Incorporating problem-based learning exercises into an environmental health curriculum.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Conflict Resolution
• Environmental Law

Background:

• Environmental health professionals frequently face intricate conflicts with diverse stakeholders.
• The Woburn, Massachusetts, aquifer contamination case, detailed in "A Civil Action," exemplifies such disputes.
• Traditional civil litigation can be lengthy, costly, and adversarial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a problem-based learning (PBL) approach for environmental conflict resolution training.
• To compare alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mock negotiations with civil litigation outcomes.
• To assess student perceptions of the PBL and ADR methods.

Main Methods:

• Undergraduate students participated in a mock conflict resolution exercise based on the Woburn case.
• Students were divided into three stakeholder groups: affected families, industry consortium, and regulatory authorities.
• Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mock negotiations were facilitated by the course instructor.

Main Results:

• Nearly unanimous agreement among students that the PBL/ADR approach was faster and less expensive than civil litigation.
• The ADR method fostered a less adversarial environment, promoting collaboration between industry and community groups.
• Students achieved a more creative, long-term agreement compared to the actual civil litigation outcome.

Conclusions:

• Problem-based learning combined with alternative dispute resolution offers an effective model for training environmental health professionals.
• This approach can lead to more efficient, cost-effective, and collaborative resolutions for environmental disputes.
• The PBL/ADR method provides a valuable alternative to traditional, adversarial legal processes.