Problem-based Learning Curriculum Research Articles

Problem-based learning and the integration of sustainable development goals

PurposeThis study explores how problem-based learning (PBL) programs can address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via the higher education (HE) curriculum, teaching materials and relevant assessments, supporting learning at scale for HE institutions.Design/methodology/approachEmploying SDGs and their indicators as the coding framework, our two-phase study evaluates the curriculum and teaching materials of seven PBL programs at a leading higher education institution (HEI). The first phase involved a content analysis to assess the degree of sustainability integration in 156 relevant courses. The second phase applied a semi-automated mapping protocol to analyze learning and teaching materials in 120 relevant courses.FindingsThe school aligns with 17 SDGs (100%), covering 94 indicators (55.62%). On average, each program within the school addresses over ten of these goals and incorporates more than 24 associated indicators. However, the study reveals an imbalance in the incorporation of SDGs, with some goals not yet deeply and comprehensively embedded in the curriculum. While there is a substantial focus on sustainability theories, the practical implications of SDGs in emerging countries, particularly through case studies and assessments, require significant enhancement.Practical implicationsMapping SDGs allows HEIs to identify strengths and gaps in SDG integration, thereby improving the PBL approach to enhance student work readiness in sustainability-focused careers.Originality/valueThrough the lens of transformative learning theory, this study provides evidence of SDG integration into PBL curricula. It highlights a mapping methodology that enables HEIs to evaluate their sustainability readiness in curriculum, teaching materials and relevant assessments.

Enhancing Critical Thinking through Ethnoscience-Integrated Problem-Based Learning: A Comparative Study in Secondary Education

This study investigates the impact of integrating ethnoscience with problem-based learning (PBL) on the enhancement of critical thinking skills among secondary school students. Employing a nonequivalent control group design with purposive sampling, the research involved 66 students from a Nigerian secondary school, divided into experimental (n=31) and control (n=35) groups. The experimental group engaged in a PBL curriculum enriched with ethnoscience, while the control group received traditional expository teaching. The study aimed to bridge the gap in current educational practices by incorporating cultural relevance into science education, thus making learning more meaningful and directly applicable to students' lives. Results indicated a significant improvement in the critical thinking abilities of the experimental group, as evidenced by their pretest and posttest scores, compared to the control group. The findings underscore the effectiveness of the ethnoscience-integrated PBL approach in fostering higher-order thinking skills, suggesting a notable advancement over conventional teaching methods. This research contributes to the educational literature by demonstrating the benefits of combining ethnoscience and PBL, advocating for a shift towards more dynamic, student-centered, and culturally relevant teaching strategies. The study highlights the importance of contextual learning experiences and suggests further exploration across various disciplines and educational levels to validate the approach's effectiveness and applicability.

Perceptions and Experiences of Pursuing Research Among Medical Students in Problem-Based Learning Curriculum: A Cross-Sectional Study from Qatar.

Early introduction to research prepares medical students for the practice of evidence-based medicine. Few studies have examined the experiences of research among medical students in the Arab region. This study assesses medical students' experiences in pursuing research at the national College of Medicine (CMED) in the state of Qatar. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed through Google Forms. The inclusion criteria called for students over 18 years old enrolled in the college in Years 2 to 6 (pre-clinical and clinical phases) during the spring semester of 2022. The questionnaire included 5 sections with multiple-choice questions and 5-point Likert-scale questions. The questionnaire was validated using esperts review and by piloting it on 10% of the eligible students. STATA 17.0 was used to perform the statistical analysis, which involved a logistic regression and Mann-Whitney U test. The study had 179 student participants (over half of the eligible group). Half were in the preclinical phase, and half were in the clinical phase. Approximately half had published at least 1 paper. For voluntary research, the main motivators were passion and positive past experiences, while the main demoralizer was inadequate time. For mandatory medical-student research, supervisor help was the main facilitator, and an academic load leaving insufficient time for research was the main barrier. The factors positively influencing voluntary research participation were being older, being male, studying in a more advanced program phase, and having a lower score for negative attitudes toward research. The main limitation of the study was the inclusion of only 1 medical school with 1 type of curriculum. Our findings suggest that better research experience can be ensured by providing space, time, and proper academic and moral support to students. The authors believe that doing so will indirectly positively affect the future translation of skills in evidence-based medicine into clinical practice.

