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Journal ArticleDOI

Effectiveness of problem-based learning curricula: theory, practice and paper darts.

01 Sep 2000-Medical Education (Med Educ)-Vol. 34, Iss: 9, pp 721-728
TL;DR: Evidence is presented that (a) cognitive research is not contrived and irrelevant, (b) curriculum level interventions are doomed to fail and (c) education needs more theory‐based research.
Abstract: In a recent review article, Colliver concluded that there was no convincing evidence that problem-based learning was more effective than conventional methods. He then went on to lay part of the blame on cognitive psychology, claiming that 'the theory is weak, its theoretical concepts are imprecise. the basic research is contrived and ad hoc'. This paper challenges these claims and presents evidence that (a) cognitive research is not contrived and irrelevant, (b) curriculum level interventions are doomed to fail and (c) education needs more theory-based research.

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the evidence for the effectiveness of active learning and define the common forms of activelearning most relevant for engineering faculty and critically examine the core element of each method, finding broad but uneven support for the core elements of active, collaborative, cooperative and problem-based learning.
Abstract: This study examines the evidence for the effectiveness of active learning. It defines the common forms of active learning most relevant for engineering faculty and critically examines the core element of each method. It is found that there is broad but uneven support for the core elements of active, collaborative, cooperative and problem-based learning.

5,301 citations


Cites background from "Effectiveness of problem-based lear..."

  • ...Looking at a number of meta-analyses [17], Norman and Schmidt [18] point out that having students work in small teams has a positive effect on academic achievement while self-directed learning has a slight negative effect on academic achievement....

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  • ...Their results are shown in Table 3, taken directly from Norman and Schmidt using the summary of meta-studies provided by Lipsey and Wilson [17]....

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  • ...Can one or two elements be identified as common or decisive? Norman and Schmidt [18] provide one way around the difficulty by identifying several components of PBL in order to show how they impact learning outcomes....

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  • ...Norman and Schmidt [18] argue “PBL does provide a more challenging, motivating and enjoyable approach to education....

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  • ...Norman and Schmidt [18] provide one way around the difficulty by identifying several components of PBL in order to show how they impact learning outcomes....

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Journal ArticleDOI
08 Feb 2003-BMJ
TL;DR: Time to stop arguing about the process and examine the outcomes of the EU referendum.
Abstract: Problem based learning is used in many medical schools in the United Kingdom and worldwide. This article describes this method of learning and teaching in small groups and explains why it has had an important impact on medical education. ![][1] The group learning process: acquiring desirable learning skills In problem based learning (PBL) students use “triggers” from the problem case or scenario to define their own learning objectives. Subsequently they do independent, self directed study before returning to the group to discuss and refine their acquired knowledge. Thus, PBL is not about problem solving per se, but rather it uses appropriate problems to increase knowledge and understanding. The process is clearly defined, and the several variations that exist all follow a similar series of steps. #### Generic skills and attitudes Group learning facilitates not only the acquisition of knowledge but also several other desirable attributes, such as communication skills, teamwork, problem solving, independent responsibility for learning, sharing information, and respect for others. PBL can therefore be thought of as a small group teaching method that combines the acquisition of knowledge with the development of generic skills and attitudes. Presentation of clinical material as the stimulus for learning enables students to understand the relevance of underlying scientific knowledge and principles in clinical practice. However, when PBL is introduced into a curriculum, several other issues for curriculum design and implementation need to be tackled. PBL is generally introduced in the context of a defined core curriculum and integration of basic and clinical sciences. It has implications for staffing and learning resources and demands a different approach to timetabling, workload, and assessment. PBL is often used to deliver core material in non-clinical parts of the … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif

1,860 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a thematic review of the recent research on workplace learning, which is divided into two main sections: the first section asks what we know about learning at work, and states four propositions: (1) the nature of workplace learning is both different from and similar to school learning; (2) learning in the workplace can be described at different levels, ranging from the individual to the network and region; (3) workplace learning are both informal and formal; and (4) workplaces differ a lot in how they support learning.

981 citations


Cites background from "Effectiveness of problem-based lear..."

  • ...Problem-based learning (PBL) is a curriculum development and instructional approach that applies problematic situations adapted from real world issues as a starting point for learning and studying (see, e.g. Albanese & Mitchell, 1993; Boud & Feletti, 1991; Norman & Schmidt, 2000)....

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01 Jan 2003
Abstract: The Bologna Declaration The Bologna Declaration of June 1999 calls for the establishment by 2010 of a coherent, compatible and competitive European Higher Educatio n Area, attractive for European students and for students and scholars from other c ontinents. The European Education Ministers identified six action lines in Bologna an d they have added three more in Prague in May 2001 and one more in Berlin in September 2003:

863 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative meta-synthesis approach was used to compare and contrast the assumptions and fi ndings of the meta-analytical research on the eff ectiveness of PBL.
Abstract: Problem-based learning (PBL) has been utilized for over 40 years in a variety of diff erent disciplines. Although extensively researched, there is heated debate about the eff ectiveness of PBL. Several meta-analyses have been conducted that provide a synthesis of the eff ects of PBL in comparison to traditional forms of instruction. This study used a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to compare and contrast the assumptions and fi ndings of the meta-analytical research on the eff ectiveness of PBL. Findings indicated that PBL was superior when it comes to long-term retention, skill development and satisfaction of students and teachers, while traditional approaches were more eff ective for short-term retention as measured by standardized board exams. Implications are discussed.

