Exploring quantity food production and
service through problems. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Perry, W. G. (1970). Forms of intellectual and ethical development in the col-
lege years. A scheme. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Woods, D. R. (1994) Problem-based learning: How to gain the most from
PBL. Hamilton, ON: Griffith Printing Limited, Adapted from Moore and
Fitch Inventory for Learning Preference reprinted with permission.
 20
PBL IN PRESERVICE
TEACHER EDUCATION
Eugene Matusov, John St. Julien,
and James A. Whitson

Chapter Summary
Two courses in the preservice elementary teacher education were
revised, initially, to develop models that might be used throughout the
program. While useful models were developed in a variety of prob-
lems within these courses, the instructors conclude that differences
between schoolish and authentic problems are more essential to the
success of problem-based learning (PBL) than are the models pro-
vided by successful PBL problems and courses.

Introduction
In this chapter, we report and discuss our experience revising two courses in
the undergraduate program in elementary teacher education. We initially
intended that these two revised courses might provide models for using PBL in
preservice teacher educationmodels that could be replicated throughout
other courses in our ETE program. Our experience leads us to conclude, how-
ever, that although effective PBL problems or courses do provide models that
might be adopted and adapted in designing other effective problems and
courses, it is a mistake to focus on these models, forms, and design structures
as the key to effectiveness in PBL.

237
238 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

From the Model Problem to the Model Problem

There is a crucial difference between our project and others reported in this
volume. While others provide models for using PBL in teaching physics, biol-
ogy, nursing, and other disciplines, we are attempting to assist our students in
their own preparation as teachers, so they will be able and disposed to use PBL
in teaching social studies, reading, science, and math to their own students in
the elementary grades. Hence, while our courses might be seen as providing
models for the use of PBL in other college education courses; within our
courses, we were also setting out to model PBL as an approach that our own
students could use in their elementary school teaching.

Modeling PBL in the Elementary Social Studies

Methods Class
In survey after survey, elementary and secondary students invariably identify
social studies as the school subject they like least (or dislike most). This is rou-
tinely attributed to the familiar practice of teaching history, geography, or
civics by having students read one chapter after another in their textbook,
without any motivation other than curricular mandates, and then answer
questions found at the end of each textbook chapter.
The challenge of designing and implementing units on a wide variety of
social studies topic areas, in ways that are interesting, engaging, and effective
for student learning, is a huge problem for elementary school teachers. Our
students face this challenge in the form of their requirement to design and
teach a social studies unit in the elementary or middle school classroom where
they have been placed for the semester. The topic for their unit is determined
by the curriculum for the classroom in which each pair of our students has
been placed. In other words, a team of two preservice teachers may be respon-
sible for planning and teaching a unit on a topic area in history, geography,
civics, or economics that they may never have studied in their own college or
precollege careers and that may be different from the topics to be taught by
any of their classmates in the methods course.
As noted earlier, the routine or default way of dealing with this problem
is reliance on the textbook. Our students have always known that this would
not work for them, simply because it would not satisfy their professor in the
college methods class. Before our revision of the course using PBL, students
generally tried to deal with this challenge by brainstorming and scrounging
around for activities related to their topics that would be more fun and more
engaging than a slavish reliance on the textbook. Often, they did come up with
clever and inventive ideas for activities that could really be a lot of fun for their
 P B L I N P R E S E RV I C E T E A C H E R E D U C AT I O N 239

students. Almost as often, though, it would be hard to see the value of those
activitiesbeyond their entertainment valuein terms of learning outcomes
that would result for their students. Moreover, when their units did include
activities that could be expected to produce some real learning benefits for
their elementary or middle school students, those activities often did not build
on one another in a progressive or coherent way to advance the students
understanding of the topic or their ability to understand comparable topics in
the social studies subjects.
Preservice teacher education students are often at a loss to understand
why plans like this will not receive the grade they feel that they deserve, and
the students feel that they are entitled to be told explicitly what they need to
do to earn an A. The directions they seek, and typically are given, often take
the form of formalistic criteria, such as the number of objectives to be stated
for each lesson in the unit; how many of these objectives should be stated in
the form of Blooms (Bloom, 1956) higher level objectives; how many dif-
ferent student grouping arrangements, or types of student activities, should be
included over the course of the unit; how many (and what types) of resources
should be included in their list of references for the unit, etc.
Of course, there is a good chance that explicit and detailed directions of
this kind will result in better units being designed by methods students. This,
however, fails to solve the problem of the methods course itself, since those
better units might be produced by students who have only learned how to
follow formalistic directions and not how to design their own units on the
basis of their own assessment of how to treat a given social studies topic in a
way that will be most beneficial for the students in their classrooms later in
their careers. This prospect can be seen, in fact, in the units that have met all
the formalistic criteria (number and variety of activities, etc.) but still fail to
add up to a coherent unit that will provide real learning benefits for the ele-
mentary school students. In these cases (and even in many cases where those
formalistic directions actually did result in better unit plans), the problem that
the preservice teacher education students were focusing on, and the problem
that motivated and organized their efforts, was the schoolish problem of
how to satisfy their professor, rather than the authentic problem of how to
design the most effective unit to promote learning by their elementary school
students.
We were able to transform this situation by revising our course using
PBL. Instead of giving them formalistic criteria for better unit plans and then
letting them focus on the schoolish problem of how to satisfy our criteria,
we let them take on, for themselves, the problem of designing their best unit
on their topic for their studentsand the constituent problem of figuring out
240 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

the standards, criteria, and requirements demanded by that task. Instead of

them asking us how many objectives should be stated in each lesson plan, or
how many and what kinds of resources would be required for their unit, we
would now ask them to figure out the answers to such question in the course
of working through their own problem of designing their best unit on the
topic for their students.
Of course, we could not do this just by telling them, Its your problem
now, you need to figure it all out for yourselves. That is precisely what they
needed to learn how to do in our class, and what they had never before learned
how to do. This is, however, where the PBL model would provide just the help
that they would need.
Our plan was that we would introduce a PBL model for group problem
solving at the beginning of the course and then provide problems that would
serve as opportunities for them to practice using this PBL model over the
semesterwith at least one extended problem that would serve almost as a
direct rehearsal for the culminating problem of their final unit plans.
We first introduced PBL to our students, at the beginning of their social
studies methods class, by giving them a version of the plea negotiation prob-
lem that had been developed by Dr. Valerie Hans for a course in criminal jus-
tice at the University of Delaware (UD) (see Chapter 13 of this volume for dis-
cussion of the Plea Negotiation problem). For about two weeks, along with
reading and discussing other introductory materials for the course, our stu-
dents worked in four-member negotiating groups as prosecutors, defendants,
defense counsel, and surviving victims, doing research on criminal and case
law, sentencing guidelines, and conflicting arguments on public policy, while
negotiating toward a plea agreement within each of their groups. We intended
that this process would provide a model that our students could use in groups
working through other problems throughout this course, and in their careers,
including their final social studies unit plans for the semester.
We also intended that by working through the Plea Negotiation problem,
they would get the experience of PBL learning with a problem designed for
students at their own (i.e., college undergraduate) level, which could serve as
helpful background for them in designing PBL experiences for students in the
elementary and middle school grades. This also provided an opportunity for
reflecting on the importance of specific learning goals as the basis for how any
given problem should be used. In this case, our students could see that the
same Plea Negotiation problem could be appropriate in both the criminal jus-
tice and the social studies classes but that it should be used differently to serve
the differing purposes of each class. Criminal justice majors are learning how
to perform the roles within that system, so some aspects of the process may
 P B L I N P R E S E RV I C E T E A C H E R E D U C AT I O N 241

