QEP: Quality Enhancement Plan

Students at Germanna Community College (GCC) develop interdisciplinary problem solving skills that promote reflection, self-regulation, knowledge retention, and success across varied curricular, co- curricular, and workplace contexts.  The Quality Enhancement Plan promotes Problem Based Learning (PBL)-- an active and collaborative teaching method that engages students in educational experiences with real-world application.  

Hear how PBL has transformed the educational experiences of students at an international university:

Equipped with problem solving skills, GCC students are a diverse pool of talent able to adapt to the changing needs of the job market.  GCC faculty partners with employers across a range of industries to remove barriers to success and provide flexible career pathways.  Faculty regularly meets with businesses to understand the skills they desire in ideal candidates and types of problems relevant to their industry.  Faculty then draw on this information as inspiration for assignments and to inform curriculum.  GCC is committed to providing innovative course curriculum and support services to build marketable skills, strengthening our local community.

PBL is a pragmatic teaching method that encourages student development of problem solving skills.  Courses infused with PBL methods experience increased class attendance and information retention as students are engaged with the curriculum.  Students spend more time in the inquiry process, exploring topics they find compelling and relevant to their lives.  Faculty are resources and facilitators of educational experiences as students activity work to solve problem real world problems.  

Hear how a high school transformed into a problem-based school: