Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2000-10-23

Kristi L. Arndt has been named director of problem-based learning (PBL) at Samford University.

She will establish and coordinate a center for national peer reviews of PBL course portfolios, and will facilitate the further spread of PBL and other instructional improvement at Samford.

Dr. Arndt previously worked in veterinary medical education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was most recently coordinator of instructional Faculty Development at Mississippi State University's college of Veterinary Medicine.

She holds a doctor of veterinary medicine, master of education and doctor of philosophy degree in educational organization and leadership from UIUC.

During the past two years, Samford received grants totaling $1,750,000 from The Pew Charitable Trusts for the purpose of developing and enhancing its PBL initiative. In PBL, students dig out information which helps them find the best solution to given problems. PBL courses shift the emphasis from "teaching" to "learning."

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.