have more importance in that context. As an opportunity for learning about

civics within the elementary or middle school social studies curriculum, how-
ever, it would be more important for students to discover how the three
branches of government interact within particular cases, such as this one, to
serve and protect the conflicting principles, values, and interests that our gov-
ernmental and legal systems are designed to orchestrate.
After their introduction to this PBL model with the Plea Negotiation prob-
lem, our students were given a larger problem to work on over several weeks,
in which they worked together in planning units or lessons on a topic area
shared by the entire class. In the spring semester of 1999, the topic area was
presidential impeachment. This really was a problem area for elementary
school teachers at the time. Children were hearing about impeachment at
home, on the streets, and in the news. On the one hand, this generated a level
of interest and curiosity that would normally be a teachers greatest asset. On
the other hand, some of the seamier and more controversial aspects of the con-
flict over President Bill Clintons impeachment made the topic seem extremely
perilous to many grade school teachers. Children would not let this topic sim-
ply be ignored (and an attempt to do so would have taught the children ques-
tionable lessons in any case), and the topic involved so much rich content in
history, government, and politics that in some ways this was a social studies
teachers dream come true. How could this topic be handled, with particular
classes of grade school children? This was the problem that our students grap-
pled with that semester. Since all groups in the class were working in the same
problem area, they could discover from each other the wide variety of possi-
ble approaches to a single topic. It also was possible to provide more coach-
ing, scaffolding, and peer support for everyone, while they could work
through a unit planning process that was almost a rehearsal for their research
and development of final social studies unit plans, which each pair of methods
students would need to work on more independently.

Beyond Modeling: Instructional Strategies

and Reflective Practices
Instructional Strategies and Reflective Practices (ISRP) is a course that focuses
on instructional strategies, classroom management, lesson plans, and educa-
tional philosophies. One concern in this class is for students to learn how to
provide sensitive guidance for all children with diverse educational needs. Stu-
dents often raise this issue of dealing with slow learners in their teaching
practicum associated with this class, while providing challenging instruction
for all of the children. Many believe that the only way to provide sensitive
242 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

guidance is through one-on-one teaching or through tracking children by their

abilities. However, they know that one-on-one teaching or tracking is logisti-
cally not always possible in the classroom. Besides, many of these students are
aware of negative consequences of tracking, which has often resulted in an
increasing gap between high and low tracks, and in low-track children
being stigmatized and losing self-esteem and motivation for their academic
learning.
Having participated in the UD Winter Institute, the instructor was eager
to design a PBL unit in which students would develop sensitive instruction for
a group of children with diverse levels of educational abilities and skills. As a
model for designing this unit, the instructor referred to the Plea Negotiation
problem (discussed previously) that had been used as an introduction to PBL
for faculty participants during the first two days of the Institute. Along with
the other Institute participants, we were all impressed by the design of the plea
negotiation problem and its effectiveness as a learning experience within the
Institute. On this basis, it appeared that the Plea Negotiation problem pro-
vided an exemplary design that could be directly replicated in designing a
problem on sensitive guidance and instruction for diverse learners. Unlike the
social studies methods course discussed previously, in which the Plea Negotia-
tion problem itself was given to the students for them to work through, in this
case the students were not given that problem to work on. In this case, the
instructor looked to the design of the Plea Negotiation problem as a model for
the design of a different problem for this class.
Following the Plea Negotiation problem as a model, the instructor devel-
oped a problematic scenario that he calls the Sitting Disability problem.
According to this scenario, the second grade teacher referred her student,
Mike, for medication, because of his assumed Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD) problem evident in his distracting other children in the class during
independent reading/writing classroom activities. From time to time the stu-
dent was taken from class to learn the alphabet because he could not read or
write. It was suspected that the students distracting behavior was not caused
by ADD but was his way of trying to get help (or some alternative activities)
from his classmates in the reading/writing classroom activities, in which he
could not participate on his own.
Following the model of the Plea Negotiation problem, the scenario for this
problem described four specialists: an instruction specialist, a curriculum spe-
cialist, a child psychologist, and a language arts specialist, who are supposed
to design a language arts lesson (or an unit) for a group of second grade stu-
dents, including Mike, that should involve sensitive guidance for all the stu-
dents in the group.
 P B L I N P R E S E RV I C E T E A C H E R E D U C AT I O N 243

The rest of the two-week Sitting Disability unit followed the structure of
the Plea Negotiation problem and involved class meetings of the four special-
ist teams, their work outside of the class using Internet sources to address
questions that emerged in the teams meetings, team meetings in class for
bringing information together, and finally, reassembling the groups to design
an inclusive language arts lesson.
The unit did not work. Students complained about the work required out-
side of class (despite the fact that they did weekly miniprojects at home on a
regular basis); they asked how many questions minimum each student should
take care of and how much writing they should do in reply to the questions;
student questions were very shallow; they cut and pasted texts from suggested
Internet websites without much thinking about whether and how the texts
address their questions; they never went beyond the suggested websites; they
worried how much the group project would contribute to the final grade for
the class for each group member; their designs for inclusive lessons were not
informed by the searches they did and were reduced to tracking at best and to
low-quality drills in reading and writing at worst; and so forth. It was any-
thing but active learning. It was a somewhat torturous experience of getting
through, for them and the instructor.
Why? Why did the model work so beautifully for Dr. Hans in criminal jus-
tice and so badly for us in this course? Of course, we could focus on differences
in educational attitudes and motivation between criminal justice and education
students, and blame our students for being lazy, dull, and disinterestedPBL
was simply not for them. We know, however, that this would not be true, fair,
or productive. What makes the difference between successful PBL and its fail-
ure? We know that the answer is not in the structure of the PBL lesson, since
that was directly copied from the model of the Plea Negotiation lesson. We
could blame the instructor for ineffective implementation of a basically good
model. Our reflection on this experience, however, convinces us that a focus on
the structure of successful PBL problems, taken as models, is not the key for
understanding what will make the difference between successful and unsuc-
cessful uses of PBL.
PBL is often discussed in terms that suggest there is a choice to be made
between problem-based learning and learning that is not problem-based. We
would argue to the contrary that all learning is problem-based. The question
is not whether learning will be problem-based or not, but rather what kind of
problem will motivate and determine students learning. Will student efforts
be addressing schoolish problems (e.g., problems of figuring out how to sat-
isfy the instructors arbitrary requirements with a minimum of effort), or
authentic problems (e.g., for our preservice teacher education students, the
244 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

