Problem Based Learning at HYMS

A Guide
for Students
by Students

July 2007 Edition

Contents
1) Introduction: The PBL Induction Programme.pp.3-4
2) What is PBL and where did it come from? pp.5-12
PBL in context
PBL in a nutshell
Logistics: How PBL works
3) Whos Who in a PBL group pp.13-22
4) The seven steps of PBL at HYMS pp.22-24
5) PBL and the HYMS curriculum pp.35-38
6) PBL: A Critique. pp.39-46
Does PBL work and if so how?
Advantages of a PBL programme
Common problems with PBL
Pitfalls to be avoided
7) An introduction to group work. pp.47-52
8) Conclusion. pp.53-55
Top 10 tips for surviving PBL
Glossary of PBL terms
A resource list for further reading

Introduction
The HYMS PBL Induction Programme

Introduction
Students should be oriented to the philosophy
of problem based learning, the rationale for its
use and their role in a tutorial. Davis (2004)
The purpose of this booklet is to give to you an
overview of Problem Based Learning (PBL) at HYMS. As a guide written by students
for students our aim is to give to you the basic information needed to go in and do
PBL. In addition, we hope to provide an overview of the motivation behind a
Problem Based Learning curriculum, the objectives it is designed to achieve, how it
fits into the broader HYMS curriculum and an introduction to group work. It would
be helpful if you could read this booklet before the start of term and make sure you
have access to it in the first few weeks of your first term at HYMS.
Why to Read and How to use this Booklet
It is commonly held that the transition from conventional teacher
centred education to problem based learning can be difficult. We hope
that the information provided here will go some way to making that
transition smoother and less daunting. This booklet will be just one of
the resources of an Induction to PBL programme delivered by HYMS in your first
few weeks at medical school. We suggest that you keep it as a reference source and
that you enrich your understanding of PBL by taking some time to pursue the
referenced further reading included at the end.
It is strongly recommended that you read the induction material and attend the two
induction workshops at the start of term. As students with some experience of PBL
we can not emphasise enough how valuable it is to try and understand the reasoning
behind it and what results it is designed to achieve. A true understanding of PBL will
only come with time and by engaging in the process in class, yet knowledge of the
methods and objectives of a PBL course can significantly aid this understanding.
Considering the basis for PBL will give you a good foundation to work within its
structure and provide you with a suitable knowledge base to handle better any
problems you encounter with the process.
This pamphlet is designed as a workbook with areas
for you to fill in yourselves. Some of the instructions
may at first seem a little tenuous but they should
hopefully start you thinking about how to work
within and what to expect, from a problem based
learning curriculum. Thought questions are also
included throughout the document to give you
opportunity to reflect on what you have read and
consolidate your ideas. There is no reason why you
shouldnt work through this with your class mates or
indeed take it with you to the pub. The more
discussion you have about PBL the better.

An Introduction to PBL
What is it and where did it come from?

PBL in Context: Reforms in UK Medical Education

The past few decades have seen the beginning of substantial
reform in medical schools across the UK and abroad.
Problem based learning, a new educational method, has
been proposed as a potential solution to the accepted
limitations of conventional medical education and the
changing demands made on doctors in the modern world.

Key Educational Reforms Endorsed by the GMC

1- Reduce information overload. Stop students from learning
huge amounts of unnecessary scientific detail that will not assist
them in medial practice.
2- Innovate teaching practices by replacing traditional didactic
teaching methods with PBL.
3- Make undergraduate education a platform for life long learning.
Medical education should reflect the fact that doctors should be
able and prepared to continually build on and update their
knowledge in accordance with ongoing developments in the
field of medicine.
4- Improve students control over their learning- give them more
opportunity to be self directed, to locate what they need to
know and give them possession of their learning.
5- Improve doctors interpersonal skills- train students to be
empathic and relate better to their patients.

In short, it is believed that a medical curriculum using Problem Based Learning is

particularly successful in engendering in students the key skills required for the
practice of medicine. Before we consider what PBL is, take a few minutes to think
about what sorts of skills these may be and write some suggestions below.
123Perhaps you mentioned being able to understand and absorb scientific information,
or to be able to communicate well? Perhaps you thought that a problem solving
ability was important or the capacity to continually learn and take on board new
information and assimilate it with your existing stock of information? The range of
skills that a doctor needs is very broad, the possession of scientific knowledge being

only one aspect. Doctors must be able to make judgements when faced with
uncertainty, to develop the characteristics of a lifelong learner, to be able to work
both as part of a team and independently.
It was the recognition of the multifaceted nature of these skills and the inadequacies
of conventional medical education in efficiently attaining them that led to the
development and spread of PBL. The model itself comes from a few medical schools,
notably McMaster in Canada, where, more than 25 years ago, they questioned how
well traditional preclinical science courses equipped students to become doctors.
Information-dense lectures presented by a series of content experts to passive
student audiences seemed disconnected from the practice of medicine that required
integration of knowledge, decision making, working with others, and communicating
with patients. A new system was proposed which made the common problems that
people take to the doctor the prime focus of learning. The aim of this method or
Problem Based Learning was that the relevance of the course content would be
clear and its application to clinical practice more direct. Of the fifty medical courses
within the UK, approximately nine are now using some model of PBL. These include
both old and established and brand new medical schools.
Key Points

Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been introduced to UK

medical schools as part of a broader context of educational
reform.
PBL is designed to improve the efficiency of medical education
and to help students develop the wide range of skills needed to
practice medicine.
These skills include the ability to work as a team, make
judgements when faced with uncertainty and to develop the
characteristics of a lifelong learner.

Questions:
Where did PBL come from and why is it being used in UK Medical
Schools?

Overview PBL in a nutshell

Problem Based Learning: the most important development since the move of
professional training into educational institutions1 (Davis 2004)
Each week for the first two years within your PBL group you will study one or more
scenarios, usually a clinical problem and decide what information you need to
understand and possibly resolve the problem. Once you have identified the nature
of this information you draw up a set of learning objectives for the group and use the
next few days before the second meeting to undertake the learning required. At the
second meeting you bring the results of this private study back to the group for
further discussion. The days until the next meeting you use to pursue further any
learning difficulties located in the previous session.
The goals of these sessions are to use both the materials provided by HYMS and the
group as resources:
The materials (usually a scenario) should aid learning by:
1- Stimulating interest, thought and discussion.
2- Providing a realistic context for learning.
3- Activating, elaborating and restructuring existing knowledge.
The group is equally as valuable as a resource and should aid learning by:
1- Facilitating the sharing of knowledge.
2- Stimulating reflection.
3- Providing a pool of different skills of the group members to be drawn out and
utilised.

Problem Based Learning: A Closer Look

Having provided an overview of PBL we shall look now in more detail
at its most important features.

Defining PBL: An educational approach where the

problem comes first and learning is conducted in a context
The defining feature of PBL is that it reverses the traditional approach to teaching
and learning. The idea is that the starting point (rather than end point) for learning
should be a problem that the learner wishes to solve. The aim however is not
primarily to solve the problem, but rather to get students themselves to identify and
search for the knowledge that they need to obtain in order to approach the
problem.
For example
If you were presented with a case where a virtual patient has had a heart attack,
the idea would not be for you to work out how to treat the patient, but to see
what knowledge you would need to understand the condition. You may need to
know how the heart works, where it is and what it does. By looking at its normal
form and function and filling these gaps in your knowledge you are then in a
position to consider what could go wrong and what the outcome would be.

The reason this is different to normal school or university education is that usually
you are not presented with a problem until you have the knowledge to solve it.
Think for instance of questions at the end of chapters in text books. You read the
chapter and only then are provided with a set of questions which require you to
apply the knowledge gained from your reading. You know that what you need to
solve the questions is contained in the chapter and the test is to apply your
knowledge.
The problems or cases you encounter in PBL may not be resolved, but this is not
crucial to the process. Contrary to what you may expect it has been shown that the
methodology does not actually improve problem solving abilities. The function of
the cases is to enable students to realise the gaps in their knowledge and to
stimulate them to direct their learning towards filling these gaps. What matters is
that the learning has been encapsulated within the problem and a context has been
provided to draw out the required learning. The method follows the principle of
adult learning which proposes that learning works best when related to a task that
the learner considers to be important and relevant to their lives.
Questions:
Provide a definition of Problem Based Learning.
How does PBL differ from conventional school education?

