Book•
Problem-based learning : an approach to medical education
01 Jan 1980-
TL;DR: This book presents the scientific basis of problem-based learning and goes on to describe the approaches to problem- based medical learning that have been developed over the years at McMaster University, largely by Barrows and Tamblyn.
Abstract: In this book, the authors address some basic problems in the learning of biomedical science, medicine, and the other health sciences Students in most medical schools, especially in basic science courses, are required to memorize a large number of ""facts,"" facts which may or may not be relevant to medical practice Problem-based learning has two fundamental postulates--the learning through problem-solving is much more effective for creating a body of knowledge usable in the future, and that physician skills most important for patients are problem-solving skills, rather than memory skills This book presents the scientific basis of problem-based learning and goes on to describe the approaches to problem-based medical learning that have been developed over the years at McMaster University, largely by Barrows and Tamblyn
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01 Jan 1989
TL;DR: For example, the principal causes of morbidity and mortality today are quite different from those of 50 years ago as discussed by the authors, and yet these areas are grossly underrepresented in conventional curricula.
Abstract: There have been radical changes in the patterns of disease in the community, in life style, and in the structure of society in recent years. Indeed the principal causes of morbidity and mortality today are quite different from those of 50 years ago. Over a similar period there have been major advances in the science and technology of education. There has also been a massive expansion of knowledge relating to medicine, components of which have been included in curricula, often by simple addition without deletion of less relevant material. The predominant causes of illness today in industrialized nations are related to life style, behavior, the environment, substance abuse, and socioeconomic status,1 yet these areas are grossly underrepresented in conventional curricula.
22 citations
TL;DR: This research proved Clark's rival hypothesis, that the computer, in itself, does not appear to contribute to proficiency gains, at least as measured by limited post-testing, and proved PlanAlyzer's power to teach complex concepts of medical decision-making.
Abstract: Richard E. Clark in his widely published comprehensive studies and meta-analyses of the literature on computer assisted instruction (CAI) has decried the lack of carefully controlled research, challenging almost every study which shows the computer-based intervention to result in significant post-test proficiency gains over a non-computer-based intervention. We report on a randomized study in a medical school setting where the usual confounders found by Clark to plague most research, were carefully controlled. PlanAlyzer is a microcomputer-based, self-paced, case-based, event-driven system for medical education which was developed and used in carefully controlled trials in a second year medical school curriculum to test the hypothesis that students with access to the interactive programs could integrate their didactic knowledge more effectively and/or efficiently than with access only to traditional textual “nonintelligent” materials. PlanAlyzer presents cases, elicits and critiques a student's approach to the diagnosis of two common medical disorders: anemias and chest pain. PlanAlyzer uses text, hypertext, images and critiquing theory. Students were randomized, one half becoming the experimental group who received the interactive PlanAlyzer cases in anemia, the other half becoming the controls who received the exact same content material in a text format. Later in each year there was a crossover, the controls becoming the experimentals for a similar intervention with the cardiology PlanAlyzer cases. Preliminary results at the end of the first two full trials shows that the programs have achieved most of the proposed instructional objectives, plus some significant efficiency and economy gains. 96 faculty hours of classroom time were saved by using PlanAlyzer in their place, while maintaining high student achievement. In terms of student proficiency and efficiency, the 328 students in the trials over two years were able to accomplish the project's instructional objectives, and the experimentals accomplished this in 43% less time than the controls, achieving the same level of mastery. However, in spite of these significant efficiency findings, there have been no significant proficiency differences (as measured by current factual and higher order multiple choice post-tests) between the experimental and control groups. Very careful controls were used to avoid what Clark has found to be the most common confounders of CAI research. Accordingly, this research proved Clark's rival hypothesis, that the computer, in itself, does not appear to contribute to proficiency gains, at least as measured by our limited post-testing. Clark's position is that the computer is primarily a vehicle—as is either a pill or a hypodermic needle for delivering a drug. The hypodermic needle can deliver the drug more efficiently than can the pill, (as can the computer deliver the subject matter content more efficiently, as our research indicates), but the same content is delivered. At the same time, we proved our own hypothesis, as far as efficiency gains resulting from the computer are concerned. However, going beyond Clark's research, we may be teaching processes both more effectively and efficiently with the computer (experience in problem-solving or clinical reasoning and pattern recognition) which our current post-tests do not adequately measure. Our on-going research suggests additional inquiry in several areas: better evaluation instruments to measure the clinical reasoning skills PlanAlyzer was designed to teach; the addition of more advanced cases to determine if this might transform efficiency gains of the computer group into proficiency gains; the addition of enhanced graphic decision support tools and other pedagogical enhancements including cognitive feedback to strengthen PlanAlyzer's power to teach complex concepts of medical decision-making.
