Case-based, problem-based learning

Problem-Based Learning and Information Literacy: A Natural Partnership

“…They then allowed student groups to choose the solution to global warming they thought would be most effective. More specific problems have asked students to find evidence that Tim Berners-Lee invented the Internet (Cheney, 2004), to pretend that they are advisors to politicians who need reliable information for a speech (Kenney, 2008), and to research medical symptoms to determine the cause (Carder et al, 2001). Hot topics in the news, such as environmental and political issues, make great sources of problems for PBL scenarios.…”

“…An additional challenge is that most PBL designs are intended for small groups of students. However, in their discussion of a PBL variant called case-based, problem-based learning (CBPBL), Carder et al (2001) provided an example in which CBPBL could be used in large groups. This method would commence with the introduction of a problem and a discussion of its various aspects in the large group.…”

“…PBL provides practice with this process by helping students to identify what they know, figure out what they do not know, and learn how to find that information. As several researchers have pointed out, PBL also provides an opportunity to reach students with many different learning styles (Carder et al, 2001;Macklin, 2001). …”

A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Solvent Impurity Jigsaw-Style Activity for Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Students

“…From a sociocultural perspective, “the opportunity for students to discuss, debate, and present their own and hear one another’s perspectives is the critical element in small group learning” . By bringing together multiple perspectives, students draw upon differing sets of resources. , Cooperative learning has been demonstrated to shift students from rote learning strategies to more productive strategies, which they continue to apply when working on their own , and has been specifically used to support learning of NMR spectroscopy resulting in improved student exam performance . The activity described here is formally categorized as a jigsaw, in which small groups of students are assigned to small groups that work together on components of a larger topic or problem.…”

Problem-based learning and undergraduate research: another student’s perspective

“…As a result of this self-directedness, in my experience, medical students utilize multiple different online and paper-based information sources to prepare for CBL/PBL sessions. This, in turn, requires students to develop skills in synthesizing and critically analyzing large amounts of information, a concept known as ‘information literacy’ [3]. The information literacy skills developed as a result of CBL/PBL are highly transferable to the research context, which is also self-directed and involves critically reviewing large amounts of literature.…”