Problem Based Learning at HYMS: The Guided Discovery

Model
Where the name Problem based learning has caused some
confusion and misunderstanding a further source has been the fact
that there is not one fixed model of PBL. It refers to a continuum
of teaching approaches based around this central idea of the
problem coming first rather than a set or immutable approach.
Amongst these models, two extremes of approach are called Open
Discovery and Guided Discovery.
In the Open Discovery model, the outcomes that the students derive from the cases
become the outcomes for the course as a whole and form the basis of the
assessments. In the Guided Discovery model, students are guided either by staff or
written material to the outcomes considered important by the staff.
HYMS has adopted the Guided Discovery as its model because it is most favoured
by current thinking on the subject. In addition it provides more assurance to both
staff and students that the correct outcomes are being identified and studied. As a
result there are clear outcomes expressed for the course as a whole and for each
block within the course. Your task when confronted by a new problem is to define
the learning outcomes required by that presentation which are part of the outcomes
prescribed for the block. Assessment is based on the block learning outcomes.
Illustration of the differences between Methods
The guided Discovery Model
You are presented with a case reporting on the uptake of breast cancer screening in
certain UK regions. Your PBL group may think that the incidence, aetiology and
pathology of breast cancer may be relevant to the weeks learning. Others in the
group may note that perhaps how the statistics are calculated, what screening is and
how it is rationed are relevant.
A way of mediating what learning the material is triggering is to look at the block
outcomes and ascertain whether either statistics or the breast are being studied in
this block. You may note that there is no mention of breast anatomy or pathology
but a few outcomes relating to basic medical statistics. You would thus set the latter
as a learning objective and defer investigation of the breast for a later date.
The Open Discovery Model
On an open discovery model there are no block learning outcomes written for you,
it is the students job to write these themselves as they progress through the
course. In this model students may thus decide on either statistics or investigation
of the breast as learning objectives after discussing their learning needs.
As you will hopefully see the process of learning is the same but the guided
discovery model offers a skeleton of guidance and structure that the students work
within. In the open discovery, the students decide on this skeleton themselves.
..

10

Key Points

Problem Based Learning is an educational method.

PBL has two defining features: The problem comes first and
learning is conducted in context.
The aim of the cases used in PBL is not to get students to solve the
problems they illustrate, but to get students themselves to identify
and search for the knowledge that they need to obtain in order
to approach the problem.
There are many strains of PBL. At HYMS you will be using the
Guided Discovery Model.

Questions
1-What is the purpose of the cases/ scenarios used in PBL?
2-How does the Guided Discovery Model differ from the Open
Discovery Model of PBL and which strain does HYMS use?
3-Explain how your PBL group and the materials provided by HYMS
can be used as resources.

Problem Based Learning is NOT:

Case based learning
Cases are used to start the process but the emphasis not on the specific case
but on the problems that students identify as they try to understand the
case.
Clinical-Problem solving
It may improve ability to solve clinical problems but emphasis should be on
the gaps students discover in their knowledge and skills and how these can
be remedied.
Being taught
The aim is to allow students to learn for themselves not be given formal
tuition. The facilitator facilitates discussion and learning rather than leading it.

11

Logistics: When and how does it all happen?

Hopefully by now you should have grasped the
theoretical fundamentals of PBL. The aim of this next
section is to draw you a clearer picture of how the theory translates into practice.
The roles of PBL players will be described, the weekly PBL cycle outlined and the
seven steps of the PBL process explained.
Your PBL Group

PBL involves teaching in small groups of 8-10 students. You will be allocated
to a group at the beginning of the year and not normally allowed to change
for the duration.
One facilitator is allocated to each group, again, for the entire year. The
facilitator does not change as their secondary role is as your personal advisor
and consistent contact is essential to building a relationship with them.
The effectiveness of the group depends on all its members and thus
attendance is compulsory. Failure to attend less than 80 per cent of the
sessions will lead to referral to the Academic Progress Committee.

More information on being part of a group follows at the end of this booklet.
The PBL Weekly Cycle
The HYMS PBL week for first year students starts on a Thursday.
This is because the clinical placement is on a Tuesday and therefore
aside from Wednesdays Special Studies Module (SSC), the clinical
experience ends the weeks work. The advantage of ending the
week this way is that the placement serves to summarise, cement
and contextualise your work in a real clinical context.
Within the week you attend 2 PBL Tutorials, each lasting 1 1/2 hrs. PBL follows
seven steps over two sessions. These steps are outlined more fully in the next
section.
In the Year 1 timetable these sessions will take place on Monday and Thursday
afternoon. In outline, the weeks study for PBL is conducted as follows:
Thursday PBL
(Steps 1-5)
Thursday- Monday
(Step 6)
Monday PBL
(step 7)
Monday- Thursday
(Step 7)
Thursday PBL
(Steps 1-5)

Meet new virtual patients, identify learning outcomes.

Private study in relation to these outcomes using a variety of
learning resources such as plenary and resource sessions,
biopractical, self directed learning, clinical skills and clinical
placement sessions
Reconvene in a group- identify and test conclusions reached,
identify any outstanding issues or uncertainties.
Further private study relating to Mondays session.
Review any outcomes, review clinical placement, reflect on
working process. See next patients

12

The Whos Who

of PBL

13

The Whos Who of PBL

Being a PBL facilitator has been a hugely rewarding
experience. I feel as a group we worked hard but also had
great fun. It is difficult sometimes, having to sit back and let
the students find their own way but you will find that they
nearly always get there in the end.
PBL tutor at HYMS 2003-2004
The Facilitator
The facilitator is usually a doctor or professional
with a link to health care that joins the group at each
meeting. As noted earlier, groups keep the same
facilitator for one year.
The role of the Facilitator is to facilitate group
discussion, create a healthy environment that allows
all members to contribute to discussion, provide
feedback and monitor the groups progress. The
facilitator is not there to provide easy answers and it
will be of no benefit to the group to try and obtain
the weeks learning objectives from them. For PBL to
be effective students need to arrive at the objectives
themselves and bypassing this part of the process will
only be detrimental to your learning, no matter how
tempting it is.
Where the facilitator is present not to teach you but to assist the group in learning
for themselves, you may find them guiding you towards the depth and breadth of a
subject. Instead of telling you what you should be learning they may guide you
towards recognising it yourself with statements such as; Are there any other aspects
of the case we need to discuss? or Does that comment sufficiently explain this part
of the problem?
The facilitator is as much a member of the group as anyone else and it is important
that students feel able to reflect on the facilitators role and contribution. If for
example, the group feels that the facilitator is leading the discussion too much or it is
dissolving into an hour long lecture, it is important that the students diplomatically
raise their concerns. Openness and honesty is a vital part of group dynamics and
failure to raise issues can lead to discord and poor group dynamics.
At HYMS, your PBL facilitator also acts as your personal advisor for the year and a
first point of contact for any academic or personal problems or concerns you may
have. Usually this arrangement works very well and groups build up a close and
strong relationship with the facilitator. At the end of each term you will have a
progress review with the facilitator where together you draw up an Educational
Prescription of skills or tasks you would like to achieve in the next term. Close
contact with your advisor through PBL puts them in a good position to be able to
14

advise on your performance and progress. In addition to providing academic advice

and support you will find that it is common practice for facilitators to attend PBL
Group social activities. Do not be surprised if you find that the facilitator has greater
stamina at these events than the rest of the group!

Job Description of the Facilitator

Models behaviour that the student will adopt

Promotes student interaction as a group
Guides the groups learning
Motivates the students to learn
Monitors the progress of each student in the group
Monitors attendance
Provides feedback to management/ planning group
Helps students to identify learning resources
Provides support and a first point of contact for academic or welfare
problems.
Sometimes brings cake to PBL sessions but more often than not expects
it from the students.

Top Tip for Students Working Alongside a Facilitator

Remember that the facilitator is a member of the group as much as anyone else and
it is important that they are included in both academic and social
discussion within the group. Facilitators who obey the rules of PBL
and respect the autonomy of the group by not interrupting can end
up feeling excluded. This is wasting a valuable resource so try and
involve them by showing appreciation if they make helpful
comments and invite them to contribute if you think it might help.
This does not mean getting them to tell you the answers but
inviting them to join in the process. When you discuss how the
group is functioning or how the process has been running, ask their
views on it too. They often have a fresh and valuable perspective to
contribute.

15

The Scribe
Students rotate the role of scribe each week. The
function of the scribe is to write an account of the
group discussion on the white board and to order
ideas and problems as they are raised. The scribe has
to pay close attention to what the group is saying and
keep a good record so no discussion is lost and
wasted. The challenge for the scribe is to ensure that
as well as writing down discussion, they are
contributing to it.
A good scribe tries to be objective about what is being said and not ignore ideas and
thoughts in favour of their own ideas and agenda. The account kept must be a true
account of the whole groups discussion. Sometimes the group can go too fast and
the scribe cannot keep up. If this happens it is important the scribe speaks up and
asks the group to slow down. At the end of the first PBL meeting it is the scribes
responsibility to write up the groups learning objectives on blackboard. There is an
area specifically allocated for PBL outcomes. As students gain more experience of
scribing they will find that it becomes easier to group and organise ideas on the
white board and this in itself will aid the efficiency and direction of the group work.