22 citations
Cites methods from "Problem-based learning : an approac..."
...At the end of the instruction the student should be able to: (1) Use the computer to complete the computerized cases, (2) Extract the relevant information from the patient's history and physical data to discern which lab tests are appropriate and cost effective, (3) Provide supporting rationale including initial diagnosis for lab requests and plan for follow-up after results are obtained, (4) Interpret data to identify appropriate diagnosis and management strategy, and (5) Reorganize and implement patient work-up plan based on critique provided by PlanAlyzer....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors follow two groups of students through the 3-years of their high school biology education and examine the development of their systems thinking - specifically their models of the human body as a system.
Abstract: This study follows two groups of students (67 in all) through the 3 years of their high school biology education and examines the development of their systems thinking - specifically their models of the human body as a system. Both groups were composed of biology majors, but the students in one group also participated in a PBLbased extension program called “Medical Systems”. Data was gathered by means of concept maps, which the students completed at four strategic stages of the learning process: beginning of 10th grade, end of 10th grade, end of 11th grade and end of 12th grade. At the end of the 3 year learning process, the students’ showed more complex system models. They included a wider range of concepts in their maps, spanning hierarchy levels ranging from the molecular and cellular to the system level. We also found an increase in references to dynamic interactions, but this did not encourage the students to use cellular level processes when explaining phenomena that occur at the systems level. The impact of the PBL teaching method was strongly evident in the complexity of the Medical Systems program students’ concept maps, which heavily emphasized “hierarchy” and “diseases” as system characteristics.
22 citations
TL;DR: Four scaffolding modules for collaborative problem-based learning through the computer network on Moodle LMS for the computer programming course of undergraduate students are developed and the degree of satisfaction towards the scaffolding from the students and experts is high.
Abstract: Scaffolding is a learning approach designed to promote a deeper understanding, it is the support given during the learning process which is tailored to the needs of the student with the intention of helping the student achieve the learning goals, including resources, a compelling task, templates and guides, and guidance on the development of cognitive and social skills. Meanwhile, problem-based learning (PBL) situate learning in complex tasks. Such task require scaffolding to help students engage in sense making, managing their investigations, problem-solving processes, and encouraging students to articulate their thinking and reflect on their learning. This study aimed to develop four scaffolding modules for collaborative problem-based learning through the computer network on Moodle LMS for the computer programming course of undergraduate students, and to analyze the satisfaction of the experts and students after using the developed scaffolding modules. The four scaffolding modules consisted of metacognitive scaffolding, conceptual scaffolding, strategic scaffolding, and procedural scaffolding, each of which represented by a 3-D animation expert cartoon to attract students. The sample group were twenty-two students of small group pilot and six experts. The findings indicated that the degree of satisfaction towards the scaffolding from the experts was high and the degree of the satisfaction towards the scaffolding from the students was also high. This can be used the four scaffolding modules to complete PBL task successfully.
22 citations
TL;DR: The authors proposed a historical analysis of the connection and differences between the Harvard case method in medical education and business education and the original problem-based learning method of McMaster University as it was developed in the late 1960s.
22 citations