real problems they will be dealing with as teachers, as well asin the case of
social studies, for examplereal problems in the social world or in the history
and social science disciplines)?
In the case of the Plea Negotiation problem, both the instructors and the
students concerns centered on the plea negotiation issues. In contrast, in the
case of the Sitting Disability problem, despite the fact that the problem was
structured on the same model, the instructors and students concerns were
mutually exclusive to each other and did not consider each other as legitimate.
Of course, the instructors and students concerns are not the same and should
not be the same because the instructor is supposed to focus on guiding the stu-
dents, while the students are supposed to focus on learning and on accom-
plishing learning activities. However, the relationship between the instructors
and students concerns has to be shared, supportive, compatible, and open for
public negotiation in the class to make PBL authentic. PBL emerges from the
relationship between the instructors and students concerns in the classroom
activitiesthis relationship defines whether PBL is schoolish or authentic.
In the Sitting Disability lesson, the instructor worked against, rejected,
and overruled the students vision of how to provide sensitive guidance for
children with diverse educational needs, rather than working with students
visions of the problem. The starting point of the Sitting Disability lesson was
for the students to reject their own approach to sensitive guidance resulting in
tracking and one-on-one tutoring and, instead, to focus on the instructors
agenda of how to design inclusive guidance in this problematic situation. The
students were precluded from working on the real problem, as they under-
stood it, so instead they devoted their efforts to the schoolish problem of
satisfying the demands of their instructor.
Based on this analysis of the experience with PBL in ISRP one semester,
the instructor revised the use of PBL for the following semester, with a focus
on working with students concerns and visions rather than struggling against
them. For example, at the very beginning of the teaching practicum, the
instructor asked the students to discuss with children in their elementary
school classes what their favorite book is in their class and then to reflect on
this learning activity. The students opinions about the activity were split from
high excitement and endorsing the activity as extremely educational, to dis-
paragement of the activity as having very low educational value.
In the next class meeting, each group was asked to report on pedagogical
aspects of the activity, such as pedagogical values, classroom management,
organizational transitions, concerns and problems that they had, and the chil-
dren had had, during the favorite book activity, and their emerging relations
with the children. To their surprise, their replies fell into the two patterns that
 P B L I N P R E S E RV I C E T E A C H E R E D U C AT I O N 245

fit the two groups. For example, the group that considered the activity as suc-
cessful emphasized how their children were supportive, cooperative, and col-
laborative, while the other group reported disciplinary problems.
When the activity profiles for the two groups were completed, the students
shifted their attention to why these two different patterns occurred. Initially,
some students suggested that the difference was in the children, since the activ-
ity was the same. However, many students quickly noticed that the activities
actually were not the same! In the group where the activity was successful, the
activity goals for the children centered on sharing their favorite books with
their classmates and on persuasive speech. In the group where the activity was
not successful, the activity goals for the children centered on competition and
on imposing their choices on the other children.
After the class, many students commented that they were surprised to
learn so much from the their own unsuccessful teaching activity. Students in
this activity repeated to some degree their instructors own teaching experi-
ence, described previously. At this point, they join the community of educators
learning how to design authentic PBL in their classrooms.

Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment of student learning in the courses has been done partly on the basis
of the same kinds of student products that have been used for grading pur-
poses in the past. For example, students have continued to develop and imple-
ment lesson plans and unit plans in social studies, which must not only
demonstrate mastery of the principles of curriculum design and planning for
instruction, but must also demonstrate an understanding of teacher strategies
for addressing the problems that elementary school students have in mastering
the skills and conceptual content of social studies subjects, such as civics, his-
tory, geography, and economics. We believe that such products from the past
two semesters demonstrate superior mastery as compared with comparable
products from previous semesters.
The most striking improvement in student learning was seen in their final
units and in their lesson plans for teaching. ECSS is the course in the final
block before student teaching in which units are required. As such it has tra-
ditionally been the first place where a large number of the complex elements
of teaching and curriculum design are brought together in the production of a
practical project. Short of student teaching itself, this can be regarded as the
capstone activity of the students academic career of on-campus coursework
prior to their student teaching, and as a foundation for their student teaching
internships. To construct a viable unit the lessons must be sequenced, build
246 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

students emerging competencies and provide a satisfying way for students to

become aware of their own developing abilities. It is hardly surprising that stu-
dents regard this as one of the most difficult tasks they engage in, and it is dis-
appointing that professors generally find many of the same problems in stu-
dent units year after year and in different institutions.
One important difference in the PBL approach is that it naturally lends
itself to engaging students in assessing the value and quality of their own learn-
ing in the course of their problem-based learning experiences. With PBL, stu-
dents decisions about how to respond to problematic situations will depend
upon their own active deliberations on the differences between more and less
worthy solutions to the embedded problems and the criteria upon which such
judgments should be based. In the PBL-revised course, teacher education stu-
dents have been discovering how student learning can be enhanced through
ongoing engagement in assessing the quality and value of their own work and
their accomplishments, through informal communication, as well as more
formal assessment rubrics. This also supplies them with strategies for engag-
ing their own students in the active assessment of learning in their elementary
school classrooms.
Student units in the last two semesters have shown a dramatic improve-
ment in quality in our judgment. Most noticeably, they are more likely to be
designed around issues that are actually meaningful, even when the cooperat-
ing teacher in the students field placement dictates the topic. Individual les-
sons are better written, and the unit is more likely to clearly build, and build
on, the emerging abilities of those taught. The complex of reasons for this
improvement is difficult to trace in detail, but preliminary analysis appears to
show that they are related to the PBL portions of the class.
In the course ISRP, students were assigned an open-ended essay in which
they were to reflect on what theyve learned in the class. Student statements in
the essays were analyzed and tabulated (see Table 20.1), showing that students
from PBL classes mentioned that they learned more and experienced richer
curricula than students from non-PBL class.

Outcomes
At the beginning of this project, we expected that we would see our students
designing PBL problems for the elementary school children in their practicum
and (later) student teaching placements, and that this would be the ultimate
test of our own project. Although we have seen some impressive PBL units
designed and implemented by our students in their practica, our students are
still more often designing units that would not be recognized as PBL in the
 Table 20.1. Tabulated Results from Student Reflection Essays
Important Aspects of the Class Mentioned by the Students PBL, N=21 Non-PBL, N=24 P-value, T-test
1. Sharing practicum experiences, ideas, and problems 81% 88% 0.2805
2. Student wants to use the strategies learned in the class in her 57% 21% 0.0127
or his future teaching
3. Appreciation of cooperative learning and learning through 48% 17% 0.0144
collaboration
4. Discussion of educational philosophies 62% 4% 0.0051
5. Discussion of childrens active learning (including PBL) 71% 8% 0.0000
6. Diversity of views and different ways of dealing with problems 33% 25% 0.2758
7. Considering pros and cons of educational strategies, critical 24% 4% 0.0347
247

thinking
8. Focusing on shared ownership for decision making 19% 0% 0.0211
9. Value of reflection 52% 21% 0.0151
10. Discussion of problems and problematic situations 33% 8% 0.0229
11. Educational eclecticism (lets mix all educational philosophies 0% 17% 0.0214
together)*
12. Diversity of ways that students learn 24% 4% 0.0321
13. Focus on learning and not on grade 5% 4% 0.4628
14. Stressless class 24% 17% 0.2822
15. Diversity of teaching styles and techniques 76% 17% 0.0000
16. Flexible and open-minded teaching 24% 4% 0.0347
*This item indicates the students lack of understanding of educational philosophy according to the instructor. (continued)
P-value < 0.05 indicates items with statistically significant differences between the classes.
 Table 20.1. Tabulated Results from Student Reflection Essayscontinued
Important Aspects of the Class Mentioned by the Students PBL, N=21 Non-PBL, N=24 P-value, T-test
17. Report a dramatic change in students perspectives, beliefs, and 52% 0% 0.0001
attitudes
18. Critique of transmission of knowledge educational approach 24% 0% 0.0106
19. Reasoning and backing up ideas and opinions in the essay 43% 0% 0.0004
20. Appreciation of learning through PBL and teaching activities in 76% 0% 0.0000
the class
248

