Characteristic | Inquiry-based Learning | Project-based Learning | Problem-based Learning | Case-based Learning |
Explores real world problems and challenges. |
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Students work in groups. |
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Involves active and engaged learning. |
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Students are self-directed. |
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Students practice and learn organizational skills. |
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Students practice and learn research skills. |
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Students develop communication skills. |
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Approach allows flexibility. |
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Process allows integration of technology. |
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Students decide what they need to learn, identify resources, decide how best to learn from them, use resources to report learning, and assess their progress. |
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Students have a significant voice in selecting the content areas and nature of the topics they investigate. |
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Students have some choice in deciding what they will work on. |
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Students focus on developing a product or creations, and complete a project. | √ | |||
Educational goals may or may not address a specific topic or problem. |
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Problems are truly ill-structured – there is not meant to be one solution. As new information is gathered in a reiterative process, perception of the problem, and thus the solution, changes. |
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Students make decisions within a prescribed framework. | √ | √ | √ | |
Problems drive the curriculum. | √ | √ | ||
Greatly encourages collaboration and cooperative learning. |
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Is learner-centered and intrinsically motivated. | √ | √ | √ | |
Approach to learning that focuses on solving a problem and acquiring knowledge. | √ | √ | ||
A specific problem is specified by the course instructor or identified by the scenario/situation. | √ | √ | ||
Using a case-based approach engages students in discussion of specific situations, typically real-world examples. | May or may not. | √ | ||
Problems add meaning by providing students with the opportunity to see theory in practice. | √ | √ | ||
Has a high degree of relevancy. (Problems focus on current events, student lives, and/or actual events at the local, national, and international level. | √ | √ | ||
Has human interest, creates empathy with central characters and has strong decision-making focus. | √ | √ | ||
Cases usually require students to analyze data in order to reach a conclusion. Assignments are open-ended; students practice choosing appropriate analytic techniques. | May or may not. | √ | ||
Students engage in discussions of specific cases or situations; approach focuses on building knowledge through the case which requires analysis and critical thinking skills. | √ | √ |
© WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY 2018