Problem Based Learning

Transitions of care pose significant risks for patients with complex medical histories. There are few experiential medical education curricula targeting this important aspect of care. We designed and tested an internal medicine transitions of care experience integrated into interns' ambulatory curriculum. The program included 1-hour group didactics, a posthospitalization discharge visit in pairs with a home care nurse (cohort 1: 2011-2012; cohort 2: 2012-2013), and a half-day small-group visit to a skilled nursing facility led by a faculty member in geriatrics (cohort 2 only). Both visits had structured debriefings by faculty in geriatrics. For cohort 1, a quantitative follow-up survey was administered 18 to 20 months after the experience. For cohort 2, reflections were analyzed. Thirty-three of 42 second-year residents (79%) in cohort 1 who participated in didactics and a home visit completed the survey. Seventy-six percent (25 of 33) reported increased knowledge of interprofes...

Growing up in an era of video games and Web-based applications has primed current medical students to expect rapid, interactive feedback. To address this need, the A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (Mesa) has developed and integrated a variety of approaches using technology-enhanced active learning for medical education (TEAL-MEd) into its curriculum. Over the course of 3 years (2010-2013), the authors facilitated more than 80 implementations of games and virtual patient simulations into the education of 550 osteopathic medical students. The authors report on 4 key aspects of the TEAL-MEd initiative, including purpose, portfolio of tools, progress to date regarding challenges and solutions, and future directions. Lessons learned may be of benefit to medical educators at academic and clinical training sites who wish to implement TEAL-MEd activities.

To explore ways in which student learning during formal ward rounds can be enhanced. Qualitative study of University of Otago medical students (Dunedin, New Zealand) involving observation of surgical teams during formal ward rounds, and indepth interviews with students and consultant surgeons. Teaching and learning opportunities on ward rounds were often missed by both clinical teachers and students as service provision and patient care took precedence. As a result, students often felt excluded and frequently expressed ambivalence about the educational value of formal whole team ward rounds. Students were more likely to consider themselves part of the team when they felt useful and were included in team discussions about patient care. They reported that they learned more effectively on smaller, more educationally focussed ward rounds that incorporated bedside tutorials and opportunities to practice examination skills. Students and clinical teachers know that students need to make th...

Transfer of knowledge from the basic biopsychosocial sciences to patient care is a major task for dental students during their education. Computer-based interactive patient simulations can help students affect this transfer because simulations allow students to develop and practice problem solving and decision-making skills interactively within the context of patient problems. A program for authoring computer-based interactive simulations is described. Patient simulations can effectively integrate basic science relevance, preparation for clinical problem solving, teaching new clinical content and several other necessary elements into curriculum infrastructure. Case simulations also can contribute to evolving educational standards set out by accrediting bodies.

The paper discusses design and development issues of an online program for enhancing management skills of Early Years Childcare practitioners. The program is developed in the frames of the EEEYMS* project by partners from UK, Bulgaria, Finland, and the Netherlands. The purpose is to design an ICT-based flexible learning solution for problem-based learning. The content is organized in nine modules.

This paper describes the use of problem-based Learning (PBL) in the delivery of a level 3 unit: Design and Implementation of VLSI Systems. A “hybrid ” approach has been taken with lectures being interleaved with floating facilitator, PBL sessions. A series of four problems were presented during the course of the unit, each problem

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the design of template for the design of an immersive virtual learning environment that includes collaborative learning virtual worlds as problem-solving scenarios that engage students in virtual explorations of worlds. The problem-based learning 3d model incorporates a curriculum design model that includes a real-world issue that correlates to the virtual scenarios or games. This virtual PBL design model also includes a learning assessment process that utilizes sociocultural learning theories to develop an ongoing feedback model for assessment of learning in a 3d problem-based learning environment. This problem-based learning model combines the benefits of games, such as high-levels of learner engagement, real-life simulations, with research on cognition and instructional design to create a design model that can be modified to develop advanced knowledge, skills and concepts in multiple educational settings.

Simulation represents a true paradigm shift in teaching and learning that has revolutionized healthcare education. However, few continuing education opportunities for anesthesia providers exist using simulation of any type. This article explores the usefulness of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) as a valuable tool for continuing education and reports the results of a needs assessment conducted among 22 practicing nurse anesthetists. The questions related to their exposure to HFS and asked them to rank their experience with 11 anesthesia events. Next, respondents were asked to rank a similar list of anesthesia events that would be useful for continuing education using simulation. Of participants, 71% ranked advanced cardiac life support scenarios, anesthesia machine mishaps, and malignant hyperthermia as highly effective choices for using HFS. Eighty-one percent of participants identified that they envision simulation as a valuable tool to assess competency, but respondents had mixed w...