21. Appreciation of support from the classmates, feeling of a 48% 0% 0.0002

community
22. Increased confidence in teaching 24% 0% 0.0106
23. Emphasis on a connection between instruction and learning 29% 0% 0.0052
24. Positive attitude toward the class 100% 75% 0.0055
Average number of the items mentioned by each student 11.0 3.5 0.0000
*This item indicates the students lack of understanding of educational philosophy according to the instructor.
P-value < 0.05 indicates items with statistically significant differences between the classes.
 P B L I N P R E S E RV I C E T E A C H E R E D U C AT I O N 249

classic sense. We do see this as a continuing challenge for our work in these
courses and the larger ETE program: i.e., the problem of using PBL within
our program more effectively in ways that will result in greater use of PBL by
our students and our graduates in their own classrooms.
At the same time, we already do see impressive positive results in other
forms. As we have revised our courses using PBL, we have found thateven
when they are not using a model of PBL problems as suchour students are
engaged in working more authentically on the real problems of curriculum and
instruction, rather than the schoolish problems of satisfying course require-
ments. In designing social studies units, students are far more engaged now
than before with the nexus of (a) social and historical problems embedded in
the social studies content, (b) the problems that will actually be experienced
by their students in the conduct of their lessons, and (c) the teachers problems
of designing experiences for students so that the elementary school students
will be progressively developing their capacities for dealing with real histori-
cal and social problems while meeting the requirements of state-mandated cur-
ricula and standards-driven testing programs.

Suggestions for Adoption

Successful PBL involves more than just repackaging the content of traditional
lectures into problematic scenarios and group work; it requires a transforma-
tion of students experiences, concerns, and visions. Authentic PBL lessons can
come as direct replies to students concerns from their practicum, or from
experiences initiated by the instructor. In any case, the students experiences,
concerns, and visions are in the center of the classroom activities being
accepted, legitimatized, and problematized by the instructor. This seems to
make the difference between schoolish and authentic PBL.

Authors Biographies
Eugene Matusov and John St. Julien are Assistant Professors, and
James A. Whitson is Associate Professor of Education at the Univer-
sity of Delaware.

References
Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classifi-
cation of educational goals. New York: Longman.
 21
INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS
A PROBLEM-BASED MODEL

Barbara A. Williams

Chapter Summary
This chapter describes a model used to incorporate problem-based
learning (PBL) into a two-semester algebra-based introductory physics
course. Student reaction to the course is detailed, as well as student
achievement results.

Introduction
Introductory Physics is a two-semester Honors course for students majoring in
biology, chemistry, biochemistry, premedicine, sciences other than physics, and
unrelated disciplines. Set at the level of high school algebra and elementary
trigonometry, this course is well-suited for students who can evaluate algebraic
expressions, solve verbal mathematical problems, represent functional rela-
tions graphically, and manipulate first- and second-order algebraic equations.
Designed for freshmen and sophomores, the course in its early offerings
attracted students who postponed introductory physics until their junior year;
however, in the past two years, dramatic shifts have occurred in the enrollment
demographics. In this current year, sophomore students for the first time rep-
resent the majority. Enrollments have never exceeded 30 students because
small-sized classes are one of the attractive features of the University Honors
Program.

251
252 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

In general, Honors students tend to be highly motivated and goal-

oriented. Students who enroll in this course are no exception. Some have never
studied physics in high school, for most this will be the only formal physics
course they will have at the college level, and nearly all have underdeveloped
skills and preparation in basic algebra. In recent years, I have tried to quantify
and document the mathematical skills of the students who select this course.
Each student enrolled in the course since 1998 has taken a 10-item diagnostic
covering the fundamentals of basic algebra. The median score on this algebra
diagnostic is at the 60% level and supports my earlier undocumented obser-
vations that underdeveloped skills and preparation in algebra can be formida-
ble barriers for nearly half the students who take this course.

Brief History of the Course

Barbara Duch was responsible for the initial development of the Honors Intro-
ductory Physics course at the University of Delaware. In 1992, she taught a
newly combined recitation and laboratory section created to provide a unique
experience for Honors students who had a common lecture with more than
200 regular students. This model of a single course director who delivers the
lecture and multiple sections of recitation and laboratory taught by different
teaching assistants is a popular instructional strategy for teaching large num-
bers of students in science courses. The present course grew out of that joint
Honors recitation/laboratory section, when in 1993, lecture, recitation, and
laboratory sections were separated from the larger lecture-driven course,
established as an independent, autonomous Honors Introductory Physics
course in the University Honors Program, developed and taught by Barbara
Duch. During this period, she designed complex real-world problems and
open-ended experiments to teach physics principles and their applications to
the real world and used cooperative- and problem-based learning strategies to
develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
In 1994, I inherited the teaching duties of this course and continued to use
the cooperative- and problem-based learning strategies initiated by Barbara
Duch. When I discovered that some students could do well on the real-world
problems and open-ended laboratories without a complete understanding of
the underlying physics principles, I introduced that same year conceptual
assignments as part of the course content to help students make explicit con-
nections among the physical concepts, their mathematical representations, and
the physical world. Conceptual assignments are carefully selected to expose
students alternative conceptions, in particular, those that have proven to be
highly resistant to instruction. Qualitative questions that probe for conceptual
understanding were included in group assignments, individual homework
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 253

assignments, group and individual examinations, real-world problems, and

the laboratories. After teaching the course for more than five years, I have
made new contributions to the course materials in the form of laboratory
activities, experiments, and real-world problems.

Introductory Physics Model

Instructional Strategies
I continue to use both cooperative- and problem-based learning strategies to
teach basic physics principles and their applications to the real world. During
the first class meeting, permanent groups of three to four students are formed
using a random process and a gender template to ensure that at least two
female students are assigned per group. Gender-based educational research has
shown that female students tend to be more verbal and assertive in academic
interactions that involve other females (Hall & Sandler, 1984; Gabriel &
Smithson, 1990). Members work together on each activity until they all under-
stand and complete the assignment in each learning cycle described in the fol-
lowing sections. In order for the group learning to be truly cooperative, the
following elements must be present: positive interdependence, individual
accountability, face-to-face promotive interaction, and interpersonal skills
(Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991).
Single submissions of group assignments, solutions to real-world prob-
lems, laboratory reports, and group examinations are course requirements
that foster positive interdependence. I have found that group solutions result-
ing from a consensus encourage dialogue that challenges alternative concep-
tions of the physical world and promotes the use of critical-thinking skills in
defense of arguments and positions taken by members of a group. Each year,
I see students teaching other members inside and outside their groups. These
cooperative tasks stimulate impromptu teaching moments among students. In
addition, to collaborative tasks, students must adopt a collaborative role (e.g.,
discussion leader, recorder, and skeptic) within the group as another means of
building positive interdependence. Assigned roles that rotate among members
help students shape their behavior and identify their specific contributions to
the collaborative effort.
To encourage individual accountability, groups are instructed to generate
by consensus a set of ground rules and consequences for any violations,
shortly after each group becomes stable and before conflict arises. The level of
individual performance within the group is assessed through formal peer eval-
uations that occur three times per semester during individual examinations.
Attaching the peer evaluation form at the end of each written examination
254 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

