Session 401: Integrating Problem-Based Learning into a Non-Majors Science Course

Date: Thursday, January 9

Time: 3:35 PM – 4:25 PM

Location: Hall of Science 103

Zoom Link: Join this session live-stream

Presenters: Barbara Balestra (Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS | Environmental Science), Dhananjaya Katju (Professorial Lecturer, Environmental Science) & Carolyn Parker (Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director, Graduate Teacher Education, School of Education)

Session Description:

Our session will describe the process and outcomes of an NSF funded project, Enhanced Teaching and Learning Through Problem-Based Pedagogy (AU: ETL), a collaboration between faculty in SOE and CAS. We will discuss the project’s alignment of ENVS-150’s lecture and lab components with PBL, an approach that encourages students to explore real-world issues in collaborative settings. The session will highlight data from three semesters, showing increased student motivation in science. We will share successes, challenges, and lessons learned from a collaborative professional development experience.

Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the foundational principles and effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in a non-major’s science course
• Apply collaborative course design and revision strategies to integrate problem-based learning into their own instructional settings