Problem Library | Institute for Transforming University Education

Problem Library: 37

Title	Excerpt	Author	Discipline	Length	Level	Type
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
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	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	Introductory (non-majors)	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	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
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 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
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	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
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
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	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	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	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	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
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	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	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	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 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	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	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
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	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	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	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
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	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	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	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
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
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