ensures confidentiality and promotes more candid constructive responses. To

receive credit for group activities, each person must sign his or her name to an
academic honesty statement (Table 21.1) that accompanies each group assign-
ment, laboratory report, and problem solution. If this cover sheet is not com-
pleted and attached to the group submissions, they will not be graded. Should
a student sign his or her name to the document without having met the three
conditions described in Table 21.1, the incident would be reported to the Dean
of Students and processed under the universitys academic dishonesty policy.
One of my responsibilities as instructor is to monitor the social skills
needed to cooperate effectively in groups, as well as the students understand-
ing of physics. I circulate among the groups and intervene when necessary to
suggest more effective ways to interact and avoid conflict. When I join the
group to assist with the task and to query students about their understanding
of the material, this is an opportunity to model and teach social skills. An
example of some of the questions I use, as suggested by Barrows and Tamblyn
(1980) are Why did you come to that conclusion?, If what you suggest is
true, then how would you explain . . . ?, What are the hidden assump-
tions being made in your analysis?, Are you sure of what you are saying?.
To ensure that groups are able to process their effectiveness, I provide six
opportunities during the semester for students to evaluate their performance
as a group and to set goals for improving their subsequent group interactions.
I have not fully embraced the medical school model (Boud & Feletti,
1997) of problem-based learning because the students that I teach lack the
necessary ability and/or confidence in their problem-solving and mathematical
skills. These students become anxious and offer considerable resistance when
they encounter a real-world problem without some preparation, i.e., reading,
homework assignment, and/or hearing a lecture about the physics concepts.
Students find it difficult to define the broad nature of the problem and orga-
nize their ideas when they feel constrained by and fearful of their limited
knowledge of physics. For these reasons, I use condensed minipresentations
that introduce physics principles and integrate the learning units, i.e., a body
of integrated physics principles that define the content of the course (e.g., kine-
matics, dynamics, conservation laws, fluids, and optics). In most cases, the stu-
dents engage the real-world problem after some preparation, for example, the
minilecture, homework, and conceptual assignments. After acquiring
increased confidence in their conceptual understanding of the physics princi-
ples, the students use the PBL process as described by Barrows (1985) to work
through and solve the real-world problem encountered in each learning cycle.
These modifications to the medical school model have been successful because
the minilectures, homework, and conceptual assignments support the students
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 255

Table 21.1. Cover Page of an Academic Honesty Statement

ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT
PHYS 201-080

My signature below indicates that I have (1) made an equitable contribution

to _________ as a member of this group, (2) read and fully agree with the
contents (i.e., results, conclusions, analyses) of this document, and
(3) acknowledged by name anyone outside this group who assisted this
learning team or any individual member in completing this document.

Todays date_______________

Active Members
(1)___________________ (reporter) (2)___________________

(3)___________________ (4)___________________

Acknowledgment of individual(s) who assisted this group in completing this

document:
(1)___________________ (2)___________________

(3)___________________ (4)___________________

through the development of the skills needed for the more complex real-world
problems they encounter later.

Course Objectives and Learning Cycle

In addition to the content mastery objectives, the following process objec-
tives are set for the course: (1) to encourage students responsibility for their
256 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

learning; (2) to identify and address what a student does not know or under-
stand; (3) to increase the students discussion of physics principles; (4) to
encourage the students use of logic; and (5) to develop students reasoning
skills. In order to meet these objectives, the students learning of physics is
structured around cycles of in-class activities, each of which includes a
minilecture, a conceptual assignment, real-world applications (problem and
laboratory), and an overview. Each learning cycle (Figure 21.1) encompasses
many activities that help students learnregardless of their preferred learn-
ing style. Typically, the cycle, as shown in Figure 21.1, takes more than a
week for the students to complete. To develop the learning format and the
instructional approach described here, I recommend class periods longer
than 50 minutes. This Honors physics class meets three times a week as two
75-minute sessions, plus one three-hour time block formed by scheduling the
traditional laboratory and recitation sessions together. The individual con-
ceptual homework, not shown in Figure 21.1, is completed outside of class,
precedes each minilecture, is used to monitor the reading assignment, and to
ensure that each student is prepared to participate in the group activities.
The order in which the components of the learning cycle are completed in
class varies according to the objectives of the teacher, the concept being
introduced, and the needs of the students. Overview discussions and mini-
lectures involve the whole class, whereas the conceptual assignments, exper-
iments, and the real-world problems are performed in small collaborative
groups. When a new learning unit is introduced, the learning cycle repeats,
sometimes with new starting points.

Minilecture and Conceptual Assignment

Minilectures help students to understand the framework of the physical con-
cepts and to connect the knowledge just learned to the new concepts being
introduced. Condensed presentations and whole-class discussions have been
extremely useful in providing all students with a common base of knowledge
to guide self-study in preparation for the other activities that occur in the
learning cycle. During the whole-class discussions, I explain difficult concepts,
e.g., tension, massless strings, passive forces, and circular motion.
In the medical school model, there is one tutor/facilitator per learning
group. This student-to-teacher ratio allows constant monitoring of student
learning within the groups. With 2025 students in five or six groups with
one instructor, the medical school model was not an option for this course.
To monitor students learning more closely in my course, the instructor serves
as a roving tutor/facilitator during group activities. Because the roving
instructor cannot monitor all the students learning constantly, whole-class
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 257

THE LEARNING CYCLE

Minilecture

Overview Conceptual Assignme

Real-world Applications
(Problem and Laboratory)

FIGURE 21.1. The learning cycle

discussions and minilectures ensure students understanding. When students

are given this kind of support through whole-class discussions and minilec-
tures, either before or while they are using groups to solve complex problems,
they are less anxious, fearful, or suspicious of the process. Since my attention
is distributed over multiple groups, I require an activity log (Table 21.2) indi-
cating how each group used class time to work through group assignments,
experiments, group problems, and group functioning. The activity log is
handed in after each class meeting and is used to set realistic due dates for the
group activities.
Since 1998, I have used undergraduate peer tutors to augment the roving
instructor. Peer tutors help guide the groups through the conceptual assign-
ments and real-world problems during the 75-minute class periods. The peer
tutors are drawn from a pool of successful, more experienced students who
have already taken the course or who are physics, engineering, or physics edu-
cation majors. As the instructor, I still roam freely among the groups to assist
peer tutors, monitor understanding of physics principles, identify learning
issues (anything a student does not understand or know), address alternative
conceptions, and model the skills needed for critical thinking and problem
solving. The class has provided an opportunity for the physics education
majors to gain teaching experience in the classroom, learn about one form of
active learning, experience PBL techniques, and reflect on their dual roles as
tutor and learner.
With some prompting or incentives, students in introductory physics
courses find it easier to discuss physics principles. The conceptual assignment
consists of provocative questions that students must answer and is a formal
 Table 21.2. In-Class Activity Log
Group # Assignment Problem Laboratory Group Functioning
Date Item Time Item Time Item Time

BEGIN

END

BEGIN

END
258

BEGIN

END

BEGIN

END

BEGIN

END

BEGIN

END
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 259

mechanism for generating discussion of physics principles among students in

their respective groups. Afterward, the group is required to submit one set of
written responses to the questions that appear on the conceptual group assign-
ments. The responses are graded for clarity, consistency, the use of logic, and
explicit connections made between the physics principles and the physical
world. The following are examples of the types of questions I have used from
various textbooks to generate lively group discussions.

Suppose that a body acted on by exactly two forces is accelerated.

