AAC&U's Network for Academic Renewal

Pedagogies of Engagement:
Deepening Learning In and Across the Disciplines
Bethesda, MD April 14-16, 2005

Promoting Student Engagement through Teamwork: Partnering Faculty Leaders with IT User Services
George H. Watson, Arts and Sciences, and Janet de Vry, Information Technology - User Services, (co-author, not presenting)
At the University of Delaware, a sustainable model for educational reform has emerged from two sources working in partnership. The Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education is a faculty-led program that promotes problem-based learning in undergraduate courses. PRESENT (Practical Resources for Educators Seeking Effective New Technologies) is the technology support unit that helps faculty make the connection between learning goals and customized course design. The elements of the partnership to advance student engagement will be presented in this poster. (poster, April 14)
PowerPoint file

Student Engagement through Problem-Based Learning
George H. Watson, Arts and Sciences, and Deborah E. Allen, Biological Sciences
University of Delaware
The fundamental tenet of problem-based instruction is that learning is initiated by a posed problem that the student wants to solve. In the PBL approach, complex, real-world problems motivate students to identify and research concepts and principles they need to understand to progress from ideas to solutions. Students work in small groups to acquire, communicate, and integrate information in a process that resembles that of inquiry. We will demonstrate PBL and model ways that it can be used effectively for student engagement. (workshop, April 15)
PowerPoint file of presentation, Word file of PBL problem, video clip to trigger problem