Social learning platforms improve the learning experience for online learners when they are built for collaboration and community. Social and peer tutoring interactions lead to enduring relationships between members, which in turn keep the members engaged in the pursuit of their goals. When peer learners teach one another, work collaboratively on a problem, interact socially, and build relationships with each other, they then develop a sense of belonging and make the behavioral transition from disengage to engaged learners. OpenStudy is a social learning platform that offers a much-needed informal online learning space, and connects learners who help one another.

With the advent of open education resources, social networking technologies and new pedagogies for online and blended learning, we are in the early stages of a significant disruption in current models of education. The disruption is fueled by a staggering growth in demand. Open Social Learning systems open a new venue for self-motivated learners to access high quality learning materials. In this paper, we describe our vision of open social learning and introduce a cyber-infrastructure that supports a large-scale open social learning community in order to facilitate self-guided learning.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a constructivist pedagogy in which students learn in small groups by working on real-world problems. Despite its many benefits, however, this pedagogy is still not widely used in K-16 classrooms, especially with large numbers of students. Traditional human-facilitated PBL places intense demands on faculty to facilitate problem-solving sessions with small groups of students; on the other hand, most educational technologies do not provide PBL’s collaborative problem-solving experience. We propose a cognitive model of the problembased learning process. We present a software environment called CaseBook that allows instructors to author and share problems and provides students with a pedagogically-sound PBL experience based on the cognitive model. CaseBook has been used in high school and undergraduate chemistry and biology classes, and we discuss results from two studies in actual classrooms.

The cutting edge of designing for the user experience today is found in the arena of designing for the user’s cultural context {1}, {2}, {3}. This is primarily true because of global expansion of the Internet and Web usage. Brick and mortar businesses have learned to adapt their products to be culturally sensitive. For example, car manufacturers build the same basic platform with different styling and amenities depending on where the vehicle will be sold. To convey an appealing image to potential buyers and readers, publishers translating popular works into many languages usually have different covers designed for different countries: for this reason they aim towards the perception of an object and of its functions. We often differ in the way we experience the world around us. Our experiences differ relative to our primary language, educational practices, work habits, and what makes for an enjoyable experience, whether in what and how we like to play, what sounds that we appreciate, or colors that appeal to us {4}, {5}.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach that allows students to cultivate their problem solving skills and enhance their ability to perform critical thinking tasks. Current advances in technology have allowed for the integration of computers into many classrooms throughout the K-16 curriculum. Students and teachers are taking advantage of computers as important enhancements to the educational experience. CaseBook is an interactive computer program that allows students to complete PBL exercises in an online environment. Students are guided through the case scenes by a three-stage process in which they analyze (collect data), learn (perform research to answer questions), and reflect (review). The simple web-based interface allows the students to work either individually or in a group, and they are able to work on the case outside of the classroom. Students collect their data and observations in an online Notebook that the instructor can not only read, but the instructor can write back to the students, providing helpful hints and feedback about their progress through the case. Instructors may also enter and edit their case materials at any time, can view all sections of student work, and can upload helpful links and graphics that the students may need to complete the case. Through this online environment, students can participate in the PBL experience in large classes where more traditional PBL methods may be less feasible. Supported by Emory University, GA Institute of Technology, and NSF 0231900.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach based on recent advances in cognitive science research on human learning. PBL has been used in medical schools for many years. This paper describes the application of PBL in undergraduate courses and discusses the specific needs of this environment. Practical information and guidance are given on how to develop a challenging problem, how to ensure coverage of syllabus topics, how to structure the discussions, and how to evaluate the progress of the course.The paper describes an implementation of PBL methodologies in an undergraduate science course. In this course, students work with a voluntary environmental advocacy group, the Upper Chattahoochee RiverKeeper, to monitor the quality of water in the Chattahoochee watershed. Students learn experimental analytical chemistry techniques and problem-solving skills in this context. A PBL classroom is organized around collaborative problem-solving activities, which provide a context for learning and discovery. Students show enthusiasm and motivation to learn, and they achieve a deeper understanding of the material because it is information they have learned in a context of an interesting problem. PBL also provides them with an opportunity to acquire effective problem-solving techniques and to improve their communication skills and their ability to work in cooperative groups.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTOrientational analysis of micelle-associated trehalose using an NMR-pseudoenergy approachPreetha Ram, L. Mazzola, and J. H. PrestegardCite this: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1989, 111, 9, 3176–3182Publication Date (Print):April 1, 1989Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 April 1989https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00191a011RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views105Altmetric-Citations17LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (855 KB) Get e-Alerts Get e-Alerts