PBL Sessions

How do students know what PBL group they are assigned to?

The Curricular Affairs office (along with advisory deans) randomly assigns students to their PBL groups and PBL rooms for each course at the beginning of each year and copies of these lists are distributed to faculty when the are completed. Note that it is the responsibility of the course director to assign faculty to these rooms and communicate this to them. These lists should be included in your syllabus. If a course exercise requires another division of students, course directors can divide the students themselves or request that the Curricular Affairs Office do this for them.

For additional information on Problem-Based Learning, please contact Peg Downen in the Curricular Affairs Office and ask for a copy of the "Tutor Guide" and "Student Survival Guide to Problem-Based Learning" written by Dr. John Hansen.

The following services are offered through the Curricular Affairs Office regarding PBL:

• Tutor Training
• PBL Case Writing Training
• PBL Case Review/Editing Assistance

How do other courses deal with PBL material distribution?

Most courses have found that the following system of PBL material distribution is the easiest:

• Place the 1st section of all cases in your syllabus.
• Students will need copies of the remaining parts of the cases. These sections are distributed by the tutors at the PBL sessions. Other support staff have found making a packet for each tutor is the best way. Packets for tutors for each week need to contain 10 copies of each of the remaining sections of the PBL case.
• Place 1 packet plus a tutor guide and full case in an envelope and deliver this to the PBL rooms for the tutor at the first session of that PBL