Does it then follow that (a) the body cannot move with a constant
speed?; (b) the velocity can never be zero?; (c) the sum of the two
forces cannot be zero?; (d) the forces must act in the same line?
Explain your response.
In the early days of rocketry, it was assumed by many people that
a rocket would not work in outer space because there was no air for
the exhaust gases to push against. Explain why the rocket works in
outer space.
To ease the pain, should you catch a fast-moving softball while
your hand is moving toward the ball, while it is at rest, or while it is
moving in the direction of the incoming ball? Explain using physics
principles.

Real-World Applications
Problems and the Laboratory
Opportunities for combining conceptual understanding of physics with critical-
thinking skills occur when the students encounter the real-world applications.
Whenever possible, problems and experiments relate the basic physics princi-
ples to the real worldespecially biology, medicine, and the physiology. Stu-
dents who acquire scientific knowledge in the context in which it will be used
are more likely to retain what they learn and apply that knowledge appropri-
ately (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993; Boud & Feletti, 1997). The problems devel-
oped for this class are very different from typical end-of-chapter problems or
exercises. In general, the end-of-chapter problems are too directive, supply the
relevant unknown parameters, and can be solved with little understanding.
Mazur (1996) notes that most textbook problems test mathematical, instead
of analytical, thinking skills while the more meaningful problems are those
that give students the opportunity to make assumptions and estimates and to
develop and work out models. The problems that have been developed for this
class demand that students do several things: (1) connect new knowledge to
old; (2) recognize what they know and understand and what they do not; (3)
260 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

learn concepts thoroughly enough so they can explain them in their own
words; and (4) be able to teach them to their peers.
Some examples of problems used in this course follow: students use con-
servation of energy, moment of inertia, and kinematics to design fast model
derby racers; they apply the principles of rotational dynamics to evaluate the
stability of different bicycles during braking; and Ohms law, electrical
power, and resistance must be applied to design a safe outdoor lighting sys-
tem. An example of a problem that I have used to teach kinematics is Bare
Accidents shown in Appendix 21.1. This is the first problem that students
encounter in the first learning cycle organized around kinematics. The first
two questions in the problem are open-ended, require little knowledge of
what has been taught in the course to this point, and give each student
regardless of his or her knowledge an opportunity to contribute to the group
discussion. As the students progress deeper into the problem, questions 3, 4,
and 5, they use the physics principles and skills developed through repeated
applications and encounters in homework, group assignments, whole-class
discussions, and minilecture. In question 6, the students interpret their quan-
titative responses, compare them to each other and to their intuitive predic-
tions, question 1. Most of the instructional objectives that I set for kinemat-
ics can be met in this one problem. In order to respond to questions 3, 4, and
5, the students must be able to generate qualitative graphs of motion from
written descriptions; describe motion mathematically, using the appropriate
kinematical equations; represent the motion of multiple objects on a single
qualitative graph; and know what explicit and implicit information can be
extracted from motion graphs.
The experimental investigations are open-ended and less structured than
most undergraduate teaching laboratories. Students are asked to design an
experiment that would answer a question posed to them; identify sources of
uncertainty in the data to be gathered, plan ways to minimize that uncer-
tainty, and explain reason for discrepancy in the results. Some of the experi-
mental investigations ask students to simply explain a familiar everyday phe-
nomenon. In order to explain that phenomenon, students must take data,
analyze that data, and respond to a series of questions that stage conflict
between the students perception of the physical world and basic physics prin-
ciples. Riding an Elevator (Appendix 21.2) is an example of this kind of
investigation. To experience the sensory effects of acceleration, students ride
the elevators in a 15-story high-rise dormitory. Using the data collected, they
respond to a series of questions that probe their understanding of accelera-
tion, net forces, passive forces, contact forces, weight, and Newtons three
laws of motion.
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 261

Overview
During this phase of the learning cycle, the entire class becomes a single group
that reflects upon the difficulties encountered in the learning cycle. Everyone
benefits from further discussion of concepts and remaining unresolved learn-
ing issues that confront the class. I use this time to acknowledge and appreci-
ate the diversity of ideas generated by the groups to solve the physics problem
and to design their experiments. This reinforces the idea that there is a variety
of ways to solve physics problems. In addition to being a format for the entire
class to process their learning experience, the overview is used to preview and
link the next learning unit with the current one. This will help students build
an integrated and coherent view of the physical world.

Assessment of Student Performance

The overall performance of a student is evaluated by using a weighted average
of the grades generated from written group and individual examinations,
group problem solutions, group laboratory reports, conceptual assignments,
individual homework, and group participation. Before instruction begins, the
students are given on the course syllabus the performance levels I use to assign
the final grade, e.g., A, A, B+. Grading is by design independent of the class
performance and is never done on a curve.
All examinations, including the final, contain individual and group compo-
nents. Thirty-five percent of the grade on each written examination is acquired
through group effort; the rest is individual effort. All examinations except the
final are administered on Wednesdays during the three-hour class period. The first
hour is reserved for the group examination, and the students use the remaining
two hours to complete the individual portion. The collaborative activities, the
group portion of written examinations, conceptual assignments, problem solu-
tions, laboratory reports, and group participation account for 60% of a students
final course grade. The individual working alone is responsible for the other 40%.

Student Attitudes
Student response to various aspects of this course on final course ratings forms
has continued to remain positive. Over the past 6 1/2 years, students still feel
comfortable working in groups and still identify group work as the most
important aspect that contributed to their learning. The following are typical
comments made by students:

The ability to work in groups is definitely beneficial.

Learning by working with peer group and peer tutor is much
better than trying to struggle through the material alone.
262 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Working problems out as a group; the distribution of labor.

The fact that we could discuss things in groups and the applica-
tion to real world problems.

The application of physics to real-world problems continues to nearly tie

with group work as the most beneficial to student learning. In many
responses, students cite both group work and real-world problem solving but
consistently rank group work first and then real-world problem solving.
Typical comments from students regarding the real-world problem solving
follow:

I liked being drilled with many different problems as opposed to

being lectured to.
Very repetitive problems. Stress on concepts and real world
problems.
The homework and problemsthey make you think about
Physics in a logical, practical sense rather than just in a quantitative
sense.
The real world applications made great use of that which we
learned.
Applying physics to real world situationsthrough the real
world problemsmade me start to think about physics outside of
class.

The question, Have the skills learned in this class made a difference in
your other academic or social situations? elicited a variety of responses. A
few of the representative response follow:

For everything I look at physics principles pops in my head.

Physics principles apply to everything. It will help my under-
standing of the human body as I pursue a career in medicine. . . .
Better ability to reason and more confidence that my approach
is correct sometimes.
I can better analyze problems and work in group situations.
I dont have examples (specific ones) but I know I learned how
to take turns and really listen to other members of the group and how
to not be in control all the time.
This course focused on understanding, applying, the same prin-
ciple in many different situations. This can be carried into other
courses and thesis research.
No.
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 263

Every year, there are some students who dislike the class format and call
for more support through lecturing and more structure to the class. Typical
responses follow:

More lecture before assignments. If necessary, actually use the book.

More lecturing so I could grasp the concepts better. More out of
the book type problems for a basic understanding of concepts and
math.
More direct instruction.
More lecture less problems.