Job Description for Role of the Scribe

Listens carefully
Notes down ideas and concepts even if apparently trivial
Organises the notes by categorizing concepts
Checks the accuracy of the notes with other group members
Continues to contribute to the group
Posts the learning objectives the group has decided upon on blackboard
after the session.

Top Tips for a Scribe

1- When the group reflect on the process at the end of the session try and persuade the
others to give you feedback on how useful your work as a scribe has been. This is the
best way to improve your scribing skills and the performance of the group as a whole.
2- Dont try to write down everything word for word. This will slow the session down too
much. Try and develop a succinct way of making clear notes on what has been said. It
should seldom be necessary to write a complete sentence.
3- Do not be afraid to tell the group to slow down.

16

The Chairperson
Like the role of the scribe this position should be
rotated weekly between the group members. It is
important that everyone has a chance at experiencing
the role of chair. It is more than likely that at some
point in your career you will be required to chair or
run some form of group discussion. The skills you can
develop from chairing a group at this early stage in
your education could be invaluable.
Chairing a group can be quite daunting at first so
outlined below are a few directives that should help
you grasp the nature of the role.
1- Agreeing the process for the group. It is the chairs responsibility to
ensure that all group members have agreed on how the session will be run,
what tasks need to be achieved, what time is to be kept, what breaks will be
taken, how discussion will be conducted and so on. For example, if there are
more than two cases to cover, rules may need to be set about how long is
going to be spent on each. Ground rules such as only one person to speak at
a time or no business other than the task in
hand to be discussed outside of the breaks are
common process issues.
2- Introduces the case for discussion. It is
important that all group members know what is
to be discussed. If the chair spends a few
moments introducing the case it is often
effective way to set the tone for discussion and
focus the group on the task. Try and motivate
the group members during the introductory
discussion and be sure that everyone is
interested and ready to begin.
3- Invites Participation. You will find different group members contribute in
different ways and to different degrees than others. It is the chairs
responsibility to ensure that everyone is involved and feels able to contribute.
It is good practice to encourage or draw the quieter members into the
discussion and to ensure that they have opportunity to speak. Sometimes it
can be difficult to quieten the louder members but do remember that this is
your job and you do have a license to diplomatically call them to order. If
people respect the rules of the group and process they should not take it
personally. Remember also the presence of the facilitator and the point made
earlier that they should not be made to feel like a wallflower. The chair
should be ultimately responsible for involving them. Sometimes the problem
is not getting people to talk more, but to talk less. Sometimes the discussion
can move off onto tangents or dissolve gossip. If you set an example and do
not go down this road yourself it will be easier to bring the group back on
track.
17

4- Stimulates and Summarise. The chair should ideally try and keep the
group interested, motivated and stimulated. Remember that it is more fun to
be in an upbeat than perfectly serious group. The more involved and
interested people are in the case and the discussion, the better it will be.
Keeping people on the point can also prevent boredom and distraction
setting in. As well as stimulating the group, the chair is required to
summarise. Regular short and clear summaries of what has been said
can help to keep people interested, stimulate new ideas, deepen
discussion and create an opportunity for the group to recap and ensure
that the content of preceding discussion has been correct.
5- Elaborates or reformulates discussion. When opinions or ideas have
not been clearly formulated or expressed it is important that those who
voiced them are encouraged to elaborate. Try to reflect back to people your
understanding of what they have said in order to provide them with
opportunity to clarify or expand on the point they have made. Saying things
like Can I just clarify that you meant this Would you mind expanding a
little on that point? Elaborating or reformulating discussion helps keep to the
subject, deepen and stimulate discussion and also to illustrate that you are
listening. Many ideas need coaxed out of people and being a good chair
means the ability to assist people in expressing and clearly formulating their
ideas. If the discussion seems to be stuck in a rut, paraphrasing or rewording
the topic at hand can help group members seek new direction in the same
topic area. Always check that the reformulation is a reflection of the
discussion and that everyone agrees with the content. This is essential to
ensuring that everyone knows what is being discussed and that people are
not at cross purposes.
6- Oversees the timekeeping. It is very
important that the group uses their time
effectively. Sessions should not run over the
full hour and a half as students will become
disinterested and annoyed. Use summaries to
clarify where the group has got to and what
they need to cover in order to move the
group on. If the group appears tired or
frustrated a five minute coffee break can be a
very effective way of increasing the
performance of the group. It is your
responsibility to monitor how the group are
progressing and issue a break if or when one
is needed.
7- Monitor and pass observations on the process. Sometimes the group
can get very involved and it may require the chair to pass observations on
how the group as a whole is functioning. Say what you see happening in the
group, notice patterns such as everybody is talking to me or everybody is
trying to talk over each other. The chair should also pass comment if they
notice any problems developing. For example if people seem to be annoyed
18

with one person who is always talking too much then drawing this to the
groups attention can prevent problems developing. Passing comments on the
here and now of the group and generating discussion about group dynamics
can prevent members from arguing about the content of the cases when
there are really other issues bothering them.
8- Propose evaluative comments on the groups performance and
your own as chair for general discussion. As chair you should evaluate
the session both during its process and at its close by asking open ended
questions such as How does everybody feel about what we are doing and
the way it is done? or: Is everybody satisfied with our progress? Asking
the group to provide feedback on how you performed as chair will be very
useful for how you progress in this
role.
9- Structure the session by bringing
it and the stages that comprise it
to a conclusion. Providing a
commentary on where the group is
within the process and checking with
group members that each step has
been satisfactorily concluded helps
structure the session and ensures that
all members agree with any
conclusions made.
Job Description for the Chair
Agrees the process for the group
Introduces the case for discussion
Invites participation and ensures that everyone is contributing equally and
that no one is too quiet or too dominant
Stimulates and Summarises
Elaborates or reformulates the discussion.
Oversees the timekeeping and moves discussion on where necessary.
Monitors and passes observations on the process.
Proposes evaluative comments on the groups performance and your own
as chair for general discussion.
Structures the session by bringing it and the stages that comprise it to a
conclusion.
Top Tips for Successful Chairing
Try and find a balance between keeping people focused on the task and
keeping the session fun. This can be a challenge but produces the most
enjoyable and productive working environment.
Read the cases before the session. This will give you opportunity to
estimate the time needed for each case and to be prepared for leading the
group into discussion.
Set an example: If you believe it is important that the group members say
what they want to say, take the first step and say what you think and feel.
This can stimulate others to say what they think and express their feelings
as well as their thoughts.
19

Everyone Else:
The Adult Learner and Group member
Although successful discussion of a PBL case in a tutorial
has been attributed to several factors including the flow
and design of the case and PBL tutor skills, the key for
successful PBL discussion remains in the hands of the
students (Patel 1999)
Although the chairperson will try to regulate the process of the meeting, each
individual group member must recognise their equal responsibility to contribute as
fully as they can. PBL works exceedingly well if all group members are committed to
the task and the process but problems can occur if some students are disengaged or
not contributing properly. Being a member of a group can be a rewarding but
sometimes difficult role. It is important to try and develop the habit of regularly
reflecting upon your own contribution to the group. No matter how hard you
prepare yourself academically for the PBL sessions, the work you do will only pay off
fully if you and the rest of the students on your tutorial are functioning as a unit.
Key Points for Group Members
The success of each meeting is the responsibility of all the group members.
All group members must respect the roles of the scribe and the chair and
assist them in their roles.
The group should be about shared ownership. Try and keep a balance
between dominating the discussion and sitting on the sidelines saying
nothing. Neither of these positions will help you or the group.
Students should not be shy to contribute ideas, especially during the
brainstorming session. All ideas are equally valid. Even if an idea or answer
is refuted the act of discussing and refuting it is as valuable as an answer
whose validity was accepted.
Problem Based Learning is an educational approach that is particularly
designed for active self directed learners, something that doctors are expected
to be throughout their professional lives (Patel 1999)
As well as being a group player all students will be expected to develop the
characteristics of an adult learner. Given the emphasis on self directed learning
within the course, many students may find the need to re-evaluate and modify past
learning techniques and strategies. It is difficult to provide an estimate of how much
private or additional study students should aim to do on top of scheduled classes.
Different students have different learning capacities, strengths and weaknesses. It is
suggested that a minimum sixteen hours a week private study will be required but
that could vary according to the student. An important challenge is to identify your
own learning needs and experiment with the techniques and time that will enable
you to address them.

