Abstract
Background: Teaching and learning are fundamentally different between conventional and problem based learning (PBL) curricula. There is a transformation in the College of Medicine, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia (CMTU) from the conventional to a PBL curriculum. Aim: To compare students’ approaches to learning and their perception of learning environment between conventional and PBL curricula at CMTU. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire on a convenience sample from the third year undergraduate male and female medical students enrolled in both PBL and conventional curricula during the academic year 2015- 2016. Students' approaches to learning and perception of learning environment were measured using the “Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST)” and the “Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM)” instruments, respectively. Results: A total of 101 questionnaires (49 (48.5%) and 52 (51.5%) from traditional and PBL curricula, respectively) were analyzed. When compared to conventional curriculum students, PBL curriculum students showed a significantly higher overall DREEM (136.98 ±21.45 vs. 111.59 ±27.93; p <0.001) as well as all its subscales. Significantly higher ratings for strategic approach towards learning (60.77 ±9.12 vs. 56.35 ±9.93; p=0.02) and net learning orientation (deep approach + strategic approach - surface apathetic approach; 85.60 ±17.32 vs. 77.76 ±20.63; p=0.04) were seen in PBL curriculum students. Conclusion: The transformation to a PBL curriculum at CMTU was accompanied by a tilt in the learning style towards a desired deep and strategic learning styles and a definite improvement in the perception of learning environment among students.
Highlights
Medical curricula are designed to ensure students gain of the appropriate clinical and scientific skills
A total of 103 (47 male and 66 female) students returned a filled questionnaire. This represented a 35.6% of total students registered in both curricula (51 (32.5%) students from conventional curriculum and 52 (39.4%) students from the problem based learning (PBL) curriculum)
No differences were seen in sex distribution, previous year grade point average (GPA), conception of learning, achieving high grades and fear of failure as motives for learning, preferences for teaching style, or overall self-rating on academic progress
Summary
Medical curricula are designed to ensure students gain of the appropriate clinical and scientific skills. The most often practiced medical teaching method is referred to as conventional system which emphasizes the broad coverage of content areas using lecture as the starting point Another more recent method that has gained much attention in medical education is the problem based learning (PBL), which is a constructivist model of education in which the starting point for learning is a problem or query that the learner systematically explores. There is a transformation in the College of Medicine, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia (CMTU) from the conventional to a PBL curriculum. Aim: To compare students’ approaches to learning and their perception of learning environment between conventional and PBL curricula at CMTU.
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