Education Commons^™

The Role Of Using Formative Assessments In Problem-Based Learning: A Health Sciences Education Perspective, Kristi W. Kelley, Julaine M. Fowlin, Andrew A. Tawfik, Max C. Anderson

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Practitioners in the field of pharmacy are often confronted with ill-structured problems. Specifically, pharmacists are tasked with making patient-specific recommendations that are both safe and effective, which requires combining knowledge from the biomedical, behavioral, and pharmaceutical sciences. Given the dynamic nature of pharmacy as a profession, the field has begun to explore learning strategies that go beyond mere content coverage to strategies that better support higher-order learning outcomes. One of these approaches is problem-based learning (PBL). While studies have focused on how to support PBL to improve learning outcomes, the role of assessment is often overlooked. Further exploration is thus …

Developing Clinical Reasoning Skills Through Argumentation With The Concept Map Method In Medical Problem-Based Learning, Jihyun Si, Hyun-Hee Kong, Sang-Hwa Lee

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This study aims to explore the effects of argumentation with the concept map method during medical problem-based learning (PBL) on individual clinical reasoning. Individual clinical reasoning ability was assessed through problem-solving performance and arguments that students constructed during individual clinical reasoning processes. Toulmin’s model of argument was utilized as a structure for arguments. The study also explored whether there would be any differences between the firstand second-year medical students. Ninety-five medical students participated in this study, and they took two PBL modules. During PBL, they were asked as a group to construct concept maps based on their argumentation about a …

The Transfer Of Problem-Based Learning Skills To Clinical Practice, Marie T. Stanton, Suzanne Guerin, Terry Barrett

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The purpose of this article is to present and discuss the reported impact of a fully problem-based learning (PBL) master’s program on the way graduates worked with patients and colleagues in Ireland. These graduates had completed a sixteen-month fully PBL master’s in sonography while concurrently working in clinical practice. Semi-structured telephone interviews were used to collect qualitative data from graduates of the PBL program. PBL graduates reported four notable changes in their approach to clinical practice following the PBL MSc ultrasound program: (1) thinking more before, during, and after clinical practice; (2) more effective communication with patients; (3) improved communication …

Qualitative Research In Pbl In Health Sciences Education: A Review, Jun Jin, Susan Bridges

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

CONTEXT Qualitative methodologies are relatively new in health sciences education research, especially in the area of problem-based learning (PBL). A key advantage of qualitative approaches is the ability to gain in-depth, textured insights into educational phenomena. Key methodological issues arise, however, in terms of the strategies of inquiry, data collection methods, and analytical approaches. This review aims to identify and appraise the current applications of qualitative studies in PBL and indicate possible new methodological directions.

METHODS Two computerized databases, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and PubMed, were screened for solely qualitative studies of PBL in health sciences education between 2000 …

The Effect Of Senior Medical Student Tutors Compared To Faculty Tutors On Examination Scores Of First- And Second-Year Medical Students In Two Problem-Based Learning Courses, Damon H. Sakai, Marcel D'Eon, Krista Trinder, Richard T. Kasuya

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

At the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, senior medical student volunteers are used as tutors for some problem-based learning groups in both the first and second years. Previous studies on the advantages and disadvantages of student tutors compared to faculty tutors have been equivocal. This study expected to answer the following question: Are there differences in examination scores for learners in their first or second year tutored by fourth-year medical students compared to those tutored by faculty members on two different types of examinations? Students were assessed using more clinically relevant, modified essay question examinations and …

Online Searching In Pbl Tutorials, Jun Jin, Susan M. Bridges, Michael G. Botelho, Lap Ki Chan

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This study aims to explore how online searching plays a role during PBL tutorials in two undergraduate health sciences curricula, Medicine and Dentistry. Utilizing Interactional Ethnography (IE) as an organizing framework for data collection and analysis, and drawing on a critical theory of technology as an explanatory lens, enabled a textured understanding of student practices and beliefs regarding online searching during face-to-face PBL tutorials. Two event maps trace key transitions in learning regarding online searching in one cycle of problem-based learning in each program. From a critical perspective, analysis of students’ stimulated recall interviews indicated that the use of students’ …

Social Constructivism And Case-Writing For An Integrated Curriculum, Alison F. Doubleday, Blase Brown, Philip A. Patston, Pamela Jurgens-Toepke, Meaghan Driscoll Strotman, Anne Koerber, Colin Haley, Charlotte Briggs, G. William Knight

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Case-writing within an integrated, systems-based health professions education curriculum presents many unique challenges. Specifically, case-writing in this context must consider integration of multidisciplinary learning objectives and synthesis of biomedical and clinical sciences. Establishing an effective process for content integration and determining who should be involved in the case-writing process can be a daunting task and this specific context requires a new model for effective casewriting. This paper provides a model for the cycle of case development, implementation, evaluation and modification in an integrated, systems-based health professions curriculum. We highlight how this collaborative case-writing model parallels the social constructivist approach promoted …

The Purpose And Value For Students Of Pbl Groups For Learning, Vicki J. Skinner, Annette Braunack-Mayer, Tracey A. Winning

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

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 …

The Use Of Pbl In An Interprofessional Education Course For Health Care Professional Students, Kristine M. L'Ecuyer, David Pole, Sheila A. Leander

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

A problem-based learning (PBL) framework was utilized in a series of six interprofessional team seminars (IPTS) for postbaccalaureate students from seven health professions. The goal of IPTS was to develop a collaborative practice-ready workforce prepared to respond to patient care needs through use of concrete examples, skills development, critical thinking, and problem solving in safe, faculty-facilitated small groups. The collaborative nature of PBL closely correlates with teaching methodologies of the IPTS series. This study analyzed critical reflection assignments of nursing students in accelerated programs to determine the effectiveness of IPTS at preparing students for interprofessional collaborative practice. Findings indicated that …

Commentary For The Special Issue: Pbl Scholarship: Building On The Educational Vision Of Howard Barrows, Peggy A. Ertmer

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this commentary, I discuss each of the seven articles included in this special issue, which, as a collection, honor the impact of Howard Barrows’ vision on the scholarship and practice of problem-based learning (PBL). Collectively, these articles represent a variety of contexts, content areas, delivery formats, and structures in PBL implementations and research. Each article is examined and evaluated for specific information that practitioners and researchers may use in their future PBL efforts.