Abstract
Problem-based learning (PBL), an instructional methodology developed by Howard Barrows at McMaster University 50 years ago, has changed the landscape of medical education. Learners once relegated to long hours in lecture halls now find themselves researching learning issues during periods of self-study or discussing patient cases with fellow students in small group settings. Teacher-centered, passive learning has been supplanted in many medical schools by student-centered, active learning. PBL has expanded beyond medical education, into other health science-related settings, and into other disciplines such as engineering and business. This chapter is designed to achieve two objectives: the first, to help readers decide if PBL is a methodology to be used in their courses or curriculum, and second, once decided, to help prepare themselves for using PBL in reality, as it is very different from more passive learning activities.
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Azer, S. A. (2005). Challenges facing PBL tutors: 12 tips for successful group facilitation. Medical Teacher, 27(8), 676–681.
Barrows, H. S. (1998). The tutorial process. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Press.
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Klamen, D., Suh, B., Tischkau, S. (2022). Problem-Based Learning. In: Huggett, K.N., Quesnelle, K.M., Jeffries, W.B. (eds) An Introduction to Medical Teaching. Innovation and Change in Professional Education, vol 20. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85524-6_9
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