Problem Library | Institute for Transforming University Education

Problem Library: 118

Title	Excerpt	Author	Discipline	Length	Level	Type
“A Poem has a Life before it Gets into my Anthology?”: Manuscript Editing and Problem-Based Learning	Where does the poem you read in an anthology originate? Is the copy in your anthology a good copy of that original? You . . .	McKenna, Bernard	English	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
A Case for Classics	Students who are not necessarily English majors but take sophomore level literature courses as an elective or a general . . .	Kumar, Rita	English	6+ Hours	Intermediate (non-majors)	Problem
A Bad Day for Sandy Dayton	Designed to help nonscience majors understand forces, motion, and mechanical energy while reconstructing a rear-end auto . . .	Duch, Barbara	Physics and Astronomy	6+ Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
A Day in the Life of a World-Wide Intern	There is a major crisis in the Force, and your students have now been called into active duty to serve as interns in the . . .	Vadino, Nicole	Sociology	3-6 hours	Introductory	Problem
A Day in the Life of John Henry, Traffic Cop	This problem introduces students to conservation of momentum while working through a two-dimensional automobile . . .	Duch, Barbara	Physics and Astronomy	6+ Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
A Letter from Dalton	In this problem students must analyze mass data to test a hypothesis proposed by Dalton as a consequence of his . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
A Missed Diagnosis	“Susan presents herself to her family physician for a routine physical. During the physical examination Susan explains . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
A Pain in the Belly	This problem aids students in the development of their three-dimensional understanding of abdominal anatomy, with . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Alleviating the AIDS Crisis in South Africa	South Africa, along with several other Southern African countries, has among the highest HIV infection rates in the . . .	Bauer, Gretchen	Political Science	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Are You Sure I’ve Seen You Before?	“Rachel is a 37-year-old female who works as an administrative assistant for a Fortune-500 company in downtown Chicago. . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Hosting an Exchange Student	Culture and cultural understanding are crucial components of learning foreign languages. Due to classroom time . . .	Fees, Joseph	Foreign Languages	3-6 hours	Any	Problem
An Experiment in Using Plants to Get the Lead out	Phytoremediation is a technology for removing soil and groundwater contamination using plants. In this two-part problem . . .	Homan, Michelle	Environmental Science, Research Design	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
DNA for Dinner	The use of bioengineered food in quick service restaurants is controversial. Some stakeholders believe genetic . . .	Lieux, Elizabeth	Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Faculty Development, Multidisciplinary, Nutrition	3-6 hours	Introductory (variety of audiences)	Problem
“How Will I Know if My Students Learned What They’re Supposed to?” – Curriculum Evaluation in the NCLB Era	In this problem designed for teacher education majors, students evaluate science curricula for (1) their coverage of . . .	Ford, Danielle	Education	6+ Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
An Electric Idea	In this problem, students learn to describe the processes occurring in a classic metal displacement type redox reaction, . . .	Lawrie, Ruth	Chemistry and Biochemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (high school or college)	Problem
An Unwanted Souvenir	“Ralph is a young botany professor of Swedish heritage at a Midwestern liberal arts college. Ralph, who was born in the . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Athletics Problem	The Athletics Problem is one that asks students to engage in computing a correlation while simultaneously looking at . . .	Chamberlin, Scott	Statistics	1-3 Hours	Introductory (middle grade, gifted students)	Problem
Blankley Corporation: Pension Accounting	Having worked through the nine phases of the Blankley Corporation unfolding problem, students will be able to understand . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Carbohydrate Mythology	Dylan has always struggled with his weight and has been told by his doctor that he needs to lose weight. A month ago . . .	Benoit, Lindsay	Nutrition and Dietetics	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Cebu and Woodard Leases – A PBL Unfolding Problem	Having worked through the eight phases of the Cebu and Woodward unfolding PBL problem, students will be able to . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Challenges to Sustainability in the Developing World: Private Choices and Social Implications of Cotton Production in India	This problem examines the challenges of achieving sustainable development in a world of unintended consequences with a . . .	Duke, Joshua	Environmental Science	1-3 Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Cholera and the Science of Medicine	Students explore the essential nature of science processes of evidence, explanation, prediction, experimentation, and . . .	Donham, Richard	Science Education	3-6 hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Choosing a Teaching Text: James Joyce’s Ulysses	A major challenge for an instructor involves choosing the best available critical edition of a text for a class. . . .	