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| Vol. 18, No. 2 | Sept. 10, 1998 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 2 | Sept. 10, 1998 |
UD's successful effort to transform undergraduate education recently received another boost, thanks to a $615,000 grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, to be matched by UD, which will make it possible to increase the number of courses using "problem-based learning" (PBL) methods.
Originally developed in medical schools to guide would-be doctors through patient case files, PBL techniques encourage active and lifelong learning, John C. Cavanaugh, academic programs and planning, said.
Cavanaugh describes it as a means of instruction based on complex problems, rooted in real-world situations. By investigating how quickly an electrical current moves through different materials, for example, students are motivated "to discover important concepts for themselves," he said. Working together in groups, students learn to analyze such problems, identify questions and locate information through independent research. Findings are shared with group members, who then suggest and evaluate solutions to the problem.
Throughout the process, an instructor serves as a guide and facilitator. In some classrooms, advanced undergraduates also assist the instructor, by working as peer tutors.
Clearly, Cavanaugh said, PBL benefits students. Carefully constructed, open-ended problems help students develop critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. And, by encouraging students to assess their knowledge base, and to recognize and remedy areas of deficiency, "PBL sets the stage for lifelong learning," he said. "Working in groups fosters communication and interpersonal skills, and a recognition that group diversity is a strength."
Among UD students who last year completed a PBL-based physics course, more than 70 percent either "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they became "more active participants in learning" as a result of the course, Cavanaugh reported. A strong majority of students also reported improvements in their research skills, as well as their ability to solve real-world problems while working in diverse teams.
Students like Adrienne Chromowsky, a 21-year-old marketing and management major from Howell, N.J., say active learning techniques such as PBL give them the confidence and knowledge to tackle any challenge, by turning them into detectives who investigate real mysteries-from global warming to art forgery.
"When I took my first science course," Chromowsky said, "I knew nothing about computers. Now, I feel I could almost conquer the world!" In fact, she added, "I applied as an intern at Lucent Technologies, and they took me on because they were impressed by what I had learned at UD."
To succeed in the 21st century, students must become independent problem solvers, capable of thinking critically and working in groups toward a common goal, said Barbara J. Duch, Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center, who served as coauthor, with Cavanaugh, of the Pew grant proposal.
Consequently, say Duch and other PBL pioneers at UD, educators must change the way they teach, by focusing more on hands-on activities rather than solely on lectures and rote memorization.
But implementing PBL techniques in large, multi-sectioned courses is easier said than done, Duch said. That's because traditional PBL methods require small groups of five or six students.
With support from Pew, Duch said, UD educators will develop new techniques for implementing active learning in larger classrooms. "We expect to develop new PBL techniques that should serve as a model for other higher education institutions throughout the country."
More than 200 faculty from 42 different UD departments, and 22 administrators representing 15 units, have so far completed PBL training offered by the University. Moreover, 105 faculty and administrators from other U.S. institutions and abroad have attended UD's PBL workshops. And, "A significant percentage of the UD faculty now incorporate some form of active learning into their undergraduate classes," Cavanaugh said.
Delaware's goals for the effort are four-fold, Cavanaugh said. The funds will be used to (1) expand the use of PBL from science and technical courses to social science and humanitites courses-especially those focused on general education; (2) document changes in what and how well students learn as a result of their PBL experiences; (3) document changes in faculty's teaching effectiveness and course-design efforts; and (4) create a "clearinghouse" of materials and information for PBL courses, to be accessible worldwide. Each of these goals represents a "major step forward in the continued development of PBL as a teaching-learning technique," he said.
Cavanaugh and Duch both anticipate that "the project will create an environment that fosters and facilitates the kind of fundamental change necessary to rethink the way students learn and faculty teach."
This semester, UD's Department of Political Science and International Relations is implementing several redesigned courses based on PBL. These courses mark the first step toward a total revision of the undergraduate curriculum, which will be firmly grounded in the PBL and discovery-based approach.
An introductory or "gateway" course, for example, as well as a senior-year, "capstone" experience for political science majors, are undergoing a complete makeover, said Joseph Pika, political science and international relations. Peer tutors, web-based instructional materials and other innovative strategies should help promote more active learning by students in both courses, which have traditionally been limited to chalkboard lectures.
"We want to teach students how to continue learning throughout their lives," explained James R. Soles, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Political Science and International Relations. "We want to create permanent scholars."
-Ginger Pinholster
