It encourages active student work by asking students to search for creative solutions to open-ended problems, to think critically about issues, and to work in groups on complex tasks. In recent decades, education literature has described a wide variety of student-centered instructional methods. Part of the course grade is based on tests covering information from class meetings and course readings. Another part is based on personal learning projects. For these projects, students work individually or in small groups to explore issues that interest them and that are consistent with course goals.
Students summarize what they learn in a paper, Web site, or other medium they choose.
Although there are a number of ways I could help students with these projects, I have found that some evolving pages on a course Web site can provide much of the help they need. Originally, I used handouts and met with students individually or in small groups. One major advantage of a Web site is that it saves me time and reduces scheduling problems. A second advantage is access. Since there are computers with Internet access in many of the locations where students work, they have access to project information and help whenever they work on these projects.