ERIC Number: EJ1058713
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Apr
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1541-5015
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Purpose and Value for Students of PBL Groups for Learning
Skinner, Vicki J.; Braunack-Mayer, Annette; Winning, Tracey A.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, v9 n1 p19-32 Apr 2015
Groups are central to problem-based learning (PBL) and educational and professional outcomes relevant to clinical education. However, PBL groups in practice may differ from theoretical conceptions of groups. Therefore, this study explored students' understandings of the purpose and value of PBL groups for their learning. We conducted a naturalistic study with novice (first-year) students at two dental schools (Australia, Ireland), using observation and interviews analyzed thematically. Students constructed PBL learning as individual knowledge gain, and group purpose as information gathering and exchange; few students acknowledged the learning potential of group processes. Group value depended on assessment and curriculum context. Findings are explained in relation to how students' epistemologies and perceptions of their learning contexts shaped group behaviour. Implications for health professional education practice are considered.
Descriptors: Problem Based Learning, Cooperative Learning, Epistemology, Student Attitudes, Group Behavior, Dental Schools, Foreign Countries, Novices, Correlation, Outcomes of Education, Observation, Interviews, Ethnography, Qualitative Research, Curriculum, Role, Teaching Methods
Purdue University Press. Stewart Center Room 370, 504 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Tel: 800-247-6553; Fax: 419-281-6883; e-mail: pupress@purdue,edu; Web site: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/ijpbl/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia; Ireland
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Author Affiliations: N/A