20

Problem Based learning encourages students to take charge of their education. It

emphasizes critical thinking skills, understanding, learning how to learn, and working
cooperatively with others. Having to decide what to learn and how to learn it can be
difficult at first, but developing an active and independent learning style is essential
for a career in medicine. It is rare that medical graduates will find supervisors with
the time, inclination, or knowledge to tell them what to do and thus it is essential
that they are able to assess and meet their own educational needs. The Problem
Based Learning model also enables students to develop other skills. On completing
your training you should be able to:

Clearly define a problem

Develop alternative hypotheses
Access, evaluate, and utilize data from a variety of sources
Alter hypotheses given new information
Develop clearly stated solutions that fit the problem and its inherent
conditions, based upon information and clearly explicated reasoning

These skills will prepare you well for the realities of a career in medicine and
especially, for the explosion of knowledge which gluts the field today.
Top tips for Self Directed Learners
Be patient with the adaptation process and recognise that it may take you
some time to settle in fully to group work and self directed learning.
Do not be afraid to try new learning techniques. If you have problems it is
often more productive to rethink ones approach to study rather than the
suggesting the course is redesigned! If your old study methods produced
results at school it may be tempting to pursue them even in face of
evidence that they dont deliver.
If you fall behind with work on a PBL course it is very difficult to catch up.
It is certainly not possible to survive by cramming a few days before the
exams so try and develop and consistent and disciplined timetable for your
study. It will help you in the long run and make the weekly work more
enjoyable.

21

22

The Seven Steps of PBL

23

How does it work?

The seven steps of PBL
Having hopefully now provided you with an understanding of the objectives and
logistics of PBL, we introduce now the Seven Steps of PBL. To illustrate these
process steps we have written a short PBL case and shall explore each one giving
sample dialogue from a PBL group discussing the case. We have made the case as
short and simple as possible so do please note that it will not exactly mirror the
detail of those you will encounter in class. It is also a guideline, its function to
illustrate the PROCESS rather than the exact content of a PBL session. The
dialogue we have included is thus only a very small sample of the sort of discussion
that occurs at each step and is far from comprehensive. In the first workshop you
will see a video of second year students performing a mock PBL session using this
case. The aim is to reinforce what you will read here and give you opportunity to
raise questions about particular parts of the process that you may not fully
understand by reading about them.

The Process Steps

1- Read out the problem and identify and
clarify words and phrases that are unknown
to you.
2- Define the problem or problems.
3- Using the problem list brainstorm possible
explanations.
4- Arrange explanations into tentative
solutions.
5- Define the learning objectives needed to
test the validity of your explanations.
6- Members of the group go away and study
privately using all sources of information
available.
7- Share the results of your private study with
the rest if your group. See how far your
explanations are justified and what further
knowledge is required. Cite the resources
used.

24

The Seven Steps of PBL

Example of a PBL case
Mrs Khan rings up the surgery about her husband. She sounds anxious and reports
that he was complaining of indigestion but she thinks it may be something more
serious. His pain has been getting progressively worse and now he is suffering from
persistent crushing chest pains which radiate down his left arm.
Mr. Khan is a regular patient of yours and you know he suffered from a myocardial
infarction a year ago and is currently on a waiting list for a coronary artery bypass.
You advise Mrs Khan to call an ambulance immediately and to inform the
paramedics of his conditions.

Step 1 Clarify Unfamiliar Terms

Aims

To engage all members of the group

To focus students on the task
To start the process of learning
Encourage clarity in the use of language and
technical terms, an important medical skill.
Reading out loud ensures slower readers are not
left behind.
Provides a definition for any term whose
unfamiliarity is an obstacle to group work.

Process
Read out the problem and identify words whose meanings or pronunciation are
unclear. They can be looked up directly in a medical dictionary and the prior
knowledge of the whole group should be pooled. If they remain unclear they become
a learning objective.
Example Dialogue
Student 1- Does any one know what an infarction is?
Student 2- Isnt it something to do with a heart attack?
Student 1- Ill look it up in the dictionary.
Student 3- I know something about that. Its the death of a
segment of heart muscle which follows interruption of its blood
supply. What the patient experiences is a heart attack.
Student 1- I dont fully understand that so can we make that a
learning objective?
Chair- That sounds like a good idea.
Scribe- So Ill write on the board Be able to define and
understand what a myocardial infarction is.
All- Yes, thank you!
25

Step 2- Define the Problem or problems

Aims
To define the task ahead and further engage the whole
group in it.
To stimulate intrinsic interest and curiosity.
To encourage people to think deeply rather than just
memorise.
To broaden the horizons of the discussion.
To provide a crude framework and starting point for the
rest of the discussion.
Task
Ideally this should be a fast moving and involved analysis where the group
contributes their views and thoughts to problems under discussion. In the HYMS
system this step is always defined in terms of the diagnostic problems with which the
patient presents. A problem in this sense is anything relevant to the care of the
patient and may include social or psychological issues as much as biomedical ones.
It is important that you feel comfortable to raise whatever points you feel relevant
and not be inhibited by thinking there is a right and wrong answer. Each student will
have a different perspective on the problem, all of which being equally valid. The
pooling of ideas will stimulate others and allow comparison and discussion which is
an essential part of the process. The result is a list of problems to be discussed in the
next stage. Note that this problem list should not be a definitive list of learning
objectives but rather a list of problems to form the basis for further discussion. The
problems should be taken from all aspects of the case: normal form and function,
aetiology, disease presentation, epidemiology and psycho-social aspects.
Example Dialogue
Chair: Can anybody suggest any problems?
Student 1: Mr Kahns history of a myocardial infarction sounds like one.
Student 2: Yes, and the pain he is feeling in his arm.
Student 3: What about his being on a waiting list, that implies there arent enough operations
to go round at the minute?
Scribe: Perhaps, but its not really a clinical problem.
Chair: But remember we should be looking at all problems relating to the case even if they are
social or economic.
Scribe: Yes I think youre right, so shall we just say that the need for a waiting list is a
problem?
Student 1; That sounds like a good idea. The fact that he is suffering from indigestion is one
too.
Student 2: We dont know of he is suffering from indigestion or his wife just thinks he is so
why dont we reword it to Mr Kahns complaints of indigestion.
Student 3; What about why the pain is in his left arm?
Chair: Perhaps that would be more appropriate when we move onto step 5 and draw up the
learning objectives?

26

Step 3- Brainstorm possible hypotheses of

explanations
Aims
Draw existing knowledge out of memory and
apply it.
Form and test links between items of knowledge.
Encourage deeper thinking by analysing and
synthesising recalled knowledge.
Pool the knowledge of everyone in the group.
Streamline and organise the list of items
identified.
Task
All members of the group should talk about the case together and brainstorm
possible hypotheses or explanations of problems in the case study in order to test
and compare them. Firstly, work out what you already know about the various parts
of the scenario and how they fit together. Many groups find this easiest by drawing a
mind map or spider diagram on the white board. This step is vital because it is
where you make the link with previous learning and start to draw on each others
understanding. Ideally it should get beyond the level of recording facts to that of
understanding. You should be cautious not to rush on to define (often unmanageably
large) chunks of learning. You should discipline yourself to address each HYMS
theme explicitly and ask if there are relevant outcomes relating to that theme. This
step should end with a list of possible hypotheses or explanations.
A Mind Map

27

Example Dialogue
Chair: Using the problems as stimuli lets brainstorm some explanations.
Student 1: I was wondering about the coronary artery bypass. That implies there
is something wrong with some of his arteries.
Student 2: Yes I was thinking that, were meant to be looking at the circulatory
system this week according to the study guide so maybe that would be the right
line to go down.
Student 3: I remember something about this from A level. Coronary means
heart doesnt it so perhaps we should be thinking about the circulation or arteries
that got to the heart.
Chair: Yes, that fits with the myocardial infarction doesnt it. If that happens
because the blood doesnt reach the heart muscle then there must be a problem
with the circulation1
Scribe: So Ill write coronary circulation up.
Student 1: I think we should look at the whole circulation not just the coronary
circulation as I didnt do a biology a level and this is all new to me.
Student 2: What about the indigestion, how do you think that fits in?
Student 1: I remember from when my granddad had a heart attack, he said that
he thought it was just indigestion.
Scribe: So that might mean that the pain is actually a symptom of him having a
heart attack!
Student 2: Well if hes had one before then there may be a risk of another.
Perhaps we should be thinking about what the risk factors are for a heart
attack?........

Step 4 -Arrange explanations into a tentative

solution
Aims
To actively process and restructure existing
knowledge.
To define the limits of knowledge
To Prepare to define learning objectives
Task
By this stage the group should have thought of many different explanations of what is
happening in the case study. The problem should be looked at in fine detail and
compared against the proposed explanations to see whether they match or if further
explanation is needed. All students should be involved in the discussion as it
continues the activation of prior knowledge and is the stage when it is most
extensively explored and restructured. As well as restructuring existing knowledge
this process leads to the identification of gaps in understanding. Some concepts will
need to be linked and priority areas identified. It should end with a schematic
representation of the problems and their explanation. This process starts to define

28

learning objectives but writing them down too soon should be resisted as they could
be misleading.
Example Dialogue
Student 1: So from todays plenary we know that the arteries are blood vessels that
transport oxygenated blood around the body to the tissues
Student 2: And if the tissues of the body dont get blood, they die?
Student 3: Yes, so if Mr Khan has had a myocardial infarction and a bit of his heart muscle
has died that means that there has been something wrong with the circulation of his blood
to the heart.
Student 1: And itll specifically be the failure of oxygenated blood to get to the heart as it
is the oxygen not the blood that his heart muscle requires.
Student 2: So we need to know exactly what blood vessels take oxygenated blood to the
heart and where they run from and to.
Chair: That sounds like were getting somewhere. So lets move on a bit but the scribe
note that we need to be looking at the circulation to the heart and how oxygenated blood
gets there. This sounds like a priority area for us to look at as we cant comment on the
pathology or risk of heart attacks until we know how the body normally works. We can
cement this in the next stage when we draw up the learning outcomes.