McKenna, Bernard	English	6+ Hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Choosing Books to Support Elementary Girls’ Science Learning	In this problem designed for teacher education majors, students prepare a grant proposal to obtain trade books for . . .	Ford, Danielle	Education	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Cognitive Neuroscience Case Creation	This “build a case” problem provides students with the opportunity to create their own case study from the ground up. . . .	Miller, Antoinette	Psychology	6+ Hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Collaborating to Determine and Meet Student Needs	Teacher candidates work in small groups for these assignments. Each group is assigned an initial student scenario. . . .	Hoyle, Carol	Education	6+ Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Crossed Circuits	Two roommates argue about each others use of energy. Which roommate should pay a utility premium? How much extra?	Watson, George	Physics and Astronomy	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Daddy, Help! I Can’t Get out of the Pool!	Tammy, a 10 year-old girl, is normally active for her age, participating in her local soccer club (playing goalie) and . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Dawn Treader Industries: Long-Term Construction Contracts	Having worked through the seven stages of the Dawn Treader Industries unfolding problem, students will be able to . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Dawn’s Eight O’clock	Absenteeism and tardiness can disrupt group function in PBL groups. This short text case with accompanying video . . .	Harold White	Problem-based Learning	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (workshop participants)	Problem
Deflating Grady	Grade inflation poses a problem on many campuses and is an issue familiar to faculty regardless of their discipline. . . .	White, Harold	Faculty Development	3-6 hours	Introductory (workshop participants)	Problem
Doc, is it my heart?	A 52-year-old black man presents to the emergency room with chest pains. The patient is agitated and apprehensive. He . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (non-majors)	Problem
Does Anyone Know What’s Wrong with Me?	“Molly is a nineteen-year-old, multiple-time All-American pole-vaulter on her college’s track team. During the summer, . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Emotion and Memory: Bright Lights through Thick Fog	Students in introductory psychology courses must gain experience with the professional literature and the methods of . . .	Benander, Ruth	Psychology	3-6 hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Examining & Practicing Genre & Rhetoric: Problem One–Joining the Global Union	This first problem of three sets up simulations of real-world scenarios and then asks students to think and write about . . .	Skutar, Claudia	Composition and Rhetoric	6+ Hours	Intermediate (non-majors)	Problem
Examining & Practicing Genre & Rhetoric: Problem Three–Global Economic Conference	This is the third problem in a set of three. The first, by Claudia Skutar, involves students in developing a founding . . .	Refaei, Brenda	Composition and Rhetoric	6+ Hours	Intermediate (non-majors)	Problem
Examining & Practicing Genre & Rhetoric: Problem Two–National Citizens Forum	This is the second problem in a set of three that sets up simulations of real-world scenarios and then asks students to . . .	Kumar, Rita	Composition and Rhetoric	6+ Hours	Intermediate (non-majors)	Problem
Externalities and Managing a Common Property Resource	One difficulty in controlling pollution is that individuals and firms acting in their own best interest may produce . . .	Duke, Joshua	Food and Resource Economics	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Failed Scones	A request for help comes from a mother trying to solve her daughter’s baking dilemma – flopped scones. In providing this . . .	Gross, Sandra	Nutrition and Dietetics	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Female Circumcision: The Flight of Kasinga	Female circumcision, or female genital mutilation, affects thousands of young girls and women in more than 30 countries . . .	Webber, Karen	Psychology, Women’s Studies	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Fifty Miles for My Fiftieth Birthday	Lincoln is a 50-year old runner who, over the past five years, has completed five one-half marathons and four marathons. . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Fire Chicken	“Choi In Sung, 32-year-old male of Asian descent, presents to his family physician to seek treatment for chest pains. . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Friend, Can You Spare a Kidney for Our Son Levon?	The issue of the shortage of transplantable kidneys is of growing significance and concern worldwide. In this multipart . . .	Bieker, Richard	Economics	6+ Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Gearding Construction Company: Accounting for Derivatives – Interest Rate Swaps	Students who have completed the six stages of the Gearding Construction Company PBL unfolding problem will have learned . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Granny’s Hip	“You stop over to visit your grandmother for your weekly visit to set out her medications for the coming week. As you . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Green’s Invasive Plant Dilemma	This problem is about a state representative who becomes aware of invasive plants in his own garden. He discovers the . . .	