Two Years into Digital Transformation: The Lived Experience of a Middle Eastern Medical Student Population in a Problem-Based Learning Curriculum

Two Years into Digital Transformation: The Lived Experience of a Middle Eastern Medical Student Population in a Problem-Based Learning Curriculum

The tools of the future are the challenges of today: The use of ChatGPT in problem-based learning medical education

What is the educational challenge? Incorporation of large language model (LLM) or generative artificial intelligence (AI) software poses a challenge to various areas of medical education, including problem-based learning (PBL). LLMs, such as ChatGPT, have incredible potential to transform educational systems and enhance student learning outcomes when used responsibly. What are the proposed solutions? ChatGPT can provide several ways to support students and assist facilitators with course responsibilities. Here we address factors of implementation and describe how ChatGPT can be responsibly utilized to support key elements of PBL. How was the solution implemented? Providing reasonable access is an essential element of novel software implementation. Additionally, training for both faculty and staff is vital to foster responsible usage, provide base-line proficiency, and guide users to critically evaluate the quality of output. What lessons were learned that are relevant to a wider audience? The use of LLMs or other generative AI is dramatically rising in the world. Appropriate and conscientious incorporation of AI into educational programs can foster responsible use and potentially enhance student learning. What are the next steps? Assessment of learning outcomes, student self-efficacy, group dynamics, and stakeholder feedback are required to measure the effects of ChatGPT in the PBL curriculum. Additionally, software programs competitive with ChatGPT are currently under development and will also need to be investigated for their potential role in education.

Mental health differences in medical students based on curriculum and gender

BackgroundThe prevalence of mental health struggles among students in medical school is widely reported; however, little is known about how it is impacted by the medical school curriculum. This study aimed to evaluate differences in anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion in medical students based on gender, class year, and curriculum.MethodsAn anonymous online survey consisting of questions from established, validated questionnaires about demographics, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion, and personal health behaviors was sent to 817 medical students who attended Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine during the Spring of 2021. When applying to this school, each of these students had the option to choose either the problem-based learning (PBL) or lecture-based learning (LBL) curriculum track.ResultsThe survey was completed by 222 students. Females experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion than males. Students in the PBL had lower levels of emotional exhaustion than their peers in the LBL. Increase in emotional exhaustion was most pronounced between 1st and 2nd year students. Emotional exhaustion was inversely correlated with sleep and exercise.ConclusionsOn average, students who were either male or in the PBL curriculum experienced less mental distress in the form of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion than their peers. While gender continues to be an established factor in how mental distress is experienced, the reduced levels of emotional exhaustion in PBL students is a novel finding that can potentially shed light on how to better optimize medical education. Despite the inherent selection bias and lower number of PBL students, to our knowledge, this is the first study comparing two different curricula within a single institution. This finding along with a focus on good sleep and exercise habits may provide a path for improving mental health in medical students.

Expanding the scope of problem-based-learning at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine; integrating domain-general skills with domain-specific content

The Master Adaptive Learner is a model used to develop students to become self-regulated and adaptable lifelong learners to practice medicine in a complex and ever-changing environment. The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) proposes a new course, Patient Presentation Problem-Based Learning Curriculum (PPPC), a dynamic and integrated course that goes beyond the scope of traditional Problem-Based-Learning (PBL). PPPC allows students to build domain-general skills in tandem with domain-specific content learned during a pre-clerkship curriculum. An integrated case provides weekly scaffolding, such that the course takes place throughout the week and is not isolated from the rest of the curriculum. Students receive iterative feedback and structured assignments which allows development of self-directed learning skills along with integration and consolidation of weekly curricular content. A layered analysis approach was used to outline the philosophies, principles and techniques that link to our course objectives. Techniques used could easily be translated to other pre-clerkship curriculum to promote development of self-directed learning and clinical reasoning skills, as well as promote more meaningful learning of basic, clinical, and health system science content.

Problem Based Learning in Medical Education: Handling Objections and Sustainable Implementation.

The introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) in 1969 is considered the greatest innovation in medical education of the past 50 years. Since then, PBL has been implemented in different educational settings across virtually all health professions. However, some PBL schools gradually faced resistance from academic staff who were more familiar with traditional teacher-centred curricula. At times this has resulted in reversion to tradition or compromise whereby PBL is implemented within a lecture-based curriculum. Resistance can also emerge in a traditional school when a PBL curriculum is being considered for implementation. One of the first signs of this erosion is doubts about PBL raised in the form of objections or criticisms. This perspective review describes eight objections raised to assert why PBL is inferior or untenable. The background to each objection is provided together with evidence-informed rebuttals derived from professional practice and the published literature. Best practices are discussed for sustainable management of a PBL-based curriculum. A well-implemented PBL curriculum with appropriate and cost-effective infrastructure, training, teaching-learning activities, and assessment will position schools to harness the full benefit of PBL in training medical and health professionals.

An experimental study: An integrative strategy of PBL combined with an organ-systems-based curriculum to improve academic achievement and career maturity

This study aims to investigate the impact of integrating Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Organ System-Based Curriculum (OSBC) on medical students' academic achievement and career maturity within the context of medical education. An experimental design was employed, involving students from a medical school in China. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group with a traditional curriculum or an experimental group receiving an integrated PBL and OSBC curriculum focused on cardiovascular system diseases. The intervention spanned four weeks. The results indicate that the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher academic achievement immediately after the intervention compared to the control group. This improvement persisted in a follow-up test conducted one month later. Career maturity also improved in the experimental group, albeit with a less sustained effect. The study underscores the potential of integrated teaching strategies in medical education for enhancing critical thinking and practical skills. However, long-term improvements in career maturity may necessitate further refinement of teaching methods. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on effective medical education strategies and emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach to prepare students for academic excellence and clinical competence. Future research with larger sample sizes and consideration of additional influencing factors is recommended to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of medical education.

Latent profile analysis on the effectiveness of tutor performance: Influence on medical students' engagement in blended problem-based learning.

Tutor performance is a critical factor for the success of a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. This study investigated medical students' perceptions of the effectiveness of tutor performance and the relationships with learning engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement) in the blended PBL approach. This study employed a cross-sectional survey and data were collected from 238 first-year and second-year medical students. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to investigate how individual students' perceptions of tutor performance can be clustered. Follow-up multiple one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to examine the relationships with students' learning engagement in PBL activities. The effectiveness of tutor performance perceived by students was classified into lowly, moderately, and highly effective tutors. These clustering profiles were significantly related to the different types of learning engagement in the blended PBL process. Hence, this study highlights that the tutor is one of the key aspects of assessing the implementation of blended PBL since student performance is positively associated with the perception of tutor effectiveness.

The Use of Problem-Based Learning Curriculum to Increase Medical Student Exposure to Radiation Oncology

In recent years, there has been a decline in the number of radiation oncology residency applicants. New techniques to recruit students to the field are necessary. Early exposure to oncology care in pre-clinical years may translate to increased student interest in oncology-related fields and improved understanding of oncologic treatment modalities. We propose that a cancer-specific problem-based learning (PBL) case will increase exposure to oncology during pre-clinical years. A PBL case regarding pancreatic cancer was created by a radiation oncology resident/faculty member and the gastrointestinal course director for first-year medical students (n = 140) at a single institution. The one-hour small group case focused on oncologic work up, multi-disciplinary care and radiotherapy concepts. Students were provided with a case prompt and resources to review prior to the PBL session. Volunteer radiation oncology facilitators then guided students through the case to achieve desired learning objectives. Following the PBL, students completed an optional nine-question survey regarding their experience. A total of 76 (54%) medical students completed the post-PBL survey. The majority (89%) of students reported that the case motivated them to learn more about oncology, and almost all (99%) noted improved understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care. 75 (99%) students reported increased understanding of how radiotherapy is delivered. 62 (82%) students reported increased motivation to learn about radiation oncology. 38 (50%) students reported that they plan to participate in an elective in oncology. 36 (47%) reported that they are considering pursuing an oncologic field. There was an increase in the number of subscribers to the Oncology Interest Group (43% increase from previous year) and positive feedback was noted from free-text responses from participants. Integrating a cancer-specific PBL case facilitated by radiation oncology educators into the pre-clinical curriculum is an effective avenue to introduce oncology concepts and stimulate interest in oncology amongst first-year medical students.

The Role of Problem-Based Learning in Preparing Medical Students to Work As Community Service-Oriented Primary Care Physicians: A Systematic Literature Review.