Step 5- Define Learning Objectives

Aims
Define the Learning agenda in terms of knowledge and skills.
Define appropriate resources for self directed learning.
Motivate students to learn from plenaries, resource sessions,
biopracticals and clinical placements.
Produce a list of learning objectives, mostly in the form of
questions that will have to be answered.

Task
The group should now agree on a set of focused and achievable learning outcomes.
This stage uses the expertise of entire tutorial group to discuss appropriate and
attainable learning outcomes and concludes the discussion. The learning outcomes
should where possible be in the form of specific questions that address the
problems/ hypotheses and attend to the gaps that students have identified in their
knowledge. The outcomes produced can be divided into three categories, primary,
secondary and deferred to assist structuring and prioritising learning.
Primary outcomes are those which every member of the group should study.
They are of direct importance to the issues raised by the case and support the
objectives laid out in the course study guide.
Secondary outcomes are issues of lesser importance to the case and the weeks
objectives but that may hold interest for some students. These can be researched by
those of the group who wish to pursue them.
29

Deferred outcomes are important issues that will be addressed later in the course
and thus they can be deferred until later.
Examples of Potential Learning Outcomes from the case
(Note that normal human physiology and anatomy feature in the primary learning
outcomes and clinical abnormalities of form and function are often relegated during
the first year to secondary learning outcomes)
Primary Learning Outcomes
1- Describe the gross and micro anatomy of the coronary arteries. What are
they made of, where do they go and what do they do?
2- What is health care rationing, why is it necessary, who decides how to do it
and how is it achieved?
3- Describe the heart cycle.
Secondary Learning Outcomes
1- What are the common risk factors for a myocardial infarction?
2- What if any differences are there in the epidemiology of myocardial
infarctions across global populations?
3- What is referred pain? What is the referred pain of a myocardial infarction,
where is it felt, why is it experienced and how is it experienced or
commonly described?
Deferred Learning Outcomes
1- What is a coronary artery bypass, how is it performed and what surgical
technique does it involve?

Example Dialogue
Student 1: I think we should look at heart attacks.
Student 2: I agree, but we cant just write up heart attacks, thats too vague.
Student 3: Yes, I think so too. We need to work out what it is about heart attacks that we want to
know.
Student 1: Well, what they are and who is at risk of getting one?
Scribe: So the outcome is what is a heart attack and what are the risk factors for a heart attack?
Chair That sounds good but do you think this should be a primary learning objective.
Student 2: I think we need to know about the normal structure and function of the heart before we
consider what goes wrong with it.
Student 3; I agree, perhaps we should put that as a secondary and focus on the anatomy and
physiology of the heart and circulation as a primary outcome?

30

Top tip for Producing Learning Outcomes

A common problem is the setting of outcomes that
are unclear or too broad to be realistically covered.
Writing an outcomes as say jaundice or heart
attacks is a waste of the preceding discussion and will
present great difficulties when you set about tackling
it. When setting the outcomes try to make them
focussed, not on broad areas of study, possible to
achieve in the time available and clearly phrased. It is
good practice to focus learning by phrasing the
outcomes as questions.
This gives direction to
students and aids the attainment of a deeper level of
understanding during private study. The other
advantage of phrasing the outcomes as questions is
that you know you have accomplished the task when
you have found a good answer! Do not be afraid to
leave some objectives to be formulated on the Monday
for feeding back Tuesday. This is a good way to avoid
work overload.

A PBL Poem!
I kept six honest serving-men,
They taught me all I knew,
There names are What and
Why and When
and How and Where and
Who.
Rudyard Kipling

Step 6- Information gathering and private study

Aims
Develops students ability to research, pursue
their individual learning needs and provides
material for pooling, discussion and critique at the
following Monday session.
Private study is an essential complement to the
PBL group sessions. Where the first PBL meeting
serves to activate and explore prior knowledge,
private study provides the real opportunity to
enhance the depth and breadth of your
knowledge.

The aim of medical education is to produce graduates who can acquire and
assimilate appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes and apply them
effectively to clinical situations. A particular strength of problem based
learning is its ability to integrate and encourage the actual application of
learning. To make the most of PBL students must acquire knowledge in
parallel with skills and attitudes. Self directed learning combined with the PBL
sessions facilitates students to build up their own repertoire of competence.

31

Task
At step six, students end the PBL session and begin their private study for the week.
Students should use a range of resources to meet the learning outcomes set in step
five. The study guides list recommended reading for the week, blackboard has a bank
of web based learning resources and the computers in both the multifunction labs
and PBL rooms have a number of CAL computer programmes on them that can be
accessed. In addition to these the weeks plenaries, biopracticals and resource
sessions may all contain material that can assist in pursuing the learning outcomes. It
is recommended that students research the web and the library. There are no right
or wrong resources; students should use whatever they personally find useful. It is
important however that you keep a note of all resources you use as you will need to
be able to reference the material used when you feedback at step seven on the
Monday tutorial. Notes should be made and adequate active learning conducted to
be able to feedback your answers to the rest if the group.

Top Tips for Private Study

1- Try and make sure that you dont make notes blindly but know the material in
sufficient detail to talk about it. The feedback session does not work if people are just
reading from their notes. It should be a discussion in which you consolidate, challenge
and enhance the knowledge gained from your private study not simply an opportunity
to read information to others.
2- Dont be afraid to form study groups with people in you PBL group or outside of your
group if your objectives marry. One of the most valuable resources you have is each
other and learning together and sharing notes can be a very efficient and effective way
to learn.

Step 7- Sharing the results of information gathering

and private study
Aims
To consolidate knowledge by putting it into words and
discussing it.
To assist each other in understanding difficult
concepts: A student who has come to understand a
difficult concept is often the best person to help a peer
who is struggling with it.
To elaborate and enhance each students pool of knowledge: Sharing different
answers to the same questions elaborates upon the learning of individual
students and produces a sum that is greater than its component parts.
To critique and correct any misconceptions. Pooling information provides
opportunity for students and the tutor to correct each other, resolve
conflicts raised by the literature found and add new learning.
To define new questions and the limits of existing knowledge through critical
reflection on the answers the group has found.

32

To train students in the discipline of citing and criticising resources. Students

should start to be able to judge the validity of information by its source,
critically appraise strength of evidence and learn triangulation of information
by cross checking different sources.

Task
After conducting private study on the learning outcomes, students reconvene on
Monday afternoon to pool and synthesise the information they have gathered. Each
student should come prepared to talk through and share the work they have done
on each of the set learning outcomes. Again, it should be noted that students should
not return with a set of unanalysed notes. The aim of poling information from
private study is to help each other with difficult concepts, to expand on each
individuals knowledge base and to identify areas where confusion or uncertainty still
exists. It is probable that not all issues will be resolved and new ones may appear.
These are dealt with in the same way as for the first session, by identifying fresh
learning outcomes. These are then studied privately for the remainder of the week
and the results brought back and shared with the group on the following Thursday
before the new patients are seen.
Top Tips for a successful feedback session
How you run the feedback session is up to you as a group. Many different methods
have been tried and it is up to the individual group to find a method that works best
for them. Some groups go round the class asking an individual to lead the discussion
on an outcome and the rest of the group follow. Some groups experimented with
having each person major in a particular outcome and making a short presentation
on it with group discussion following. This was found useful in developing presentation
skills but some found that they concentrated too much on one outcome and
neglected the others. In addition, leaving other students to teach you is not an
advisable learning method. Where the topic of the week may be anatomy, some
groups used games or cards with key words or concepts to define written on them to
test each other and other imaginative ways of making the feedback more interactive
and challenging.
The key point to note is that it may pay to experiment with different methods, to talk
to other groups about how they are feeding back and to consider different methods
according to the subjects that have been pursued. For example you may find that you
require a different way of discussing anatomy learning outcomes to ethics based
outcomes. It would be very useful if students felt able to feedback how their group
conducts this session on a thread on the PBL outcomes board on blackboard.

Questions
For each of the seven steps of PBL, write a few sentences to explain what it
entails and why the step is necessary to the process.