Barton, Susan	Plant and Soil Sciences	3-6 hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Guide Map	How do you make a map useful to a blind person? In this problem, students first decide what needs to be included on a . . .	Price, Alan Paul	Geography	1-3 Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Harry Potter and the Walkabout	“Most first year students are unfamiliar with all the opportunities and facilities that are available to them on a . . .	Ross, Dorry	English	6+ Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Harvest Time Danger	Tom, a 36-year-old, right hand dominant male farmer, is involved in a farming accident that involves his right upper . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	6+ Hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Homecoming Surprise	This problem enables students to examine the results of soft-tissue injuries stemming from hyperflexion of the vertebral . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
I Gotta Get These Cross Countries Done!	The purpose of this Problem Based Learning exercise is to deepen the participants’ understanding of the weather and . . .	Robinson, Saul	Aviation Science	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Internet-Certified Genius	Internet-based quizzes that purport to provide quick, valid IQ scores are quite popular and most students have either . . .	Karpiak, Christie	Psychology	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Partnership Formation: Urban Decay	This problem is based upon the California court case: Holmes v. Lerner, 74 Cal.App.4th 442, 88 Cal.Rptr.2d 130 (1 . . .	Ninassi, Susanne	Business Administration	1-3 Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
The Carlsons’ Dilemma	This problem provides a setting in which students will be able to learn about capital budgeting concepts in a typical . . .	Narayanaswamy, Canchepuram	Finance	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
To Resuscitate or Not to Resuscitate?	Patient rights are a basic value in healthcare. Adult patients of sound mind must be informed of their medical . . .	Polich, Susan	Medical Education	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Vehicle Fatalities in Delaware	This week-long, group-based activity explores policy-relevant information on vehicle fatalities in the state of . . .	Sarzynski, Andrea	Public Policy	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Protecting/Stealing the Trillion-Dollar Bill	This problem encourages students to investigate sensor integration as part of a mechatronics course in mechanical . . .	Mynderse, James	Mechanical Engineering	6+ Hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Simple Staged Problem for Introduction of PBL Process	“For faculty development sessions there is often a need for a simple, staged problem that does not require investigation . . .	Watson, George	Faculty Development	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (professors and teachers)	Problem
The Brominator	In this problem, students: learn to predict formulas for the products of “metal + nonmetal” reactions using the periodic . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (science majors)	Problem
Winter Woes	A series of events on a cold winter’s day are used to introduce various concepts associated with solutions, including . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Will I Ever Be Able to Run Again, Doc?	Bob is a 53-year-old college professor. He is a regular runner, averaging between 25-35 miles per week. During the . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Is My Pitching Career Over?	“Tom, a 53-year-old, right hand-dominant male plays on a traveling “exhibition” fast-pitch softball team. He has been a . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Why Am I Getting More Clumsy, Doc?	“Marshall, a 62-year-old attorney, presented to his family physician with questions as to why he was shuffling a little . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Who Owns the Geritol Solution?	The Geritol solution is based on the premise that iron availability limits primary productivity in the high-nutrient, . . .	Allen, Deborah	Biological Sciences	6+ Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Where is That Long-Term Debt Program for Big Moo?	With this long-term debt problem, students will identify the types of evidence that they need and where they can get . . .	Hansen, James	Accounting	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
What Is Wrong with My Child, Doc?	“Tommy, a robust seven-year-old second grader is brought to the Emergency Room after experiencing a seizure on the . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
What Is the Cause of This Swelling and Why Am I Short of Breath When I Exercise?	“Joan is a corporate lawyer for a Fortune-500 company. She has been physically active her entire life. Lately Joan has . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
What Did You Say, Doc?	John Angleman, a 41-year-old machinist, complains of difficulty hearing in the right ear. In addition, his gait has been . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	6+ Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
