We have just gone through a major revision of our BSF program at UNB and I have been put in charge of a new course call: Introductory to Forestry. This course is to be a problem-based learning experience for 1st year students. I have been doing a fair amount of reading about approaches to problem-based learning and am quite excited about some of the material out there. This posting has two purposes: 1. I'd like to hear experiences of others who have tried problem-based learning exercises. What types of problems/questions? What materials/ textbooks did you find useful? Things that didn't work. etc... 2. I have been looking at several approaches used in the medical sciences and am impressed with the development they have made in this area of education. One set of material I have looked at gives students a patient and there is a set of "Master Questions" and "Master Actions" The students go through this problem by asking "Master Questions" which lead to "Master Actions" that in turn provide certain diagnostic criteria to enable the student to determine what is wrong with the patient. The people helping me with this course are interested in beginning to develop a set of "Master Questions" and "Master Actions" for forestry problems. I would like to give you our first problem we are going to give our students and have you generate a series of questions and actions you would do to solve this problem. Anyone participating will recieve a summary via e-mail and if interested all course material that we develop. Here is the problem: You are given a tract of land (about 500 ac) and three hours and are asked: What is the value of the timber on this area? I look forward to all responses and thank you in advance for your participation and help. If you want elaboration on the problem I will (as I will do with students) answer any questions you might have. If this goes well there will be 4 more follow up questions related to the same tract. Have fun, John Kershaw
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