Evaluation of Instruction
To measure the effectiveness of the instructional method previously
described, I administered the Force Concept Inventory (Hestenes, Wells, &
Swackhamer, 1992) to approximately 100 students enrolled in the Introduc-
tory Physics course from fall 1993 to fall 1999. The Force Concept Inven-
tory (FCI) is an instrument designed to probe students understanding of
Newtonian mechanics and has been given to more than 2000 high school
and university students. Hestenes et al. (1992) have collected abundant evi-
dence to support their claim that the FCI is an accurate and reliable instru-
ment for evaluating instruction. Each of my physics classes were given the
FCI as a pretest before instruction and as a posttest at the end of the semes-
ter. The posttest is always administered on the last day of class, and the stu-
dents performance on this diagnostic never counts toward their final grade.
The posttest consists of the same questions as the pretest but looks different
because the questions have been reordered. The Honors physics students
pretest and posttest mean scores and their standard deviations are given in
Table 21.3.
Hestenes et al. (1992) conclude from their study that only posttest scores
are essential for evaluating effective instruction. Pretest/Posttest gains will
be large if the pretest scores were low but small if pretest scores were high
(Hestenes et al., 1992). Using their data, Hestenes et al. (1992) conclude that
below a conceptual threshold near a score of 60% on the FCI, students
understanding of Newtonian concepts is too inadequate for skillful problem
solving. If instruction is indeed effective, the results on the FCI will be nearly
the same, that is, above this threshold (Hestenes et al., 1992). How effective
was the instruction using the criterion set by Hestenes et al. (1992)? The data
in Table 21.3 shows that the posttest mean scores measured for the Honor
physics students are all above the conceptual threshold. The posttest mean
264 POWER OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Table 21.3. Pre- and Posttest Scores for Force Concept Inventor.
Pretest Percentage Posttest Percentage
Sample N Scores (S. Dev.) Scores (S. Dev.)
1994 Honors 39.7 (16.5) 70.2 (12.0)
23
1996 Honors 39.2 (15.6) 72.4 (14.5)
21
1997 Honors 41.2 (19.7) 70.5 (16.9)
20
1998 Honors 41.0 (18.6) 79.1 (10.9)
16
1999 Honors 40.6 (14.3) 67.2 (13.4)
21
N is total number of students taking the posttests.
1995 was a sabbatical year.

scores met and exceeded the Hestenes et al. (1992) criterion for demonstrat-
ing effective instruction.
Hake (1998) uses the average normalized gain g, defined as the ratio of
the actual average gain (%post %pre) to the maximum possible average gain
(100% pre) of a class, as a rough measure of the average effectiveness of a
course in promoting conceptual understanding. The average normalized gains
for the honor physics students are between 0.45 and 0.64. These values are
consistent with the average g = 0.48 0.14 (Hake, 1998) measured for 48
other physics courses that use interactive-engagement methods and twice as
high as the average g = 0.23 0.04 measured for 14 traditional physics courses
that use little or no interactive engagement methods. Assuming that g is a valid
measure of course effectiveness as Hake (1998) does, then it appears that the
Introductory Honors Physics course is twice as effective in building basic con-
cepts as traditional physics courses. These results seem to indicate that active
group learning and connections to real-world applications did help students
learn physics and apply that knowledge appropriately as measured by the FCI.

Author Biography
Barbara A. Williams is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astron-
omy and an affiliated faculty member of the University Honors Pro-
gram at the University of Delaware.
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 265

References
Albanese, M. A., and Mitchell, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: A review of
literature on its outcomes and implementation issues. Academic Medicine,
68, 5281.
Barrows, H. S. (1985). How to design a problem-based curriculum for pre-
clinical years. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Barrows, H. S., & Tamblyn, R. M. (1980). Problem-based learning: An approach
to medical education. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Boud, D., and Feletti, G. (1997). The challenge of problem-based learning.
London: Kogan Page.
Gabriel, S., & Smithson, I. (Eds.) (1990). Gender in the classroom: Power and
pedagogy. Urbana, IN: University of Illinois Press.
Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-
thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics
course. Am. J. Phys., 66, 6474.
Hall, R., & Sandler, B. (1984). The classroom climate: A chilly one for
women? Project on the Status and Education of Women. American Asso-
ciation of Colleges, Washington, USA.
Hestenes, D., Wells, M., and Swackhamer, G. (1992). Force Concept Inven-
tory. The Physics Teacher, 30, 141153.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1991). Cooperative learning:
Increasing college faculty instructional productivity. ASHE-ERIC Higher
Education Report No. 4, Washington, USA.
Mazur, E. (1996). The problem with problems. Optics and Photonic News,
7, 59.
 APPENDIX 1 TO CHAPTER 21
BARE ACCIDENTS

Barbara A. Williams

At the Albemarle Zoo, animals are free to roam in a five-square-mile park. The
visitors to the zoo are kept in cages or on trains well isolated from the animals
that roam in their simulated natural habitats. Trains have been built on bridges
over the open territories of roaming animals. Several sections of the rail system
have been built on trestle bridges that cross man-made lakes through sections of
the zoo occupied by the bear population. Unfortunately, trestle bridges should
not have been built over these sections because bears are good climbers and
intensely curious. A bear playing in the lake below a trestle decided to climb
atop the bridge. Shortly after the bear reached the top, a tourist train began to
approach the bridge. Startled by the vibrations of the track, the bear begins run-
ning on the rails. When the driver of the train sees the bear, the front of the train
is as far away from the edge of the bridge as the bridge is long. The driver makes
no attempt to change his speed because he assumes the bear will have enough
time to escape onto the elevated land off the bridge. The bear moves at constant
velocity but cannot travel at a speed equal to or greater than the trains speed.
As you work through the problem, generate a list of learning issues.

1. What factors do you think should be considered in deciding

whether the bear can survive or not? Include any assumptions the
group thinks can be reasonably made.

266
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 267

2. Generate a list of different outcomes that are possible, assuming the

bear remains on the track over water but does not remain on the
track over land.
3. Select one of your outcomes. Make use of the old proverb, A
picture is worth a thousand words and decide within your group
the best way to represent graphically the action leading to your
selected outcome.
4. Identify regions on your graph where the bear can survive and
where there is a chance the bear might die. Explain your selections
and describe how they differ.
5. If the bear is to survive, how can the bear avoid a head-on
collision? If the bear is to survive, how can it avoid being run over
from behind? (Provide qualitative and algebraic responses.) Are the
conditions the same for both cases? Explain.
6. Did your solutions to the bears dilemma depend on the factors you
selected as relevant in question 1? Explain.
7. Assuming that there are bears of all ages in the zoo and nearly all of
the young ones are excellent climbers but slow runners, would you
be comfortable employing this driver if the zoo officials wanted to
maintain a stable bear population? Explain.
8. Make a list of the learning issues that this problem generated for
your group. Which are still unresolved?
 APPENDIX 2 TO CHAPTER 21
RIDING AN ELEVATOR

Barbara A. Williams

Part I. Measurements
1. Select a member of the group whose weight will be monitored, and
record his or her weight when the elevator is at rest.
2. As the elevator starts to move upward and downward, describe in
detail the physical sensation you feel and where you feel it.
3. Record the maximum change in the members weight when the
elevator moves upward and downward.
4. During the ride, did the scale measure the same value it did when
the elevator was at rest?

Part II. Analysis

1. Identify the forces acting on the member standing on the scale, and
specify their directions. Identify the corresponding reaction forces.
2. Describe how a bathroom scale works, i.e., what specific action has
to occur in order for the needle to move. What exactly does the
scale measure as a result of this action?

