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There are several
models of how PBL works in the classroom. All of them agree that in a
PBL curriculum,
- students work through a series of problems designed to:
- be authentic (i.e. address real-world concerns)
- target defined areas of the curriculum
- be "ill-structured"
- they must be defined and analyzed through inquiry from a minimum
of presenting information
- approximate
the real world, so that students find
themselves actually engaged in the problem and not just observers
of it;
- the role of the instructor changes from a "sage on the stage"
to a "guide on the side";
- students work collaboratively in small groups toward the problem's
resolution.
Barrows proposes the
following model of the PBL process in How to Design a Problem-based
Curriculum for the Preclinical Years, 1985.
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Process
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Purpose
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| Students
read and address problem, without background preparation. |
*Teaches students
to encode and organize information in useful ways.
*Allows students to find what they know and what they donšt know.
Misconceptions can be corrected in discussion of the problem.
*Mimics the real life context they will face as doctors.
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Students discuss
and analyze problem using prior knowledge and resources available.
Tutor poses
questions: ie. Do you need more information? Are you sure of the
facts or will a review be helpful? Do you think more information
on this area would be helpful?
Tutors encourage
hypotheses are grounded in science.
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*Development
of cognitive skills for problem-solving process
*Development
of self-monitoring skills to identify the learning needs
*Development
of habitual student-initiated questioning
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Students decide what they need to know and where they might best find
the information. They decide which resources to use (people, published
papers, etc.). |
*Self-directed
study |
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Students revisit
problem with new information and knowledge acquired during self-study.
Students critique
learning resources used.
Group decides
appropriate hypotheses and critiques prior performance.
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*New
organization of information to problem-solve.
*Self-assessment
*Peer-assessment
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| Students
should think about how what they learned has added to their understanding
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*Reflection
*Self-assessment
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Another variation
of inclass activity follows on the next page.
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