What a Drag!	Students explore the effects of air resistance on the path of a baseball. Forces acting on a baseball are identified and . . .	Nowak, Edmund	Physics and Astronomy	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Watson Enterprises: Accounting for Marketable Equity Securities	Watson Enterprises is a Problem-Based Learning unfolding problem designed to engage the students with the topic of . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Vance Corporation: Cash Flow Statement	Having completed the four phases of the Vance Corporation PBL unfolding problem, students will be able to prepare a . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Uff Da–Why Does This Hurt, Doc?	“Lars Johnson is a fledgling actor in L.A. California. He has just recently auditioned for a major part in a new . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Ubbes Company: Earnings Per Share	Having worked through the six phases of the Ubbes Company unfolding PBL problem, students will have learned the . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Tracy Lynn’s “Yellow Banana”	This problem is based on an actual car accident with the names changed to protect privacy. The streets in the accident . . .	Duch, Barbara	Physics and Astronomy	3-6 hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
To Lease or to Buy?	The problem focuses on whether leasing or buying an asset is less expensive. The problem provides a setting in which . . .	Narayanaswamy, Canchepuram	Finance	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
The Woozy Smoker	“David, a 76-year-old male with a history of heavy cigarette smoking has developed a progressive gait disorder. He . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Advanced (majors)	Problem
The Sweet Spot	A frightening incident of a high school baseball pitcher being struck in the temple by a ball sets the context of this . . .	Nowak, Edmund	Physics and Astronomy	3-6 hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
The Road to Rockingham	Elliott is a regional stock car racer that is hoping to make it to the Busch Racing Series and, ultimately, the NASCAR . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	6+ Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
The Restless Baby	“This problem helps a student develop a three-dimensional understanding of the anatomy of the pleural cavities by . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
The Good Life	This two- to four-week problem asks students to consider the hypothesis that “money makes people happy.” Students . . .	Morling, Beth	Psychology	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
The First Thanksgiving	Using the traditional American Thanksgiving holiday, students explore food laws and standards relating to the purchase . . .	Manning, Carolyn	Nutrition and Dietetics	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
The Fastest Man in the World	This problem introduces students to speed and acceleration.	Duch, Barbara	Physics and Astronomy	3-6 hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
The Disgruntled Baseball Fan	This problem provides an engaging introduction to descriptive statistics for students in the social and behavioral . . .	Karpiak, Christie	Psychology	3-6 hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
The Complaining Postal Carrier	This PBL follows a patient through two visits to the outpatient department of a rural hospital. The problem presents . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
The Complaining Husband	George, a 46-year-old presents to his family physician complaining of increased clumsiness. As the students progress . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Terror in the Toilet Bowl	Part 1 of the problem provides students with an opportunity (1) to learn how to derive the rate law of a mechanism from . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Teetering on the Brink of Extinction? (Or Is It Too Late?)	The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of puma (Felis concolor coryi). Within the context of problems posed by . . .	Donham, Richard	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Teaching Exceptional Adolescents	“Students who have special education needs spend much of their instructional time in general education classrooms. . . .	Eisenman, Laura	Education	6+ Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Taste Sensations	Students become part of a business that prepares and sells flavored vinegars, infused oils, flavored pestos, and other . . .	Gross, Sandra	Nutrition and Dietetics	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Student Affairs Identity Crisis	The course is designed for doctoral level students in the Educational Leadership program. Through a full semester . . .	Tweedy, James	Education	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
Street Fight	Rick, a high school student, is involved in a fight in which he and two other classmates “jump” a fourth classmate . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Stormy Weather	“Where will it rain? Where will it clear up? And what will the weather be like where you are? Students will not only . . .	Price, Alan Paul	Geography	1-3 Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Spring Break: A Lesson in Circuits	This case, taught in a problem-based learning format, introduces students to the topics of electricity and circuits . . .	Duch, Barbara	Physics and Astronomy	6+ Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Something Is Horribly Wrong, Doc, and I Am Embarrassed to Talk About It	Brian is a 27-year-old-male graduate student that was injured in a rugby game approximately ten days ago. He has a . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Solving Economic Underdevelopment in the Third World	You have been elected to office because you promised to solve once and for all the problem of underdevelopment in your . . .	Carrion, Julio	Political Science	6+ Hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Share and Share Alike	This problem addresses the use of the Colorado River by various stakeholders competing for a limited amount of water. As . . .	Groh, Susan	Faculty Development	3-6 hours	Introductory	Problem
