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Part I: Essential Readings
A Must read: Article by Kristi Arndt
If you have no time to read anything else, read this article Kristi Arndt has written a brief article on PBL summarizing the outcome literature and framing the procedure within the context of student-centered, life-long learning. She stresses two essential variables that affect the success of a PBL curriculum: tutors understanding of the educational theories underlying PBL and the alignment of PBL with the exam. This article is available from the EDO
Kristi L. Arndt Creating a culture of co-learners with problem-based learning. Teaching Excellence, 14(5), 2002-2003. This article is available at the EDO.
What is problem-based learning? A helpful answer by authors Donner and Bickley
PBL is a truly international phenomenon, represented by universities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Hundreds of papers have been written from these different settings representing different versions of PBL. Authors Donner and Bickley provide a brief overview of PBL from the North American perspective including major features, advantages, and limitations. This article was originally written in 1993 but it was selected, as a classic in the field, to be reproduced in a recent “Handbook on Problem-Based Learning” in 1999.
Donner, Robert S. & Bickley, Harmon (1999). Problem-based learning in American medical education: An overview. In J. Ranklin (Ed.) Problem-based learning in American medical education --an overview, New York, NY: Forbes Custom Publishing, pp. 11-18. This article is available at the EDO.
Is PBL a special challenge for basic scientists?
Clinical teaching and graduate education in science have traditionally focused on problems. Undergraduate basic science, however, has traditionally been dominated by explanation and by organization of a body of knowledge. Therefore, moving to PBL may be more of a stretch for basic scientists than for clinical faculty. Dr. Charles Eldridge explains what it’s really like for basic science faculty to tutor in a one-page article. This article is available at the EDO
Websites about PBL programs from other universities.
If you would like to take a peek at PBL programs at other universities, here are some websites:University of Delaware Problem-Based-Learning at http://www.udel.edu/pbl/
Checklist for PBL Tutors at UMSM
- Here is our checklist for PBL tutoring. There are scores of these checklists in existence. Virtually every institution that uses PBL has their own because it needs to be tailored to the version of PBL accepted by the faculty.
Where does PBL fit into the UMSM curriculum?
- At UMSM Problem-Based Learning is part of student-centered teaching in the Transition Block. New tutors are offered a lecture that describes the place of PBL within the student-centered program. The Powerpoint presentation for this lecture is available here.
Part II: Further Readings
Does PBL “cover the curriculum” and is it efficient?
Two of the most common criticisms of PBL is that it fails to cover the curriculum and that it is an inefficient method of teaching. Howard Barrows answers these questions in this brief article. :This article is available from the EDO
Barrows, H. S. (1994). Two common concerns of medical teachers. Springfield, Ill: Southern Illinois University, pp. 83-86, 131-134.
What are the implications of learning theory for PBL?
Tutors who do not understand the educational principles underlying PBL run the risk of rigid adherence to a particular format. Despite the wide variation in PBL methods across the world most of them conform to sound educational principles. In the following article Tiberius attempts to describe the principles underlying PBL. This article is available from the EDO
Tiberius, R. G. (2002). Problem-based learning. In Gilespie, K. H., Hilsen, L. R., & Wadsworth, E. C. (Eds.) A guide to faculty development: Practical advice, examples and resources. Bolton, MA: Anker, pp. 180-192.
What are the implications of the literature on student learning for PBL?
Geoff Norman and Henk Schmidt reviewed the experimental evidence on differences in student learning attributable to PBL in 1992. This article is still valuable today. This article is available from the EDO
Norman, G. R. & Schmidt, H. G. (1992). The psychological basis of problem-based learning: A review of the evidence. Academic Medicine, 67(9), 557-565.
The ABCs of Problem-based learning
Since January of 2003 the British Medical Journal has included an article in each issue on the ABC of learning and teaching in medicine. The February, 2003 issue of this series was on problem-based learning. It is an excellent summary. This article is available from the EDO
Wood, D. F. (2003). Problem based learning. British Medical Journal, 326, 328-330.
Other sources
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