The number of primary care physicians in the United States is dwindling rapidly, and osteopathic medical schools are embracing the challenge of leading students toward a career in primary care to meet this need. In recent years, the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum in medical education has emerged as a patient-centered, social-justice-focused methodology. The unique format of PBL centered around patient cases allows learning through community-based medicine, promoting medical graduates' entry into primary care. Through exploring the literature on this topic, the research question posed for this review is as follows: How have the skills gained in PBL been effectively preparing medical students to become community service-oriented primary care physicians, and how can we qualitatively and quantitatively assess a learner's preparedness to engage in primary care work? The variables studied were board licensing examination scores, clinical competence, and interpersonal skills, all of which emerged as common ways to assess learners' preparedness to work in primary care. The methodology of this literature review was organized using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flowchart to describe how articles were selected and synthesized to evaluate the variables. The results revealed the variables to be consistent strengths of PBL students, particularly clinical competence, and interpersonal skills, both of which are key in working in primary care and any clinical specialty. Since early in its implementation, literature has demonstrated the tendencies of PBL students to be interested in and later work in primary care, though little follow-up has been done recently. The question of why this phenomenon exists was largely answered by our literature review. In conclusion, through our analysis of the existing literature, the authors demonstrated that the PBL curriculum helps foster students' desire to serve patients. Limitations of the literature included small sample sizes, heterogeneous analysis methods, limited inclusion of qualitative assessment of student progress, and limited existing data on the prevalence of PBL in medical schools, as well as the entrance of PBL graduates into primary care careers.

Introducing Life-long Learning Skills in a Patient Presentation Problem-Based Curriculum: The Case for Librarian Integration.

Medical students must learn how to find, critically appraise, and apply high-quality information to support their clinical decisions. To reinforce these skills, the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine embedded medical librarians into a longitudinal case-based, problem-based learning curriculum, where they provide individualized feedback on student's skills in this area.

Transferring effective learning strategies across learning contexts matters: A study in problem-based learning

Learning strategies are important catalysts of students’ learning. Research has shown that students with effective learning strategies are more likely to have better academic achievement. This study aimed to investigate students’ adoption of learning strategies in different course implementations, the transfer of learning strategies between courses and relationship to performance. We took advantage of recent advances in learning analytics methods, namely sequence and process mining as well as statistical methods and visualisations to study how students regulate their online learning through learning strategies. The study included 81,739 log traces of students’ learning related activities from two different problem-based learning medical courses. The results revealed that students who applied deep learning strategies were more likely to score high grades, and students who applied surface learning strategies were more likely to score lower grades in either course. More importantly, students who were able to transfer deep learning strategies or continue to use effective strategies between courses obtained higher scores, and were less likely to adopt surface strategies in the subsequent course. These results highlight the need for supporting the development of effective learning strategies in problem-based learning curricula so that students adopt and transfer effective strategies as they advance through the programme. Implications for practice or policy: Teachers need to help students develop and transfer deep learning as they are directly related to success. Students who continue to use light strategies are more at risk of low achievement and need to be supported. Technology-supported problem-based learning requires more active scaffolding and teachers’ support beyond “guide on the side” as in face-to-face.

Evaluation of the Road to Birth Software to Support Obstetric Problem-Based Learning Education with a Cohort of Pre-Clinical Medical Students

Integration of technology within problem-based learning curricula is expanding; however, information regarding student experiences and attitudes about the integration of such technologies is limited. This study aimed to evaluate pre-clinical medical student perceptions and use patterns of the “Road to Birth” (RtB) software, a novel program designed to support human maternal anatomy and physiology education. Second-year medical students at a large midwestern American university participated in a prospective, mixed-methods study. The RtB software is available as a mobile smartphone/tablet application and in immersive virtual reality. The program was integrated into problem-based learning activities across a three-week obstetrics teaching period. Student visuospatial ability, weekly program usage, weekly user satisfaction, and end-of-course focus group interview data were obtained. Survey data were analyzed and summarized using descriptive statistics. Focus group interview data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Of the eligible students, 66% (19/29) consented to participate in the study with 4 students contributing to the focus group interview. Students reported incremental knowledge increases on weekly surveys (69.2% week one, 71.4% week two, and 78.6% week three). Qualitative results indicated the RtB software was perceived as a useful educational resource; however, its interactive nature could have been further optimized. Students reported increased use of portable devices over time and preferred convenient options when using technology incorporated into the curriculum. This study identifies opportunities to better integrate technology into problem-based learning practices in medical education. Further empirical research is warranted with larger and more diverse student samples.

