Focus is on studying and learning (not on teaching and examining)

The course uses a variant of problem-based learning approach, where learning is motivated and guided by complex problems presented by the teachers

• Students are then in charge of learning:
  • Identification of what they need and want to learn to solve the problem
  • Studying the material and applying it
  • Learning from others and helping others learn
  • Discussing and synthesizing the results
  • Introspection of learning and further learning needs
• Teachers and learning objectives(!) give guidance and help
• Teachers are available in person during the course meeting times
• No fixed lectures or exercises, teaching will be organized on demand

Problem-based learning (PBL)

Characteristics (from http://www.queensu.ca/ctl/goodpractice/problem/course.html):

1. Reliance on problems to drive the curriculum - the problems do not test skills; they assist in development of the skills themselves.
2. The problems are truly ill-structured - there is not meant to be one solution, and as new information is gathered in a reiterative process, perception of the problem, and thus the solution, changes.
3. Students solve the problems - teachers are coaches and facilitators.
4. Students are only given guidelines for how to approach problems - there is no one formula for student approaches to the problem.
5. Authentic, performance based assessment - is a seamless part and end of the instruction.

For more information on problem-based learning, see e.g. http://www.queensu.ca/ctl/goodpractice/problem/index.html, especially sections "What is PBL", "Why PBL", and "the PBL learning process".