33

34

PBL in the
HYMS Curriculum

35

PBL and the HYMS Curriculum

It is essential to take a wide view of how the course at HYMS fits
together and to keep this in mind when you conduct your study.
The following few paragraphs will explain in greater detail how
PBL fits into the HYMS curriculum as a whole.
An important feature of Problem Based Learning that you must recognise, is that it is
not just a learning method or tool. It is more aptly described as a curriculum
concept, encompassing scope and sequence, syllabus, course outline, learning
materials, course of study and planned experiences. The use of problem based
learning facilitates the delivery of an integrated curriculum: Basic and clinical sciences
can be taught and learnt together and socioeconomic aspects of health can be
considered alongside clinical problems and the basic science underpinning them.
The learning you do in the PBL sessions and the self directed study between these
must not be viewed as separate from the other learning opportunities you have
during an academic week. In addition to the PBL sessions there are five forty-five
minute plenaries, one or two clinical skills sessions for learning communication skills
or clinical examination techniques, a resource session and a clinical placement. These
sessions are all meticulously designed to reinforce, elaborate upon or introduce you
to the issues raised in the PBL cases you have seen that week. The best way to get
the most from all these additional sessions is to keep in mind the PBL cases and
relate the material you are given to the case to supplement, deepen and enhance
your understanding of the issues you have
located as arising from it.

You should be aware

that a distinctive
feature at HYMS is the
integration
of
seven
academic
themes running through
all aspects of the curriculum. These seven themes are; life sciences, patient centred
care, clinical sciences, evidence based decision making, clinical skills and techniques,
population health and medicine and managing resources for quality and efficiency.
These themes are included in the course in recognition of the fact that conventional
medical education has typically neglected the fundamental human and social
dimensions to patient care. In addition, evidence based decision making and managing
resources for quality and efficiency reflect the changing demands on the modern day
doctor. Doctors need to be able to make clinical decisions within the constraints of
a limited budget and an available bank of evidence on the efficacy and efficiency of
certain treatments. A problem based learning curriculum facilitates the integration
and reinforcement of all these themes into a single learning package.
HYMS runs what is called a spiral curriculum. Content material is revised as students
progress through the course but the nature of their learning moves progressively
from theory to practice and they spend progressively more time in clinical practice.
36

Phase 1, years 1 and 2 lays the foundations of theory and practice; the clinical
scenarios in PBL are used to trigger learning and give it practical relevance. This
means that in the first year students should focus on producing learning objectives
associated with normal form and function of the body and in the second year, the
emphasis shifts towards producing more clinically oriented learning objectives based
around the HYMS themes.
How these seven themes and PBL translate into a working week is perhaps best
explained by example. We will consider a hypothetical week studying blood pressure
as part of a four week block on the cardiovascular system.
Illustration
In your PBL session you may meet a virtual patient with say a high blood pressure or a problem
with their circulation. This provides opportunity to consider the basic science of the circulatory
system and also serves as a context to see what happens when the normal anatomy and
physiology goes wrong. You may consider what normal blood pressure is, what happens when
it goes wrong and why it does. These areas of study may be raised by the PBL case and
touched upon on plenaries running through the week. In the resource session you may find
scientific information relating to the case or further clinical examples of what happens when
things go wrong. Both the PBL case and a plenary on issues relating to person centred care
may lead you to consider the feelings a patient may have about such a condition, the impact it
has on their lives and how you may wish to tailor your communication with a patient.
A clinical skills session where blood pressure is measured and a patient examined may follow as
practice for the clinical placement where a real patient with such a problem may be
encountered. From these sessions you will be able to reinforce what you read initially in the
PBL case and see what the condition means in reality. The case and further plenaries may lead
you to consider the relevance of the condition to population health and medicine and
consequently the resources available to manage it. Where the PBL case may have led you to
question how common the problem was or the risk factors for it, the resource session may
provide you with opportunity to look at data on the incidence and prevalence of the condition
in different societies. A plenary on physiology and pharmacology may give you opportunity to
think about how you would wish to treat the patient. This may lead you to think about how
you would assess the evidence for your proposed treatment of choice. Returning to the case
after the weeks study you should have gained a real and rich picture of the clinical problem
and found a context on which to hang all your learning on these different aspects of the
problem.

37

Key Points
1- There are seven themes at HYMS integrated throughout the
curriculum reflecting the scientific and socioeconomic aspects of
medicine.
2- In the first year PBL triggers outcomes relating to the normal form
and function of the human body, in the second year, the outcomes
are more clinically oriented.
3- HYMS runs a spiral curriculum where topics are frequently revisited
to enable students to reinforce and develop their knowledge of an
area.
4- PBL forms the basis of the weeks learning and is supplemented with
other learning opportunities such as plenaries, resource sessions,
clinical skills training and clinical placements.
5- The best way to make the most of the PBL sessions and cases is to
continually relate them to, and explore them with not only self
directed study time but these other learning opportunities.
6- In summary, PBL is not a stand alone tool but a whole curriculum
concept designed to structure your learning effectively and
realistically in relation clinical realities.

Questions
Explain in a few sentences how PBL fits into the curriculum at
HYMS.
Name the other learning opportunities that students have to
supplement their PBL private study.
Name the seven curriculum themes at HYMS and explain how these
are covered in PBL.

38

PBL: A Critique
Advantages. Common Problems and Pitfalls
to be avoided

39

Why do PBL?
Does Problem Based Learning Work and if so, How?
You should now have grasped the philosophy behind PBL and the logistics of how it
is conducted. For those of you who are interested we have outlined in the following
section more detail on the educational objectives of PBL and how it achieves them.
Having an understanding of the goals of Problem Based Learning and how it is
designed to meet them can help students if at any time they find the process difficult
or frustrating. To gain a clear picture of the objectives of PBL and how it works, it is
useful to compare it with the conventional form of medical education it has been is
replacing. The table below outlines the main drawbacks of this method.
Some Drawbacks of Traditional Medical Curricula
Creates an artificial divide between basic science and clinical medicine.
Time is wasted acquiring knowledge that is subsequently forgotten or found to be
irrelevant.
Acquisition and retention of information that has no apparent relevance can be
boring and demoralising for students.
There can be a strong focus on individual disciplines which makes students feel
overwhelmed and disengaged.
Before we explore in more detail the educational objectives of PBL and how it
achieves them, it may be worthwhile to think back to what you have read so far and
to jot down three points about PBL that you feel attend to these shortfalls of
conventional medical education.
1.
2.
3.
Now read through the following pages on the objectives and advantages of PBL and
see how your ideas compare.
Key Points
The Educational Objectives of PBL
Enhance students skills to acquire principle and key concepts that
should be better retained by the learners and allow them to use
information learnt in other similar situations.
Develop students clinical reasoning skills, critical thinking and
decision making strategies.
Develop students skills in integrating knowledge across disciplines
and better understanding of the role of a humanistic attitude towards
professional performance. Prepare students to pursue lifelong
learning.
Promote small group learning, the need for effective teamwork and
collaborative learning
40

Advantages of Problem Based Learning:

How it can achieve the educational objectives?
Relevance: By using case studies of clinical problems the relevance of curriculum
content in made clear. Students are not faced with a frequent problem of abstract
scientific learning where it can be initially unclear why certain things are being taught.
Identification of core: The case studies provide opportunity to direct students to
the core of what they need to learn and steer them away from getting too bogged
down in the intricacies of biochemistry and other subjects which although interesting
are not strictly necessary for the practice of medicine. Problem Based Learning is
believed to have the potential to make an important contribution to the information
overload that overburdens many students on medical programmes.
Generic Competencies : Using the cases and working in groups enables students
not only to develop the knowledge to do medicine but broader transferable skills
such as communication, problem solving and team working, all of which being
essential for a successful transition from university to workplace.
Student Centred: PBL demands that students take responsibility for their learning.
It engenders an independent and active approach to learning rather than endorsing
passive and rote learning. The student becomes actively engaged in the learning
process and consequently develops a deeper understanding of the work and
improved retention of the information.
In addition, students are prepared for continuing education in their professional lives
where the speed of innovation and development in medicine means that doctors are
personally responsible for continually reviewing and updating their knowledge.
Motivation: PBL is fun, sociable and thought enjoyable by both staff and students.
There is significantly less scope for students to become distracted or disengaged
from the work as in conventional teacher centred education. The nature of the work
means that students will find little use in rote learning information and thus are freed
from this notoriously tedious aspect of medical education.
Deep Approach to Learning: During the PBL process students interact with the
learning material more than in an information gathering approach (ie. sitting in a
lecture). Concepts and conclusions are related to experience and contexts provided
which aid attainment of a deeper level of understanding and retention rate of the
information.
PBL utilities existing knowledge: While generating learning issues students make
use of their own and other group members existing knowledge to identify what they
need to learn. This involves activating existing knowledge and then fitting new
knowledge into the framework. This serves to continually reinforce and develop
what students know and is seen as a very efficient way to learn. The more you
return to a topic the more you remember it and students are not left with the
problem of conventional medical education where topics are returned to up to two
years after they were initially approached and recall is limited and difficult.

