This short essay / teaching philosophy briefly describes my journey to what I now somewhat reluctantly call Problem-Based Learning without Borders. For numerous examples of assignment that I've used click: Examples of PBL without Borders.
About 15 years ago I became a strong convert to Problem-Based Learning (PBL). What’s not to like? Students work together and with the instructor to address problems they might encounter in the real world; an approach that fits especially well with my social justice classes. I was amazed at the results. The students became excited to research and analyze the material needed to address the problem. They passionately explored and hotly debated innovative solutions. I soon tailored some assignments to address specific issues in my research. While researching the brutal killings of young women (the femicides) in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico my undergraduate law classes brainstormed about potential innovative legal remedies. Some of these ideas informed three published works (one co-authored with an undergraduate student) and then were used by attorneys preparing a case for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights as well as the final opinion of the Court. My undergraduate students helped, at least in a small way, with the most important transnational case on violence against women! Undergraduate students are capable of so much more than they or most instructors expect. Those PBL assignments that directly involve the community and its problems had a deep impact on the students and could make a significant positive effect in the community. I call this Problem-Based Learning without Borders.Student teams often work hand-in-hand with community members. They can even work on, or at least learn directly about, international issues by bringing in leading human rights activists, attorneys, and others from around the globe through videoconferencing (from South Sudan, Eritrea, Sweden, and Mauritius, this semester alone). Class sessions can also be held off campus with a community group. Some claim that such learner-centered techniques are only feasible in small classes with exceptional students, but I have successfully used PBL without Borders in classes with 210 students (GWS 150), in numerous online classes (GWS 254, GWS 400), and with classes dominated by first-generation students (at ASU). One undergraduate class worked with the Maricopa County Public Defenders Office to establish innovative mitigating factors in a high-profile capital punishment case. We were involved in all aspects of the case; brainstorming, conducting research, interviewing the defendant, and making presentations to the legal team. Ten of these students took an independent study the next semester to continue working on the case. We often met around a conference table at the courthouse where my students were treated as members of the legal team. Another class teamed with an attorney from the Florence Project for Immigration and Refugee Rights to compile reports on domestic violence in Central America for a cutting-edge case seeking deportation relief due to persecution from domestic and gang violence. Even if the students are not directly working with a community group on a specific problem they learn from the community. For a module on mass incarceration and race groups created inventories on the local criminal justice system. They conducted interviews with social workers, attorneys, researchers, police officers, and judges. Several groups attended court hearings, visited local organizations, and participated in ride-alongs with the police. I also arranged for guest lecture with a prominent U.S. District Judge (by Skype) and an attorney from the County Attorney’s office. Working so closely with the community can be unpredictable and requires flexibility as new problems crop up or community needs change, but such times are also important learning moments. These assignments keep me on my toes. I too am constantly learning.