International outreach by schools and colleges of pharmacy is increasing. In this paper, we provide current practice guidelines to establish and maintain successful global/international advanced pharmacy practice experiences (G/I APPEs) with specific recommendations for home/host country and host site/institution. The paper is based on a literature review (2000-2014) in databases and Internet searches with specific keywords or terms. Educational documents such as syllabi and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) from pharmacy programs were also examined. In addition, a preliminary draft was developed and the findings and recommendations were reviewed in a 90-minute roundtable discussion at the 2014 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting. Recommendations for the host country include travel considerations (eg, passport, visa, air travel), safety, housing, transportation, travel alerts and warnings, health issues, and financial considerations. For the home country, con...

Rolf Nordahl Medialogy, Aalborg University Copenhagen Lautrupvang 15 2750 Ballerup, DK rn@media.aau.dk ... Stefania Serafin Medialogy, Aalborg University Copenhagen Lautrupvang 15 2750 Ballerup, DK sts@media.aau.dk ... ABSTRACT In this paper we advocate the ...

The purpose of this article is to empower those interested in teaching students powerful and engaging social studies. Through the lens of Supreme Court simulations, this article provides educators with a viable, classroom-tested lesson plan to bring Problem-Based Learning into their classrooms. The specific aim of the lesson is to provide students with an opportunity to engage in relevant and powerful civics education.

The present study aimed at providing an overview of the most common themes of research into medical education. Changes in frequency of occurrence of these themes over time and differences between US and European journals were studied. The most productive institutions and researchers in the field were examined. A content analysis was carried out on 10,168 abstracts extracted from the six most influential journals in medical education published since 1988. Twenty-nine major themes were identified, of which student assessment, clinical and communication skills, clinical clerkships, and problem-based learning were the most prominent ones. Some of these themes, such as multiple-choice examinations or computer-assisted instruction seemed to have had their day, whereas other topics, such as the study of clinical clerkships, clinical reasoning, and scholarship in education were on their way up. Medical education research turned out to be a thoroughly international affair to which both US and European research centers contribute. The medical education literature shows an overwhelming emphasis on the preparation of medical students for professional practice. Moreover, the emphasis is very much on the individual student; most research seems to have been conducted with a psychological perspective in mind. It is argued that medical education research would profit from broadening its scope, including sociological, economical, ecological, and system perspectives. These perspectives might bring answers to new questions relevant to the quality of medical education. It is suggested that medical education is in need of moving beyond the conventional effectiveness-driven research approach to a more theory- and discovery-driven approach.

Complex learning aims at the integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes; the coordination of qualitatively different constituent skills; and the transfer of what is learned to daily life or work settings. Recent instructional theories stress authentic learning tasks as the driving force for learning; but due to the complexity of those tasks, learning may be hampered by the limited processing capacity of the human mind. In this article we present a framework for scaffolding practice and just-in-time information presentation, aiming to control cognitive ...

Este texto traz o relato de uma experiência com metodologia de projetos, mais especificamente com um modelo de simulação das Nações Unidas (ONU), desenvolvido no contexto escolar com alunos do Ensino Médio, em uma escola particular na cidade de Manaus/AM. Neste sentido, refletiremos sobre o papel do professor na formação do estudante, tendo como perspectiva a autonomia intelectual, de modo que o aluno possa refletir sobre suas ações, compreendendo os princípios gerais da sociedade em que vivemos e do mundo globalizado, unindo formação intelectual ao processo de apropriação contínua de saberes e práticas.

This paper brings some results of the tracking of a project held in the training teacher course of Ethics, Values and Citizenship at School sponsored by USP, in which PBL is used as teaching and learning collaborative approach. The project concerned the exploration of the use of school assemblies as an approach for conflict resolution in a public basic school in São Paulo, performed by a group of students, as a research activity in 2011. The aim of this article is to explore common elements among PBL, collaborative work, and school assembly as learning approaches and as strategies of support to the research in education. The group of students was asked to respond a reflective memorial (written record) about four school assemblies they accompanied and analyzed. The results were positive and also indicate possibilities of integration of teaching practice, teaching instruction and academic research in teacher education.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is gradually becoming popular in medical schools in Asian countries. It is an integrated, student-centered educational approach, which uses problems (triggers) as the key units for stimulating and structuring relevant student learning. Such learning is largely dependent on the quality of the problems and the areas tested in PBL. Aligning PBL activities with subsequent student assessment often proves to be difficult, because it is different from the assessment conducted in the traditional curriculum. A study was conducted to analyze the PBL problems and examination questions used in the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to examine the demographic characteristics of the people featured and the level of acuity of case scenarios presented.