41

Prototype Learning: By using case studies it is thought that PBL captures the most
successful elements of adult learning. In short that students learn best when they are
ready to learn, when they are involved in setting goals and in deciding on the content
to be learned and when they actively participate in decisions affecting their learning.

Key Points
Problem Based Learning helps medical students by:
Promoting deeper rather than superficial learning.
Improving retention and recall of information.
Increases motivation for and enjoyment of learning by providing an
active, stimulating and sociable learning environment.
Fostering self directed learning skills which is likely to lead to medical
graduates becoming life-long learners.
Helping students develop interpersonal and team work skills essential for
a career in medicine.

Common problems with PBL

Hopefully, for many of you reading this booklet and especially those
amongst you emerging from teaching centred and didactic A level
education, PBL may be an attractive idea. The opportunity to learn at
your own pace, make your own decisions and accept responsibility
for it may sound a welcome break from the prescriptive nature of
your previous education. It may also sound rather daunting, and many
students will have concerns about whether they will cope, will they
manage to learn what they need to learn and so on.
PBL is undoubtedly hard at first and adapting fully to the process can take a long
time. The following section is written to illuminate the most common problems that
students encounter with PBL. We dont attempt to solve the problems you may
encounter; it is an essential part of the process that you do this yourselves, but we
hope that by highlighting some common areas of concern that you will be reassured
if or when they occur.
PBL can be time consuming
Some may find it frustrating that a lot of
time is spent just drawing up objectives
and then having to search out resources
to meet these objectives. You may feel at
first that the process plays games with you. Tell us what we
need to learn and we will go away and learn it may be your
response. This is to misunderstand the nature of the process and
if or when you feel these sentiments over the year it may be
advisable to come back and read through this document. The
discovery of what you need to know, and why, is an essential

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step in owning, retaining and using the knowledge necessary.

Settling in can be difficult
The transition from secure, teacher-pupil to secure, self directed adult learner takes
longer than you might expect. Six to twelve months is a realistic estimate, although
most students have made sufficient progress in the first four to six weeks to
recognize the advantages. Do not be disheartened if some sessions do not seem to
be going well or if you are finding the self directed learning hard work. There are
bound to be ups and downs during the settling in period and indeed, throughout
the course. This is all part of the challenge and the learning curve you are on.
Coping with uncertainty
Uncertainty is probably the
biggest problem faced by
students doing PBL and often at
the root of doubts, concerns
and worries on a PBL course. A
school environment protects a
student well from uncertainty:
You are told what to learn and
how to learn it. You have the
assurance of a set of unspoken rules: Learn well what is given to you and you will
get the grade that will take you to the next stage in the academic race. It can be
stressful but at least you know what you are supposed to be doing!
Problem based learning raises all sorts of questions for students rooted in
uncertainty. Am I using the right kind of learning resources, am I using enough of
them? Am I learning things in sufficient depth and do I understand things sufficiently?
Do I know enough and how am I doing?
These are all worries you will have throughout the course, this is normal and part of
the PBL process. Uncertainty is an inherent part of life and in short, unavoidable.
Medicine is a field dominated by uncertainty and change. One of the key skills a
doctor must possess is the ability to use judgement, available knowledge and
experience in situations of uncertainty. There is frequently no right or wrong answer
and treating a patient may be a process of informed and guided trial and error.
Learning is similar in many ways. There is no right or wrong way to understand
information, it is a personal journey of discovery. Some subjects you may learn well
alone, others you may benefit from working in a group. It is about finding your own
way and learning to cope with the fact that one of the few things that is certain is
uncertainty.
Workloads and Weekends
The loudest concern students voice about PBL is the volume of work and
the fact that most of it falls on the weekend. The answer to this is simply
time management. You will find that in some weeks there will be more
work than others but it should all be manageable. If you are not coping it
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may be advisable to look at how you are spending your study time, ask whether you
are using it effectively. Are you doing two hours solid work or fifteen minutes and
chatting for the rest/ The more disciplined you are with how you use your time the
more you will find that you have. Finding the right level of detail to go into when
conducting self directed learning is a big problem for most people on a PBL course.
Key ways to minimise these problems are to tighten up the learning outcomes your
group sets, discuss fully whether they are realistic in the time attainable and use past
exam papers, the resource sessions and the plenaries to help you gage what detail
you should be going into. In addition, saving setting some outcomes to the Monday
and setting them to be achieved by the Thursday can secure a more manageable
workload.
How to Destroy Problem Based Learning:
Common pitfalls to be avoided.
When students stick rigidly to the seven steps, do
the appropriate amount of study and work hard at
their group dynamic, PBL can be extremely
successful and rewarding. Sometimes people
complain that PBL doesnt work or that they find it
exasperating. Blaming the course structure, PBL or
your group is an easy way to avoid looking at the
real reasons that why your group meetings are not
working well. Outlined below are common pitfalls to
be avoided when conducting a PBL session. These
should be born in mind or perhaps referred to if or
when you feel your group time is not progressing as fruitfully as it should.
1- Not understanding how Problem Based Learning Works
If students are to get the best out of PBL, they have to understand how and why it
works. The steps of the tutorial operate best if one understands why the steps are
there. It is common to find that the most disgruntled students have no idea of how
PBL works or why it is used and consequently feel that the method has been
imposed. Spending time reading this booklet or researching PBL further from other
resources may save students a lot of time and worry in the future.
2- Bypassing Steps 2 to 4 of the PBL process
As students grow complacent with the process some
find it tempting to simply read through the problem and
then spend only a few minutes deciding on what topics
to study. Failure to engage in all steps of the process
means that students fail to access their own and the rest
of the groups prior knowledge. This wastes resources
and failure to brainstorm properly makes subsequent
reading on and around the problem, less productive.
Skipping these steps will lead to a more superficial

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understanding and less information is likely to be retained.

3- Being Insufficiently critical
This may come as a surprise to you but much information in text books is incorrect.
The pace of change of medical knowledge is so rapid that even new editions may be
many years behind current research. An essential task for the group now and later
for you in your career, is to evaluate the reliability of information. When a member
of the group offers information a reflex action should be to ask how do I know that
is true? Students should get into the habit of always noting their information source
and consistently evaluating them.
4-Confusing consensus with critical appraisal
Critically appraising the information and knowledge that a PBL group pools is an
essential part of the process. Students should be cautious however not to confuse
group consensus or agreement with critical appraisal. The latter is not a form of
agreement but a type of questioning- what is the evidence, how reliable is the
evidence, is the evidence consistent with other information and do sources of
information agree? It is more useful to identify and understand areas of disagreement
than to achieve consensus as this permits more rigorous discussion and investigation
of the facts being disputed.
5-Splitting main learning tasks
It was noted earlier that one way of running the Monday
feedback session is to allocate one outcome to each group
member to major in and present back to the group. If students
manage to do each primary outcome as well as their major topic
this has potential to work but students should be very cautious
when taking this approach. A common result is that most
students fail to address the majority of the core learning
objectives, the group stops concentrating whilst each member
gives their presentation and the whole group loses the value of
synthesising different
perspectives
into a
common
understanding. Students should be aware of this as it can be detrimental to all
students learning.
6- Not doing enough or the right sort of study
There is no escaping the fact that a Problem Based learning medical course requires
students to work hard. Students need to be disciplined and motivated to carry out
the necessary self directed learning. The easiest way to destroy the potential success
of Problem Based Learning is for students to come unprepared for the Monday
feedback sessions. Students should also note that spending hours diligently writing
out notes will be of no use to the discussion session. Students must be familiar
enough with their notes to be able to discuss them fluently with other group
members.

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46

Group Work
A short Guide for Beginners

47

The PBL Group

As you have heard, one of the driving reasons behind using a PBL system is its ability
to equip students with the transferable skills, not only knowledge. Being able to
work successfully as part of a team is an essential requirement of a doctor. There
are few if any occasions in medical practice when you will be working alone thus
developing the ability to work well as part team is invaluable. The PBL group you are
placed in may be your first real experience of group work and perhaps one of the
largest challenges you will face in your fist two years at medical school. Being part of
this group can be a hugely rewarding experience both academically and in terms of
the relationships you form with others. It is important to recognise that your ability
to work in this group is as important as the knowledge you gain from the group
itself. Being able to critically evaluate your contribution to and relationship with the
group is an essential part of your professional development. Outlined below are
some essential tips for working in a group. It is advised that you consider these both
as your group forms and throughout the year as part of your ongoing commitment
to the health of your group.
Tips on Group Work
1- Making and Keeping Ground Rules
Laying down ground rules at the beginning of the groups life sets a
precedent for the year and establishes the norms that everyone must
play by. Having a set of group rules can help towards creating a safe
environment where people feel comfortable contributing to the group
discussion and know what is expected of them. Ground rules can both
prevent and solve problems occurring within the group and generally
make for a more harmonious and effective working team.
Examples of ground rules include punctuality, respecting
others views or having mobile phones switched off.
Spend a few minutes now thinking of some ground rules
you think would help the functioning of a PBL group and
that you may want to suggest to the group in your first
PBL session.
123-

2- Being self aware and reflective

Try and be continually self reflective and think about what good qualities you bring
to your group and how you can accentuate these to improve your group
relationships and performance. Consider also any potentially negative characteristics
you may have, the effects they may have on the group and what strategies you could
adopt to minimise them.

