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Problem-based learning : an approach to medical education

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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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explored how individual differences were used in the construction of computer-mediated learning artifacts while working within a project-based learning environment and found that learning artifacts reflected individual differences through blends of abilities while other abilities identified by the participants went untapped or unrecognized.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore how individual differences—specifically abilities—were used in the construction of computer-mediated learning artifacts while working within a project-based learning environment. A case study design was used with five participants purposively selected from 61 eighth grade geography students at a small, private day school in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through a self-report inventory, interviews, observations, and artifacts. Results indicated that learning artifacts reflected individual differences through blends of abilities while other abilities identified by the participants went untapped or unrecognized. Second, the learning artifacts represented the learners’ knowledge in three ways: system knowledge, domain knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. However, some knowledge, such as process decision making, went undocumented. Finally, the flexibility in the project-based learning environment allowed the participants to make decision...

100 citations


Cites background from "Problem-based learning : an approac..."

  • ...Project-based learning encourages individuals to explore and examine a variety of problems and resources to construct personal strategies for handling these problems, as well as negotiate and share solutions (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980; Bransford et al., 2000; Harel & Papert, 1991)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe an introductory-level GIS class in which GIS was taught with a problem-based learning pedagogy, including the nature of the problem and the way GIS skills were sequentially taught and integrated into the analysis of that problem.
Abstract: How, where and why GIS is taught has been debated heavily in the geography literature. This article is a contribution to that debate, because it offers a new perspective from which to teach GIS: problem-based learning. In a problem-based learning classroom, theoretical foundations and the real world of problems are understood as constitutive of one another, rather than theory being prioritised over the real world of experience. In this paper, the author describes an introductory-level GIS class in which GIS was taught with a problem-based learning pedagogy. The problem around which the class focused was a proposal to add a new school district in the San Antonio, Texas metropolitan region. This article describes the class, including the nature of the problem and the way GIS skills were sequentially taught and integrated into the analysis of that problem.

100 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A substantial swing towards surface learning raises questions about the perceived capacity of PBL curricula to promote deep approaches to learning in dense curricula, and reinforces the importance of personal and contextual factors, such as study habits, workload and assessment, in determining individual approaches and idiosyncratic responses to learning situations.
Abstract: AIM: To determine the influence of metacognitive activities within the PBL tutorial environment on the development of deep learning approach, reduction in surface approach, and enhancement of individual learning self-efficacy. METHOD: Participants were first-year medical students (N = 213). A pre-test, post-test design was implemented with intervention and control cohorts, with intervention students experiencing a program of metacognitive activities within their PBL tutorials of at least 20 weeks duration. All students completed the Medical Course Learning Questionnaire at the commencement, and again at the completion of, the study. The metacognitive intervention itself consisted of reflection on the learning in PBL coupled with peer- and self-assessment. RESULTS: Self-efficacy was significantly reduced for both control and intervention cohorts at the conclusion of the study. A significant reduction in the adoption of deep and strategic learning approach, matched by a corresponding increase in the use of surface learning, was demonstrated for both cohorts. There was a statistically significant association between high self-efficacy and deep learning approach, with older students over-represented in the group of efficacious deep learners. CONCLUSION: Over the course of first-year medical studies, students lose self-efficacy and move away from deep-strategic learning approaches towards more surface approaches. The program of metacognitive activities failed to reverse this trend. The substantial swing towards surface learning raises questions about the perceived capacity of PBL curricula to promote deep approaches to learning in dense curricula, and reinforces the importance of personal and contextual factors, such as study habits, workload and assessment, in determining individual approaches and idiosyncratic responses to learning situations.

98 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argue that students learn about leadership primarily through reading and discussing theories of leadership, rather than acquiring experience in what leaders actually do and what it feels like to be a leader, and that students who acquire knowledge about leadership out of the context in which it later will be used will recognize when to use this knowledge and how to use it appropriately.
Abstract: Criticisms of current programs for preparing educational leaders abound (Griffiths, Stout, & Forsyth, 1988). In the vast majority of traditional programs, there are few meaningful connections forged among theory, research, and practice. Students learn about leadership primarily through reading and discussing theories of leadership, rather than acquiring experience in what leaders actually do and what it feels like to be a leader. This approach to leadership preparation mistakenly assumes that students who acquire knowledge about leadership out of the context in which it later will be used will recognize when to use this knowledge and how to use it appropriately. Moreover, this approach presupposes that students enter the university with a firm commitment to becoming an educational leader, rather than exploring whether they personally are suited for this demandEDWIN M. BRIDGES is Professor of Education and Director of the Prospective Principals Program,

98 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although there is evidence that these skills improved over time, a greater emphasis on information literacy skills training may be required to ensure that graduates are able to locate the best available evidence to support their professional practice.
Abstract: Internet usage logs captured during self-directed learning sessions were used to determine how undergraduate medical students used five popular sites to locate and access biomedical resources. Students' perceptions of each site's usefulness and reliability were determined through a survey. Google and Wikipedia were the most frequently used sites despite students rating them as the least reliable of the five sites investigated. The library-the students' primary point of access to online journals-was the least used site, and when using Google less than 40% of pages or resources located by students were from 'high' quality sources. Students' use of all sites' search tools was unsophisticated. Despite being avid users of online information and search tools, the students targeted in this study appeared to lack the requisite information-seeking skills to make the most of online resources. Although there is evidence that these skills improved over time, a greater emphasis on information literacy skills training may be required to ensure that graduates are able to locate the best available evidence to support their professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

97 citations

Trending Questions (1)
Problem-based learning in medical education?

Problem-based learning is an effective approach in medical education that focuses on problem-solving skills rather than memorization.