Objective To evaluate the effect and significance of PBL in clinical skills experiment teaching center (CSETC). Methods A total of 60 undergraduates in major of clinical medicine were divided into two groups according to their student ID. The control group (n=30) was set in an ordinary small classroom, while the experimental group (n=30) was in CSETC for fully using the teaching resources there. Both groups were taught with PBL method by same teachers, and the integrated final examination and questionnaire were adopted to evaluate the teaching effect. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results All 8 participated teachers believed that carrying out PBL in CSETC could promote teachers’ professional development, alleviate the shortage of teachers and classroom, increase the utilization ratio of CSETC, and improve the teaching quality. The results of survey on students showed that, compared with the control group, information management ability and clinical skills of students were improved obviously (Plt;0.01). Although there was no difference in total score of final exam, the experimental group was markedly higher than the control group in the score of clinical skill subject (Plt;0.01). Conclusion Carrying out PBL in CSETC can improve teaching quality, and clinical skills and information management ability of students. It is helpful to alleviate the shortage of teachers and classroom, and promote the teaching standards of CSETC.
Objective To systematically review the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) versus lecture-based learning (LBL) teaching models on students in surgery education in China. Methods Such databases as CNKI, WanFang Data and PubMed were electronically searched for literature on PBL versus LBL applied in surgery education in China up to June 30th, 2013. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of included studies. Then meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2 software. Results Sixteen studies were included totally, all of which were low in quality. Compared with LBL, PBL was superior in surgery comprehensive scores (WMD=4.98, 95%CI 3.88 to 6.09, Plt;0.000 01), fundamental theoretical knowledge (WMD=3.09, 95%CI 0.81 to 5.38, P=0.008), clinical manipulation skills (WMD=4.70, 95%CI 2.69 to 6.71, Plt;0.000 01), and practical ability (WMD=2.13, 95%CI 1.11 to 3.15, Plt;0.000 1) with significant differences. Conclusion PBL teaching method is superior to LBL in surgery education.
Objective To assess the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) versus traditional methods in nursing students. Methods Computer retrieval was conducted to search for controlled studies comparing PBL and traditional methods. The quality of included studies was critically evaluated and data were analyzed by using The Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 5.0 software. Results A tota1 of 321 articles were retrieved, but only l1 were included. Metaanalyses showed that there was no significant difference between PBL and traditional methods in the objective knowledge of nursing students (SMD 0.12, 95%CI -0.32 to 0.56, P=0.6gt;0.05); but PBL was superior to traditional methods in the training of critical thinking (WMD 11.52, 95%CI 6.29 to 16.74), conflict resolution skills (WMD 8.09, 95%CI 5.02 to 11.16), clinical problem-solving skills (WMD 0.43, 95%CI 0.22 to 0.64), and communication skills (WMD 1.56, 95%CI 0.17 to 2.95). Although no significant difference was identified in the training of clinical decision-making skills, collaborative skills, and self-directed learning skills, PBL tended to be superior to traditional methods. Conclusion PBL tends are associated with better learning results among nursing students compared with traditional methods. However, most trials included in the review were of low quality, so large-scale randomized controlled trials of higher quality are needed to confirm this.
Objective To explore the short term and long term effectiveness of the problem-based learning (PBL) in clinical skill training. Methods A total of 162 clinical medicine undergraduates in Grade 2003 (7-years study) and 2004 (5-year study) who were supposed to intern in the internal medicine departments were randomly divided into the PBL group (n=75) and the control group with traditional training (n=87) for having their clinical skills training. Then t test was applied to compare the two groups about the scores of intern rotation examination and graduate OSCE as well. Results About the baseline: the students in the two groups got similar scores in their internal medicine exam before clinical intern rotation (84.04±7.40 vs. 82.63±8.77, P=0.287). About the short term effectiveness: compared to the control group, the students in the PBL group got higher subjective evaluation from their supervised clinicians (P=0.006). In writing examination, the students of those two group got similar scores in knowledge part (54.17±9.26 vs. 51.67±9.56, P=0.92), while the PBL group won in case reasoning question (20.39±5.27 vs. 16.51±4.90, Plt;0.001). About the long term effectiveness: in the graduate OSCE, the two groups got similar scores in skills operation such as punctures and lab results analyses (P=0.567 and P=0.741), while the students in the PBL group had better performance at the case reasoning and standard patients treating (75.59±9.85 vs. 71.11±12.01, P=0.027). Conclusion With the great short term and long term effectiveness, the PBL applied in the clinical skill training improves the students’ ability of both synthesized analyses and the integrated clinical skills such as clinical thinking and interpersonal communication, but doesn’t aim at the basic knowledge and operation skills.
