Preview of Upcoming Quarterly Issue on Problem-Based Learning

During the past decade, an increasing number of faculty changed their undergraduate curriculum and embraced a learning-centered model where students become more actively engaged with their own learning. As Barr and Tagg (1995) note, this "learning paradigm" focuses on producing learning by getting students to construct knowledge through gathering and analyzing information and demonstrating their skills through communication and problem solving.

We are excited to provide a preview of our first special issue of the Journal of General Education under the new editorial team. In the next quarterly issue (Volume 51, Issue 4), we will focus on the integration of problem-based learning (PBL) across the curriculum. Samford University received a one million-dollar grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to introduce PBL across the curriculum over three years. This upcoming special issue begins with a case study of academic change at Samford written by Dr. Claire Major who served as director of the PBL initiative. Several faculty who teach various general education courses review the major changes implemented and preliminary assessment results. Dr. David Chapman discusses the implementation of PBL in the Communication Arts course that is required of all undergraduates. Dr. George Keller presents the integration of PBL into another required general education course entitled Scientific Methods. Dr. Sandra Willis outlines how she redesigned a general psychology course using seven modules. Dr. Sonya Stanley discusses how a pre-calculus course is revitalized through PBL and how exposure to problems helps undergraduates achieve important goals and objectives linked with general education outcomes.

The assessment of PBL is particularly challenging. Dr. James Eck summarizes the assessment plan that has been implemented at Samford. He reviews the results from multiple methods that provide preliminary information about the impact of PBL. Dr. Elizabeth Jones who served as the external evaluator concludes with a discussion of myths associated with the assessment of PBL that can constrain the decision-making process. Through the collection of these articles in the upcoming special issue, we hope that readers will gain new insights about PBL and a major curriculum transformation process that can be considered and perhaps adapted at other colleges and universities.