Enhancing Thinking Through Problem-based Learning Approaches: International Perspectives

Front Cover
Thomson Learning, 2004 - Education - 210 pages
Many institutions worldwide have embarked on using problem-based learning (PBL) for educational reform and curricular innovation. This book captures the art and science of PBL from the perspectives of pedagogy, psychology and technology. The collection in this book provides international perspectives on how PBL practices can enhance thinking. The discussions are structured along three themes. The first is the psychology of cognition, metacognition, and self-regulated learning. The second is the idea of making thinking and mind visible through dialogue and inquiry. The third theme is the use of technology, which is not only a tool but also an important catalyst to enhance problem-based thinking. The contributions come from an international pool of highly experienced and qualified PBL practitioners who are themselves champions and pioneers of PBL projects in their own institutions. The most up-to-date book on PBL from the perspectives of pedagogy, psychology and technology. Drawing on the wealth of knowledge from international experts this comprehensive edition provides academics and educators with key ideas and insights into using PBL and innovating PBL curricula. Academics from different disciplines as well as educators and teachers will find this book a refreshing and timely contribution to enhance thinking and learning.

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About the author (2004)

Dr. Oon-Seng Tan is Associate Professor and Head of Psychological Studies at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. He is also Director of the Singapore Centre for Teaching Thinking. In 2000, he won the Enterprise Challenge Innovator Award from the Prime Minister's Office, Singapore for co-pioneering a project on using PBL for training in the knowledge-based economy. Dr. Tan has published extensively in areas pertaining to cognition and learning, and has been a reviewer for several international journals. He has been a keynote speaker at many international conferences on PBL and has done extensive consulting work for many universities, multinational corporations and government bodies. He is the main co-author of Educational Psychology: A Practitioner-Researcher-Approach (An Asian Edition) and the main editor of Problem-based Learning: Educational Innovation Across Disciplines.

Mary Sue Baldwin, MSN, EdS, is the Director of the Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Center (formerly Center for Problem-Based Learning) at Samford University. She is also the Co-Director of the Problem-Based Learning: Peer Review grant that is sponsored by Samford and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Drawing upon her experiences in nursing and involvement as one of the PBL pioneers at Samford, she has co-authored articles, portfolios, and a monograph on the use of PBL in nursing education as well as made numerous presentations on the use and documentation of PBL.

Ruth O. Beltran, MA, OTRP, AccOT, studied occupational therapy and sociology at the University of the Philippines. She is teaching in the undergraduate and graduate programs in occupational therapy at the School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. She has practiced as an occupational therapist in mental health in the Philippines and Australia and taught at the University of the Philippines before joining the Sydney University. At Sydney, Ruth has conducted educational projects in the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore. Her publications and research interests are in the areas of refugee and migrant mental health, occupational therapy and mental health, and occupational therapy theory.

Ellina Chernobilsky holds a Master's degree in Teaching from the University of Memphis, Tennessee. She is pursuing a doctoral degree at the Department of Educational Psychology, Rutgers University. A language teacher for a number of years, Ellina's area of interest is language development and language learning. She is also interested in innovative teaching strategies and methods and how they can be applied in language teaching.

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