Objective To study the effect of PBL teaching method which was applied in the clinical practice of diabetes nursing, and to analyze its advantages and shortages. Methods Seventy-seven undergraduates in major of nursing were randomly grouped into two: one as an experimental group was taught with PBL teaching method, while the other as a control group was taught with traditional teaching method. The questionnaire and final examination were adopted to analyze the teaching effect. Results The effect of PBL teaching method was better in the experimental group for stimulating learning motivation, helping students to closely combine the theory and practice, and promoting communication ability. However, there was no statistical difference in final examination between the two groups (Pgt;0.05). Conclusion PBL teaching method is much better than traditional teaching method in clinical nursing practice of internal medicine, for it can guide students to get the approaches for solving problems and cultivate their integrated diathesis and other abilities.
Objective To assess the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) to improve clinical practice skills for clinical students after graduation. Methods Computer retrieval was conducted to search for controlled studies comparing PBL with non-PBL. The quality of the included studies was critically evaluated and data were analyzed. Results A total of 16 articles were included. The results showed that in integrated capabilities, PBL teaching was superior to traditional teaching methods. Whether in self-evaluation or objective evaluation, in terms of legal and ethical aspects of health care, research and presentation skills and ability to solve problem, PBL teaching was superior to non-PBL-learning methods. But in other aspects, it was yet controversial whether PBL-learning was better than non-PBL-learning. Conclusion Problem-based learning could improve clinical practice skills for clinical students after graduation. However, most trials included are of low quality, so large-scale randomized controlled trials of higher quality are needed to confirm this.
Objective To assess the affect of problem-based learning (PBL) versus literature based learning(LBL) in clinical medicine students. Methods Computer retrieval was conducted to search for controlled studies comparing PBL with LBL. The quality of included studies was critically evaluated and data was analyzed by using The Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 5.0 software. Results Finally 11 articles were included in the review, but most of them were of low quality.There are clinical heterogeneity between different studis which cause descriptive results. The PBL tended to be superior to LBL in the analysis-skill, self-directed learning skill, data-searching skill, and original skill.Conclusion PBL tends to be associated with better learning results among clinical medicine students compared withLBL methods. We need large-scale, randomized controlled trials of higher quality to confirm this.
The evaluation of student performance is an important but difficult part of the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL). This article introduces the background to the reform of evaluation in PBL, analyzes the principles of such evaluation, and gives a critical review of the methods applied in the reform of student evaluation in PBL, so as to help medical schools adopt practical and efficient evaluation methods.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility and significance of problem-based learning (PBL) in orthopedic internship. Methods A total of 315 students in grade 2002 were involved in PBL during their internship in the Department of Orthopedics at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China. Teaching effectiveness was evaluated with a questionnaire and an ability examination. The results of PBL teaching during different semesters were compared, and the feasibil ity and significance of PBL were analyzed. Results Students who participated in PBL were in a dominant position and were more active in the learning process. The PBL pattern could improve students’ ability to identify, analyze and solve problems, and also contribute to fostering and enhancing their clinical thinking. This could help them solve the problems that emerged from the theory curriculum.Conclusions The PBL pattern used in the orthopedics internship has advantages and practical significance, which are applicable in modern medical teaching practice.
To cultivated competent clinicians with the potential to be future pillars and leaders is the educational objective of an 8-year medical program at the West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University. Problem-based learning (PBL) is more effective than traditional, passive, didactic teaching in training of communication skills, information management and critical thinking and research. These are included in the Global Minimum Essential Requirements in Medical Education (GMER). We introduce our practice of PBL as a separate course for the 8-year medical program, including its design, preparation, implementation and evaluation. We discuss why it is designed as a separate course and implemented in multiple semesters with fewer cases in each semester. The move from giving a fish to people to teaching people how to fish, and from teacher-centered to student-centered teaching is a radical transformation of educational concepts and the traditional teaching-and-learning model. Such a change cannot happen in a single step and we hope that this model PBL course, focusing on training in methods and skills, will facilitate the concept transformation and the involvement of all our teachers and students. This should help our teaching to evolve continuously, develop a system for evaluating PBL and lead to the gradual incorporation of PBL into our discipline-based courses or organ system-based courses.