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Pedagogies of Engagement in Science
This article compares and contrasts three active-learning strategies that are commonly used to enhance student learning in science education: Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), and Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). These “pedagogies of engagement”—which significantly depart from the traditional lecture format—are based on the idea that students must develop their own higher-order thinking skills. The article explains how the three strategies use problems to help students learn to reason, encourage students to actively engage with the material, and foster the growth of teamwork and collaborative problem-solving skills. However, while the strategies have much in common, they differ in certain important respects, which are explained in the article. The document also contains a chart that concisely demonstrates the pedagogies’ similarities and differences in several key categories, such as the use of textbooks, the ideal size of groups and the group’s responsibilities to its members, the role of the facilitator, homework, grading, required resources, and proven outcomes. Written by seven faculty members (representing six institutions) who have wide-ranging experience with the three approaches, the article allows faculty members who might want to adopt an active-learning strategy to evaluate each of the pedagogies and select features that accommodate their student audience, facilities, instructional goals, personal preferences, and available resources. The article, "Pedagogies of Engagement in Science: A Comparison of PBL, POGIL, and PLTL," first appeared in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 36(4), 262–273 (2008).
Pedagogies of Engagement
This document explains three proven non-traditional educational methods to engage students in active science learning.
Media: PDFProgram Director: Harold B. White III, Ph.D.
Award Years: 1992, 1998, 2002, 2006
Summary: The University of Delaware is a public research university in Newark, Delaware. Its HHMI-funded initiatives include:
- The establishment of a Quantitative Biology Major in the Mathematics Department—the only Bio-Math program in the country that is offered as a degree program in a department of mathematics;
- A summer undergraduate research scholar program, which includes a weekly interdisciplinary enrichment program devoted to research science topics such as ethics and gender issues;
- A Network of Undergraduate Collaborative Learning Experiences for Underrepresented Scholars (NUCLEUS) program, which provides the support necessary for underrepresented students to successfully continue their education beyond the baccalaureate degree; and
- Programs to train new, current and future faculty in the use of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) through the university's Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education and through pedagogy courses for undergraduate PBL group facilitators and graduate teaching assistants.