268
 I N T R O D U C T O RY P H Y S I C S : A P R O B L E M - B A S E D M O D E L 269

3. Which of the forces acting on the member does the scale measure
during the motion? Support your reasoning with physics
principle(s).
4. What is the relation between the acceleration of the person inside
the elevator and the acceleration of the elevator?
5. Determine the maximum upward and downward acceleration of the
elevator. What principle(s) do you need to use in order to answer
this question? State assumptions.
6. If placed blindfolded in the elevator, could you distinguish between
upward and downward acceleration? Explain in words.
7. How it is possible when the elevator is in motion for the scale to
measure the same value as that recorded when the elevator was at
rest?
8. If the elevator cables were to break, what would the scale read?
Explain.
9. If the elevator cables were to break, could a person save him- or
herself from serious injury by jumping up from the floor just before
the elevator hits the bottom of the shaft. Comment on the
feasibility of this suggestion.
10. For all five cases (at rest, accelerating up and down, free fall, and
moving with a constant velocity) determine the force that the
person exerts on the scale and the force that the scale exerts on the
person. How do the five values compare, i.e., rank the five cases
from maximum force to minimum force? Are your determinations
counterintuitive?
 INDEX

Academic honesty statement, Case studies, 172174

254255 Communication skills, 46, 14,
Administration 99, 134
role in curricular reform, Concept map, 65, 136, 186,
2831 191192
Assessment. See also grading, Course websites, 111112, 138
examinations Critical thinking, 6, 48, 96, 98,
in biochemistry, 137138 100103, 208, 253
connection to learning Curricular reform
objectives, 99, 103 administrative resources for, 30
of courses, 104105, barriers to, 3031
187, 203 incentives for, 2728, 35
in dietetics, 226234 in nursing education, 170
in general chemistry, 214217 outcomes, 31
in introductory biology, top-down vs. bottom-up, 2829
186187
of PBL in large class settings, Examinations, 74, 100103, 136,
154160 172, 214, 229, 261
in physics, 253, 261264 certification in dietetics, 223,
in preservice teacher education, 232233
245246
in problem-based learning, Faculty
95105 mentoring other faculty, 18, 27,
Attendance, 138, 147, 215, 228 70, 153
role in curricular reform, 3132
Blooms cognitive levels, 4950, 98, Faculty development, 9, 14
101103, 147, 239 administrative support for, 18
Boyer report, 56, 10 led by faculty, 14, 18

271
272 INDEX

peer mentoring, 18, 70 ITUE (Institute for Transforming

in technology, 1417 Undergraduate
Education), 9, 1322
General education reform at UD, 20 evolution of, 1617
aims of, 2021 Fellows, 15
Grading, 103104. See also impact of, 1721
assessment, participants, 1415, 1920,
examinations 142, 242
manuscript revision philosophy of, 14
system, 215 program, 15, 143
point recapture system, 214
time involved in, 147 Large classes, 143, 147
Groundrules, 6263, 201, 213, 253 problem-based learning in,
Groups. See also teamwork 149162, 173
activities and assignments, Learning. See also problem-based
6566, 7677, 123, learning
136, 143145, 212, active, 1418, 142, 194
253, 257259 collaborative/cooperative, 60,
conflict in, 66 253 (see also groups)
evaluation of, 64, 127129, 137, inquiry-based, 56,
146, 155157, 173, research-based, 10
186, 213, 254, 261 student-centered, 15
forming, 61, 185, 213 teacher-centered, 9
getting started with, 6061, Learning issues, 7, 4142, 183, 195
188189 matrix, 134
grading in, 103104, 125128 Learning objectives, 4951, 71, 239
in large classes, 151153, and assessment, 9699, 186
173174 content and process objectives,
jigsaw groups, 65, 98100, 133134
as model of democratic in general chemistry, 208
practices, 196201 in introductory biology,
monitoring, 6265, 185 180181
notebooks for, 123 in physics, 255256
roles in, 63, 213 Lectures, 4, 5, 142, 150, 153, 172,
size of, 4041, 43, 122123, 180181, 210, 224,
135, 143 254, 256, 263
strategies for using in PBL, 5967
use in floating facilitator model, Medical Scholars Program, 8
4042 Multicultural education, 199200
use in legal studies course,
144145 National Science Foundation, 810,
use in medical school model, 40 Institution-wide Reform
websites for, 112113 Program, 9, 1314
 INDEX 273

Peer facilitators, 6, 147, 152, 234 in lab settings, 174175

in biochemistry, 135136 in large classes, 149162, 173
in biology, 183 lectures in, 42, 44, 212, 216,
evaluations, 89, 137138 226
models of, 8182 in legal studies, 141147
in physics, 257 models, 3945
rationale for use of, 7980 floating facilitator model,
roles of, 4243 4042, 212, 254, 256
selection of, 8990 introductory biology model,
training of, 80, 8389 180187
use of honors students as, large class model,
122124 4344, 181
Peer tutors. See peer facilitators medical school model , 68,
Perry model of intellectual 40, 80, 254, 256
development, 227 peer facilitator (tutor)
Pew Charitable Trusts, 10, 20 model, 4243
PRESENT (Practical Resources for and novice learners, 209210
Educators Seeking in nursing education, 165175
Effective New online resources for, 111116
Technologies), 17 origins at the University of
Problem-based learning Delaware, 810
administrative support for, in physical science, 154
2832 in physics, 8, 5053, 5558,
in agricultural biotechnology, 251269
121130 in physiology, 8
in biochemistry, 8, 131139 in political science, 193205
in biology, 8, 179192 in preservice teacher education,
characteristics of, 6, 180, 237249
194195 problems for, 4758, 71
in chemistry, 8, 100103, student response to, 145146,
207222 155157, 169,
comparison with lecture format 173, 217
in dietetics, 226 and technology, 1718,
cost-benefit analysis, 3234 workshops, 8
course design in, 7275 Problem-based learning
cycle of, 67, 195 clearinghouse, 116
in dietetics, 223235 Problem-solving, 5, 134, 166,
getting started in, 6976 254, 262
impact of campus, 20 Problems
initial activities, 180181 characteristics of good problems,
in ITUE, 15 4849, 243244
in K-12 education, 9, in chemistry, 210212
239242 in dietetics and nutrition, 225
274 INDEX

identifying resources, 7, 51, 53, Skills

7273, 75 desired in college graduates, 45
in introductory biology, 184 evaluating information, 5, 7,
John Henry momentum 14, 99
conservation in physics, Student anxiety, 80, 135, 181, 201,
5558 228, 254, 256
learning issues in, 49 Sustainability
and learning objectives, 4951 of curricular reform, 3435
as mirrors of political and social of ITUE, 1720
issues, 196201 Syllabus design, 16, 7175
in physics, 259
in preservice teacher education, Teaching assistants, 152
241243 Teamwork, 56,14. See also group
real-world, 48, 51, 142, 167, work
209, 225, 254, 262 Technology,
research papers as, 132134 in dietetics course, 234
Sam Sad plea bargaining in faculty center (PRESENT), 17
legal studies, 144 for group communication,
staging of, 4849, 5152, 112113
125126, 181183 in group presentations, 126127
student development of, and problem-based learning,
124125 1718, 109117
Web resources, 15, 75, 114116 use in instruction, 1417
writing, 5053 Wingspread Conference, 4