Applying Active Learning in the Classroom

I really like the foundation that problem based learning builds while in a small group setting.  I believe these are excellent techniques that mirror the scientific method while incorporating apprenticeships of head, heart and hands.  My targeted learning objective is that students will gain a deeper understanding of the translation of knowledge that must occur between research and the general public (extension).  This is especially useful for natural resource students since they deal with wide arrays of background knowledge and misconceptions (ranchers, government, private sector, environmentalists, etc…).  More specifically, students will be able to assess the value of theories, implications, evidence of research and be able to explicitly convey the importance through a popular venue of information.

I would break students into groups of 2-3 and ask them to pick a topic within ecology (that I approve) that has faced difficulty and controversy transferring knowledge from a science/research perspective to the general public.    Students would choose 6 primary literature articles that best illustrate the science behind their topic and transfer major findings and concepts into a newspaper, which includes news stories, feature stories, and editorials.  Students conduct their research of articles independently and use group meetings to share information, edit articles, proofread, and design the pages.  In the newspaper, students will emphasize noteworthy findings and the potential impact, implications, and effects their particular articles will have on their choice topics.  Students will not be graded on the journalism or style of writing, but whether or not they were able to convey the overall concept and importance of the research to the general public.  Can the students take complicated research and effectively decipher and transfer it to rancher Joe in a respectful manner?