818 citations


Cites methods from "Effectiveness of problem-based lear..."

  • ...Out of these ten studies, we excluded Norman and Schmidt (2000), because it was a response to an existing meta-analysis without providing new data or newly analyzing existing data, and Smits, Verbeek, and De Buisonje (2002), because the study did not compare traditional instruction to PBL-oriented…...

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References
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Book
01 Jan 1989

9,143 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is recommended that caution be exercised in making comprehensive, curriculum‐wide conversions to PBL until more is learned about (1) the extent to which faculty should direct students throughout medical training, (2) PBL methods that are less costly, (3) cognitive‐processing weaknesses shown by PBL students, and (4) the apparent high resource utilization by P BL graduates.
Abstract: The effects of problem-based learning (PBL) were examined by conducting a meta-analysis-type review of the English-language international literature from 1972 to 1992. Compared with conventional instruction, PBL, as suggested by the findings, is more nurturing and enjoyable; PBL graduates perform as well, and sometimes better, on clinical examinations and faculty evaluations; and they are more likely to enter family medicine. Further, faculty tend to enjoy teaching using PBL. However, PBL students in a few instances scored lower on basic sciences examinations and viewed themselves as less well prepared in the basic sciences than were their conventionally trained counterparts. PBL graduates tended to engage in backward reasoning rather than the forward reasoning experts engage in, and there appeared to be gaps in their cognitive knowledge base that could affect practice outcomes. The costs of PBL may slow its implementation in schools with class sizes larger than 100. While weaknesses in the criteria used to assess the outcomes of PBL and general weaknesses in study design limit the confidence one can give conclusions drawn from the literature, the authors recommend that caution be exercised in making comprehensive, curriculum-wide conversions to PBL until more is learned about (1) the extent to which faculty should direct students throughout medical training, (2) PBL methods that are less costly, (3) cognitive-processing weaknesses shown by PBL students, and (4) the apparent high resource utilization by PBL graduates.

2,695 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is no evidence that PBL curricula result in any improvement in general, content-free problem-solving skills, and there are several potential advantages for students' learning claimed for problem-based learning.
Abstract: Several potential advantages for students' learning are claimed for problem-based learning (PBL). Students in PBL curricula may be more highly motivated; they may be better problem solvers and self-directed learners; they may be better able to learn and recall information; and they may be better able to integrate basic science knowledge into the solutions of clinical problems. Although some of these claims find theoretical support from the literature on the psychology of learning, to date there has been no review of the experimental evidence supporting the possible differences in students' learning that can be attributed to PBL. In this review article, the authors examine each claim critically in light of that evidence. They conclude that (1) there is no evidence that PBL curricula result in any improvement in general, content-free problem-solving skills; (2) learning in a PBL format may initially reduce levels of learning but may foster, over periods up to several years, increased retention of knowledge; (3) some preliminary evidence suggests that PBL curricula may enhance both transfer of concepts to new problems and integration of basic science concepts into clinical problems; (4) PBL enhances intrinsic interest in the subject matter; and (5) PBL appears to enhance self-directed learning skills, and this enhancement may be maintained.

1,630 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In contrast, meta-analytic reviews show a strong, dramatic pattern of positive overall effects that cannot readily be explained as artifacts of metaanalytic technique or generalized placebo effects.
Abstract: Conventional reviews of research on the efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatments often find considerable variation in outcome among studies and, as a consequence, fail to reach firm conclusions about the overall effectiveness of the interventions in question. In contrast meta-analytic reviews show a strong, dramatic pattern of positive overall effects that cannot readily be explained as artifacts of meta-analytic technique or generalized placebo effects. Moreover, the effects are not so small that they can be dismissed as lacking practical or clinical significance. Although meta-analysis has limitations, there are good reasons to believe that its results are more credible than those of conventional reviews and to conclude that well-developed psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment is generally efficacious.

1,577 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results generally support the superiority of the PBL approach over more traditional methods in problem-based learning.
Abstract: The purpose of this review is to synthesize all available evaluative research from 1970 through 1992 that compares problem-based learning (PBL) with more traditional methods of medical education. Five separate meta-analyses were performed on 35 studies representing 19 institutions. For 22 of the studies (representing 14 institutions), both effect-size and supplementary vote-count analyses could be performed; otherwise, only supplementary analyses were performed. PBL was found to be significantly superior with respect to students' program evaluations (i.e., students' attitudes and opinions about their programs)--dw (standardized differences between means, weighted by sample size) = +.55, CI.95 = +.40 to +.70 - and measures of students' clinical performance (dw = +.28, CI.95 = +.16 to +.40). PBL and traditional methods did not differ on miscellaneous tests of factual knowledge (dw = -.09, CI.95 = +.06 to -.24) and tests of clinical knowledge (dw = +.08, CI.95 = -.05 to +.21). Traditional students performed significantly better than their PBL counterparts on the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination--NBME I (dw = -.18, CI.95 = -.10 to -.26). However, the NBME I data displayed significant overall heterogeneity (Qt = 192.23, p < .001) and significant differences among programs (Qb = 59.09, p < .001), which casts doubt on the generality of the findings across programs. The comparative value of PBL is also supported by data on outcomes that have been studied less frequently, i.e., faculty attitudes, student mood, class attendance, academic process variables, and measures of humanism. In conclusion, the results generally support the superiority of the PBL approach over more traditional methods. Acad. Med. 68 (1993):550-563.

1,491 citations