Co‐designing teacher support technology for problem‐based learning in middle school science

AbstractThis paper provides an experience report on a co‐design approach with teachers to co‐create learning analytics‐based technology to support problem‐based learning in middle school science classrooms. We have mapped out a workflow for such applications and developed design narratives to investigate the implementation, modifications and temporal roles of the participants in the design process. Our results provide precedent knowledge on co‐designing with experienced and novice teachers and co‐constructing actionable insight that can help teachers engage more effectively with their students' learning and problem‐solving processes during classroom PBL implementations. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Success of educational technology depends in large part on the technology's alignment with teachers' goals for their students, teaching strategies and classroom context. Teacher and researcher co‐design of educational technology and supporting curricula has proven to be an effective way for integrating teacher insight and supporting their implementation needs. Co‐designing learning analytics and support technologies with teachers is difficult due to differences in design and development goals, workplace norms, and AI‐literacy and learning analytics background of teachers. What this paper adds We provide a co‐design workflow for middle school teachers that centres on co‐designing and developing actionable insights to support problem‐based learning (PBL) by systematic development of responsive teaching practices using AI‐generated learning analytics. We adapt established human‐computer interaction (HCI) methods to tackle the complex task of classroom PBL implementation, working with experienced and novice teachers to create a learning analytics dashboard for a PBL curriculum. We demonstrate researcher and teacher roles and needs in ensuring co‐design collaboration and the co‐construction of actionable insight to support middle school PBL. Implications for practice and/or policy Learning analytics researchers will be able to use the workflow as a tool to support their PBL co‐design processes. Learning analytics researchers will be able to apply adapted HCI methods for effective co‐design processes. Co‐design teams will be able to pre‐emptively prepare for the difficulties and needs of teachers when integrating middle school teacher feedback during the co‐design process in support of PBL technologies.

Design of a Learning Development Program to Support First-Year Undergraduate Medical Students in the Transition to a PBL Curriculum.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01790-3.

Using online flipped classroom in problem-based learning medical curriculum: A mixed method study

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the education system, including problem-based learning (PBL), which is the main curriculum model in medical education. Social interaction and acquisition of knowledge and skills are one of the challenges in online learning during a pandemic. This study evaluated the use of the flipped classroom in the PBL curriculum of medical education. This study used mixed-methods design with a concurrent approach. The data collection technique was secondary data collection in the form of data from the block learning evaluation form. The evaluation form contains statements regarding the quality of the learning process, in the form of Likert scales. At the end of the form, there was a fill-in/essay question for more in-depth exploration. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive univariate analysis, meanwhile, the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis techniques. Unbalanced learning load on the block, block learning management, and knowledge retention in block learning were considered lacking in flipped classroom block implementation. The management of time delays, a stage for students to be ready, a step to lessen psychological stress, and the use of media to generate different learning experiences are particular areas that need improvement.

Exploring problem-based learning curricula in the metaverse: The hospitality students' perspective

As the metaverse has been introduced into the education sector, higher education institutions have further promoted metaverse platforms for implementing problem-based learning (PBL) to enhance students' competencies. This research explored hospitality students’ experiences of a PBL curriculum using grounded theory to understand the educational effect of PBL in the metaverse. The findings indicated that while participants were fascinated by the fact that the metaverse platform had novel features and functions with the creation of virtual space, they faced difficulties in using it due to linguistic and technical limitations in class. However, the participants actively participated in collaboration with the group members as their willingness to adhere to the lessons grew. Therefore, the core category was derived as “enhancing learning effectiveness through active participation in changing educational environments.” Based on the research results, this study provides theoretical and practical foundations to create innovative and effective PBL educational environments in the field of hospitality education.

Video Didactic Preparation Augments Problem-Based Learning for First Year Medical Students.

Problem-based learning (PBL) utilizes a self-directed strategy. This process relies on group participation to succeed. Students without a background in biology or medicine can feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the subject matter and unable to participate in the group learning process. We incorporated curated educational videos in the PBL curriculum to help address this situation. First year medical students participated in this study in the form of a typical PBL session. They were then assessed on basic and clinical science knowledge and their learning experience. Student basic science and clinical knowledge were similar between the student groups. However, the students given a list of suggested videos scored higher in their learning experience, perception of feeling prepared, and participating in the group PBL experience than students who were not given the video list. Results from this study indicate that videos can be utilized to enhance the PBL process.