Problem based learning

Abstract

The Problem Based Learning – PBL is a teaching technique that makes use of problems (which can be clinical cases, epidemiological problems, ethic dilemmas etc) to be discussed in a relatively small group of students. It has been applied to many university centres since the 1960’s, and two centres are reference around the world: the McMaster (Canada) and Maastricht (Nederlands) universities. In these groups, so called tutorial groups, everyone gives his contribution and, at the end, the study objectives are delimited. Afterwards, outside the tutorial group, the objectives are studied by the utilisation of the resources available (library, specialist consulting, Internet) and discussed again in another tutorial group. Curriculum based on this teaching technique are commonly structured in modules rather than traditional disciplines, besides counting on free time in the curricular grade so that the student can learn. Despite the advantages over the traditional methods as, for example, making the student more independent in
search for knowledge, allowing a better discipline integration and implying a constant actualisation of the teachers, apparently the students graduated by this method have not shown any advantages over students graduated by the traditional method concerning the tests and contests taken immediately after the medical course, but some studies suggest a better knowledge retention after one year.