Problem based learning in Italian universities

The goal of this paper is to describe how the educational approach called “Problem based learning” is applied in Italian Universities. First we define what Problem based learning is, when it was introduced into the University programs, how it was disseminated all around the world, which are its methodological characteristics and the underlying theoretical principles

Study on supporting school innovation across Europe Case study 6 - Italy

The past few years have shown a considerable decrease in the Italian economy, with an increase in the economic gap between Southern territories and the rest of the country. It is known that economic growth is strongly linked with the training of qualified human resources, and that this training starts at an early age: experts have long advocated for the great importance of an early education, starting with kindergartens and nursery schools, and following further to primary and secondary education. OECD data for Italy shows considerable gap in learning between students in the North and Centre of the country and students in the South (Asso et al., 2015, p.73). In the South, and in Sicily in particular, schools face many more obstacles in providing good quality education compared to schools in the North, as evidenced by INVALSI data (Asso et al., 2015 p. 50). Therefore, the focus of this field study is on the Sicilian region Sicilian secondary-school students have the lowest scoring percentage nationwide for INVALSI tests, both in Italian language and Maths. Moreover, there are other indicators of learning pertaining to the functioning and the shape of schools, sourced from ISTAT and INVALSI, which provide further evidence for the gap between the South (Sicily in particular) and the North. For instance, ISTAT shows significantly higher early school leaving rates for the Southern region, compared to the Northern one. Furthermore, the government expenditure on education in Italy (total 4.14% of GDP according to Eurostat (2011) is far lower than the international average. State funds cover about 80% of expenses, including the cost of teachers based on parameters fixed nationwide, while local authorities (Regions, Provinces and Municipalities) cover the costs of canteens, transport and maintenance. Sicily\u2019s local authorities provide the lowest funding to schools across all Italian regions. Furthermore, according to the socio-economic indicators, the Southern region of Italy (incl. Sicily) is much poorer and more disadvantaged. According to Asso et al (2014), it is characterised by a higher crime rate than in the rest of Italy

L' innovazione educativa a scuola: fattori facilitanti e barriere. Una ricerca europea sul campo

L\u2019innovazione educativa a scuola \ue8 un argomento poco affrontato a livello legislativo e scientifico nel contesto europeo, pertanto la Direzione Generale (DG) Educazione e Cultura dell\u2019UE ha finanziato un progetto di ricerca triennale mirato a identificare i fattori che facilitano e che ostacolano l\u2019introduzione di innovazioni educative a livello organizzativo e didattico nelle scuole. In Italia la ricerca si \ue8 concentrata sulla Regione Sicilia dove \ue8 stato condotto uno studio sul campo in due scuole ritenute innovative dagli stakeholders. L\u2019articolo illustra il progetto europeo e i risultati di questa ricerca nelle scuole siciliane, evidenziando i fattori che facilitano e che ostacolano l\u2019innovazione educativa nella scuola

Modelli per introdurre innovazioni curriculari nella didattica universitaria: il caso del Problem-Based Learning.

The idea, proposed in this work, is that who are introducing educational innovation in University teaching should focus more on the renewal of a curriculum more than in a single course\u2019s changes. University teaching innovation often focuses on the changes introduced within a single discipline through the adoption of some educational technologies or new teaching-learning-evaluation methods, keeping the focus only on the single discipline and not on the curriculum as a whole. With reference to the work of Ronald Harden about the eight roles of the university teacher, we underline the role of Curriculum developer and implementer. Six models are proposed to classify the introduction of innovative curricula. The different ways by which Problem Based Learning was introduced in university curricula are described as examples of the six models

Taxonomy of curriculum change models: the case of Problem-Based Learning. Modelli per introdurre innovazioni curriculari nella didattica universitaria: il caso del Problem-Based Learning.

The idea, proposed in this work, is that who are introducing educational innovation in University teaching should focus more on the renewal of a curriculum more than in a single course’s changes. University teaching innovation often focuses on the changes introduced within a single discipline through the adoption of some educational technologies or new teaching-learning-evaluation methods, keeping the focus only on the single discipline and not on the curriculum as a whole. With reference to the work of Ronald Harden about the eight roles of the university teacher, we underline the role of Curriculum developer and implementer. Six models are proposed to classify the introduction of innovative curricula. The different ways by which Problem Based Learning was introduced in university curricula are described as examples of the six models

Pumping response and sustainable well yield of some hard-rock aquifers of the mediterranean region

Hard-rock aquifer, pumping test, sustainable well yield, Mediterranean Region

Medical Education in Italy: challenges and opportunities

Italy is a country of 60 million citizens with a high life expectancy, an increasing prevalence of chronic multi-morbidity and a public healthcare system. There are 61 medical schools and more than one thousand postgraduate programs for 50 different specialisations. In this article, we describe the Italian medical educational system and its most recent evolution towards a process of internationalization, alongside pedagogical and cultural changes. The main challenges are in the process of students’ selection, which is still only based on the assessment of basic knowledge, and in the reform of the post-graduate education, which lacks an official, formal definition of the learning outcomes and the aligned methods of assessment. The opportunities come from the increasing awareness of the importance of faculty development programs. The pandemic itself acted as a catalyst of innovation, pushing toward more student-centered teaching-learning activities. Finally, an increase in international collaborations in medical education research could be effective to foster the development of medical education in the country