Saving for a Rainy Day	A request for help comes in from a scientifically-illiterate relative trying to choose a system for passive solar energy . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Roots: Exploring our Distant Ancestry	While most students take a position for or against evolution, few actually understand the concept of natural selection . . .	White, Harold	Biological Sciences	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Riverside’s Dilemma	A town council is faced with some decisions to make centering on allowable pH limits for anticipated waste streams going . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Rice-a-Roni: A San Franciso Treat	Students design the electric wiring portion of a home remodeling project. Appliance power ratings, distribution of . . .	Watson, George	Physics and Astronomy	1-3 Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Responding to Economic Crisis in Africa	This problem deals with the economic crisis currently plaguing many countries in Africa. Students explore the challenges . . .	Bauer, Gretchen	Political Science	6+ Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Please Don’t Tell My Parents	A seventeen-year-old female presents to her local hospital’s E.R. at 7:45 in the morning on a school day. She appears . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Pass the Buffer-in	A student needing to prepare a pH 7.5 buffer must decide whether an unlabeled recipe will do the job.	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Painting the Blues	The synthesis and composition of several blue pigments provide a context for exploring key ideas in stoichiometric . . .	Groh, Susan	Chemistry	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Out of Control	The population of Lesser Snow Geese is growing exponentially in the US and Canada. Growth curves, survivorship curves, . . .	Dion, Linda	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Organic Mystery	In this problem, students learn to identify functional groups in organic molecules, learn to represent organic molecules . . .	Lawrie, Ruth	Chemistry and Biochemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors)	Problem
Ohio Energy Company: Accounting for Joint Ventures	Having worked through the Ohio Energy Company unfolding problem, students will understand the equity method at a level . . .	Cottell, Philip	Accounting	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
National Film Preservation Problem	One problem students face when it comes to the moving image film or television is the tendency to see those images as . . .	Johnson, Bryan	English	3-6 hours	Advanced (majors)	Problem
My Aching Back	Frank, a 39-year-old college professor, was putting dishes into his dishwasher at the end of the day when he felt a . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Mixing Carefully: “Scientific” Jello Preparation	Introductory, non-major laboratory courses are perfectly suited to a PBL approach. In these courses, the main objective . . .	Fornari, Marco	Physics and Astronomy	6+ Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Kids, Chemicals, and Cancer	The problem scenario: A child in Toms River, NJ develops leukemia. Citizens in the town begin to notice what seems to be . . .	Allen, Deborah	Environmental Science	3-6 hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Job, Jobs, Jobs and Tax Cuts	From late 2000 to May 2003m the US economy lost almost three million jobs. The unemployment rate that May was six . . .	Long, Terry	Economics	1-3 Hours	Introductory (non-majors)	Problem
Jenna’s Wish for Breast Implants	15-year old Jenna believes that breast implants are the secret to a successful future. She has asked, and her parents . . .	Webber, Karen	Psychology, Women’s Studies	1-3 Hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
It Must Be a Bad Year for My Allergies	“It is an idyllic March day on the Midwestern university campus as Dr. Bob Johnston walks to his 8:00 philosophy lecture . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Is This Normal for Someone My Age?	Eleanor, an 88-year-old widow and mother of two, visits RediMed late on a Sunday afternoon. Her chief complaint to the . . .	Tallitsch, Robert	Biological Sciences	3-6 hours	Intermediate (majors)	Problem
Cookie Chemistry!	The PBL (Problem Based Learning) Cookie Chemistry activity was designed for the first two class periods of General . . .	Amy Greene	Chemistry and Biochemistry	1-3 Hours	Introductory (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Collaboration Dilemma: Publish or Perish?	The purpose of this problem series is to design a creative low-stakes active learning module within an introductory . . .	Shanen M. Sherrer	Chemistry and Biochemistry, Research Design	1 Hour or Less	Intermediate (majors and non-majors)	Problem
Will I Drive Again? Improving Accessibility after Stroke	Rebecca Smith suffered an ischemic stroke that resulted in weakness and decreased sensation of the right upper . . .	Brittany Heintz Walters, PhD	Kinesiology	3-6 hours	Introductory	Problem