PBL is beneficial
Editor - I found last month's editorial on problem based learning (PBL) interesting1. Medicine is such a fast moving field that conventional courses need to move with the times, and I think that PBL is an effective learning programme. Everyone has to interact with one another to discuss signs and symptoms in the cases presented, much as they will have to do with their colleagues during future clinical practice. As doctors of the future we need to be able to question and discuss problems freely and PBL provides individuals with the opportunity to build communicative skills.
With courses such as the one at Manchester the individual has to be self motivated. Large amounts of reading and work are involved. Each individual in the group has to take control of their own learning and time management as well as being able to work with the rest of the group as a team member. FIorking in a group provides an individual student with a lot of support.
FIhat one member will not understand, another group member will.
PBL also provides the individual with a wider and deeper learning experience. If we do not seem to be on the right track with our learning objectives we are told by our group tutor which direction to go in and why we were wrong. Overseas students have the opportunity to develop better understanding and linguistic skills in a supportive environment which gives them confidence in using English as an additional language.
There are obviously down sides to the PBL course; the workload is heavy and a full understanding is needed to pass the examinations. I agree with Wai-Ching Leung's comment about pBL not suiting all students.
We have fewer lectures than conventional establishments, but we make gains as we are taught how to think. As a result clinical practice is much less of a shock.
Alice Schofield, first year medical student, university of Manchester
Email: m.schofield@stud.man.ac.uk
studentBMJ 2001;09:357-398 October ISSN 0966-6494
- Leung FI.C. Is pBL better than traditional curriculum?
