Community of learners: charting learning in first year graduate entry medical students during problem-based learning (PBL) study.

Abstract

This study considers social learning practices within and outside the overt curriculum. A thematic approach was used to analyse data from six focus group interviews with 11 graduate entry medical students from a UK university over a year of study. The results indicate that: (1) during their first year of study students form a community of learning practice, (2) this community of practice influences learning inside and outside the overt curriculum, (3) there is a changing community profile over the year of practice, (4) the students' engagement in problem-based learning (PBL) as part of their overt curriculum strongly influences the development of a community of practice and hence learning both inside and outside the overt curriculum. Findings are discussed in terms of Wenger's community of practice framework, the role of distributed cognition and social learning. It is concluded that PBL is an effective approach for academics to enrich students' social learning practices.