Explores ways in which conventional assignments can be modified and expanded to include critical thinking and writing vis-a-vis the main concepts of the course. Argues for engaging students' pre-existing ideas in order to incorporate new ideas into class content. Presents course exercises and grading rubrics that can serve as formative assessments…

Examined the impact of a workshop that trained teachers in using problem-based learning to teach health content. Data from a repeated measures quasi-experimental study of participants and nonparticipants indicated that six variables differed significantly between participating and nonparticipating teachers (e.g., ratings of passive student…

A study of 720 dental students in 8 cohorts participating in a problem-oriented dental ethics curriculum over 4 years found that, in 7 of the cohorts, the instruction had a significant effect on students' moral reasoning, in comparison with 265 nonparticipants. In addition, the students valued the instruction. (MSE)

A survey of 882 medical school faculty serving as problem-based learning (PBL) tutors found that most felt that PBL and traditional curricula were approximately equally efficient for learning; PBL rated higher in student interest, faculty interest, personal satisfaction, student reasoning, and preparation for clinical rotations; and traditional…

A study of a new University of Toronto medical school problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum found that students (n=207) and faculty (n=15) had more favorable attitudes toward PBL after direct experience with it than before. Recommendations are made for other schools and programs wishing to implement PBL curricula. (Author/MSE)

A study of 88 students in a problem-based surgery clerkship found significant gain in knowledge level, found to be linked to improved clinical performance. Additional findings included peers were good judges of students' knowledge and skills; faculty were not good judges of changes in student skills or ability to apply them. (MSE)

A new approach to introductory accounting at the University of Southern California teaches students to view issues from varied perspectives, broadens exposure to unstructured problems with more than one solution approach, and places accounting in real-world context. It has increased enrollment and persistence and attracted new students to the…

Seventeen medical students in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum reported that on average they spent twice as much time preparing for step 1 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination as did 52 students in the traditional lecture-based curriculum at the same school. Different learning approaches were also employed. (SLD)

This report includes the framework, the experiences, the benefits, student attitude survey results, typical computer screen output, and BASIC program listings for PROBLEM, a general computer system for homework management in a time-sharing environment that can handle any exercise in which students must calculate numerical results from numerical…

University of Hawaii medical school workshops retrain faculty for their roles as tutors in the newly adopted problem-based curriculum. Assessment of trainees' knowledge and skills before and after the sessions indicate the training was successful and also identified common problems faced by traditional teachers in the new role of facilitator.…

A University of Hawaii study compared objective and subjective assessments of the three-step triple jump examination which tests medical students' clinical problem-solving processes. Subjects were 58 first-year students. Results found the subjective assessments were more consistent across problems of varying difficulty level than were objective…

The last decade has shown a steady increase in the introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) in the education of health professionals. A variety of medical and dental schools have implemented PBL using different formats incorporating self-directed and small-group learning, illustrating the many options this combination of techniques offers.…

Four problem-based tutorial groups (n=23 students, n=4 faculty) in Harvard University Medical School's New Pathway track were studied to determine what interactions characterized student-directed discussion. It was found that students selected most topics discussed, that tutors questioned infrequently, provided limited information, and tolerated…

At the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, a core course in pediatric optometry was revised to use a problem-centered approach and implemented with a class of 147 students. Students were assigned specific roles to distribute work evenly. A survey found students responded positively to this approach. (MSE)

In literature on problem-based learning (PBL), it is often difficult to determine whether the educational approach being described is actually PBL. Provides planners and assessors of PBL curricula with a framework for analysis. Educational activities can be categorized as PBL according to three core principles and four criteria concerning their…