Table of contents

1. Why PBL? Improving learning and selecting a version of PBL that is suitable for you

1.1 Principles to improve learning, 1-2.

1.2 Where PBL fits in, 1-2.

1.3 What to do in your situation: nibbling, enriching, developing and extending, 1-2.

1.4 More ideas on what to do for your situation: big class? small class? tutored or tutorless, groups? 1-3.

1.5 Does it work? effectiveness of PBL, 1-6.

1.6 Summary, 1-6.

1.7 References, 1-6.

2. On being a coach/facilitator

2.1 Being a tutor in a tutored group, 2-2.

2.2 Being an instructor with tutorless groups, 2-4

2.3 Summary, 2-4.

2.4 References, 2-4.

3. What about process skills used in PBL?

3.1 Developing process skills for the tutor or for the students? 3-2

3.2 When to develop the process skills, 3-2.

3.3 Process skills as valued outcomes, 3-3.

3.4 Developing process skills, 3-3.

3.5 Summary, 3-9.

3.6 References, 3-9.

4. Issues about setting up small group, self-directed, self-assessed PBL

4.1 How to start, 4-2.

4.2 Visualize the timing and the "meetings," 4-2.

4.3 Organize the groups, 4-2.

4.4 Create the learning resources, 4-3.

4.5 Create the environment for learning the subject knowledge, 4-4.

4.6 Create the environment for the process skills, 4-4.

4.7 Create the environment to develop "expertise," 4-5

4.8 Assess the student's performance, 4-7.

4.9 Evaluate the program's effectiveness, 4-7.

4.10 Your first class, 4-7.

4.11 Nice touches you can add, 4-8.

4.12 Summary, 4-8.

4.13 References, 4-8.

5. Questions and answers about assessment

5.1 Why is assessment important? Because students learn what is being assessed, 5-1

5.2 Background issues about assessment, 5-2

5.2-1 Validity and reliability, 5-2

5.2-2 Test frequency and variety, 5-2

5.2-3 Special considerations: degree of explicitness on the task and the process, 5-3

5.2-4 Interpreting the results, 5-3

5.3 Some example "test" options, 5-3

5.4 How do I assess subject knowledge? 5-3

5.5 How do I assess process skills? 5-8

5.6 How does assessment link to objectives? 5-9

5.7 How does assessment link to resources? 5-9

5.8 On the role of evidence, 5-9

5.9 Peer assessment? 5-9

How to get students to assess each other instead of patting each other on the back? or putting all the others down so that they appear to be good?

5.10 Self-assessment? 5-10

5.11 Can tutors assess student performance in groups of five to ten? 5-10

5.12 Why assess the process skills? 5-10

5.13 Assessing large classes, 5-13

5.14 How do you integrate peer and self-assessment into the tutor's mark, 5-14

5.15 Pass/fail? or Marks? 5-13

5.16 Summary, 5-14

5.17 References, 5-14

6. How might I use the companion book HTGTM?

6.1 Issues related to understanding PBL, 6-1

6.2 Issues related to developing process skills, 6-2

6.3 Assessment instruments to give feedback to the students, 6-4

6.4 Summary, 6-4

6.5 References, 6-4

7. Literature resources for PBL

7.1 Books, 7-1

7.2 Newsletters, 7-3

7.3 e-Mail bulletin boards, 7-3

7.4 Articles, 7-3

7.5 Videotapes, 7-8

8. Table of contents of related books

8.1 Problem-based Learning: how to gain the most from PBL, 8-1

8.2 Problem-based Learning: resources to gain the most from PBL, 8-3

Postface: about the MPS program

Author index

Annotated index