48

List three positive qualities you think you could bring to a group:
1.
2.
3.
Now list three qualities you have that you think may cause you or others difficulties
in a group and some ways you could go about managing them. For example you may
feel that you are shy and that setting yourself increasing goals of ways to contribute
to the group may help you manage this characteristic.
1.
2.
3.
Group Dynamics
As well as reflecting on your own performance it is important to
remain sensitive and reflective to the working of the group as a
whole. Taking note of the ongoing dynamic within the group, noting
for instance if some people seem left out or others too dominant
and finding a way to address these issues is key to maintaining a
healthy working group.
A good team requires regular evaluation and it would be advisable
to use the last ten minutes on a Monday to reflect upon how the group is
functioning, how people are feeling within the group or what goals the group would
like to aim for. You will find that putting a little time and attention into group
dynamics is well worth the effort. A healthy reflective group works far better than a
fragmented one.
Write down two ways by which you could ensure that you monitor and improve
your groups dynamic throughout the year.
Group maintenance
Similar to group dynamics is the matter of group
maintenance. Maintenance is the building up and
nurturing of the relationships between all members of
the group. The task that the PBL group has to achieve
requires the cooperation of everyone and thus putting
time and effort into maintaining the group will achieve
a better outcome. If the maintenance of relationships is
concentrated upon at the expense of the task
however, the completion of the task suffers setbacks.
Students should be aware of the need to achieve this
balance and will find that the group naturally evolves
ways to attain it. Taking at least one evening a term for
the group to socialise together and let off steam is a
good way to maintain a happy working group.
No two groups are the same
The nature of each group depends on the individuals that comprise it and also the
whole that these individuals amount to when put together. Some groups may be
more creative than others, some more light hearted, some more serious. Different
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does not mean better or worse so try not to focus too much on comparing your
group to others but concentrate instead on how your group feels to you and the
others in it.
The Group Life Cycle
It is almost certain that the behaviour and mechanics of your group will change over
time. There are many theories and models on how groups develop and evolve and
although it is not necessary for you to know the details of these, having an overview
of the process of group development may be helpful for you when such changes
occur.
One theory on group development proposes a four
stage process:
1- Forming: At the beginning of the group
members are on their best behaviour, courteous,
friendly and accommodating. Each member holds
back any irritations and strong personal opinion.
2- Storming: After a period of time, usually a few weeks but often more or
less, group members are no longer strangers. As people struggle to establish
their roles, the individual differences or frustrations about the groups
activities surface in a variety of ways: arguments, withdrawal from the group,
attempts to dominate and expressions of discomfort are all common.
3- Norming: After a time interpersonal issues are resolved and the group
arrives at an understanding of how to behave.
4- Performing: The group members work together productively on the task.
These stages should be seen as a model rather
than a definitive prediction of how a group will
develop. There is no need for a group to
progress through all the stages or to pass
through them only once. You may find that
your group seems to move in cycles from
harmonious performing to less harmonious
storming. This is simply the nature of group
work and students should not be surprised nor
disheartened if the group sometimes goes
through a difficult patch. Learning to resolve tensions and restore group dynamics is
an essential part of group work and an important skill to grasp.
An important thing to remember throughout the life cycle of your group is that all
members have equal responsibility for how well the group is functioning. It is easy to
blame any problems on a scapegoat, be that another student, the facilitator or the
course as a whole but blaming will do little to help the group back on its feet. All
members should be reflective, and observe what is really happening within the group.
Ask yourself whether there is anything you could do to relieve tensions, consider
whether you have withdrawn from the group and whether you are giving it a
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hundred percent of your efforts. Creating a culture of openness and honesty within
the group makes it easier for students to address problems or conflicts quickly and
effectively. A group where all members take equal responsibility for their roles and
are committed to the success of the group is usually not only the most successful
group but also, the group that has the most fun.
Encourage and Utilise feedback: It is a vital part of the process
Learn how to get the best out of your tutors and groups feedback. Focus on issues
raised in the feedback and dont take it personally! Learning to take criticism and use
it constructively to grow and develop is fundamental to your personal and
professional development. It may be difficult at first but the rewards it brings are
great.
Develop a culture of trust
A culture of trust and openness is vital for a group to run successfully. It is essential
that members feel able to contribute freely to discussion and not be inhibited by the
thought that their contribution may be derided either inside or outside of the group.
Setting clear ground rules about confidentiality and what may or may not leave the
group is a foundational step in developing this sort of culture. In addition, group
members should make a joint commitment to be open and honest with each other
as this is a key way to building and maintaining strong and trusting group
relationships.

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52

Conclusion
There has been a lot of information in this booklet, some you may find relevant
now, some after you have had some experience of the PBL process and some
which may not affect your particular PBL experience at all. We hope that at
minimum it has given you some opportunity to think about PBL and whetted
your appetite for what should be a hugely formative and exciting learning
experience. Included below are the top tips that our year group wished to share
with you as you start the process. We wish you the best of luck for the coming
term and hope you find PBL at HYMS as enjoyable as we do.
Top Tips for Surviving PBL

Learn to share not compete. Your most valuable resources are each other. Learn to
use each other. Studying together and supporting each other can be both an enjoyable
and an effective way to work.

Resist the temptation to SOLVE the case. You are trying to identify the knowledge
you need to solve it, not actually trying to solve it!

Be reflective. Part of PBL is about working as a group. A Healthy Group Dynamic can
be the make or break for a happy and successful learning experience.

Do the work the group sets. It is easy to fall behind and feel left out of the group. A
little and often is better than a lot too late.

Dont worry if the group next door are doing things differently. This is the nature of
PBL. Different groups will evolve their own way of doing things.

Be brave and dont be intimidated if you feel that people know more than you. Usually
they dont! Remember that you are all in the same boat and it is likely that people are
experiencing the same feelings. If you are honest about your concerns it is most likely
that others will follow your lead. Saying you dont know something is also the best
way to begin finding it out.

Do spend time filling in the block evaluations. This may seem tedious but it is the best
way to improve the course and have your say in how it should change. Our year did it
for you and hopefully you can take on the baton to do the same for next years intake.

Make the most of the other people in your group and the mix of different ethnic and
cultural experiences that they will have. PBL is a great way to start exploring the
richness of beliefs and values held in a multicultural society. Not only will you learn
more about other religions and lifestyles, this sort of knowledge and understanding
will be invaluable to you in real clinical practice.

Remember that all work and no play makes students burn out! Try and ensure that
the PBL group socialises together or has some opportunity to focus on group
relationships, not just work throughout the year.

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References and Further Reading.

We dont attempt to be comprehensive in this guide and would strongly recommend
that you used your first few weeks at medical school to read a bit more about PBL,
to talk about it with your peers, PBL groups and second year students.
A lot of the information given in this guide is taken from David T, Patel L et al
Problem Based Learning in Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine Press(1999). We
recommend that you have a look at this book. There are many copies in the library.
http://www.pbli.org. Howard Barrows, Southern Illinois School of Medicine (A
medically focused analysis of PBL.)This page serves as a good starting point to
research further web resources on PBL and includes lots of useful links.
Azer.S. Becoming a student in a PBL course: twelve tips for successful group
discussion Medical Teacher, Vol.26, No.1, (2004) pp.12-15
Albanese, M. A. and Mitchell, S. (1993) Problem-based learning: a review of literature
on its outcomes and implementation issues. Academic Medicine, 68, 52-81.
Blake, J. M., Norman, G. R. and Smith, E. K. M. (1995) Report card from McMaster:
student evaluation at a problem-based medical school. The Lancet, 345, 899-902.
Boud, D. and Feletti, G. (Eds.) (1991)The Challenge of Problem-Based Learning. St
Martin's Press, N. Y.
Davies.M AMEE Medical Education Guide No.15: Problem Based Learning: a
practical guide. Medical Teacher, Vol.21, No.2, 1999.
Vernon, D. T. and Blake, R. L. (1993) Does problem-based learning work? A metaanalysis of evaluative research. Academic Medicine, 68, 550-563.

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Glossary of PBL terms

Try and find the time to read through the following terms and provide a one line
definition for each. This will help to consolidate your understanding of the
information contained in this booklet and provide a reference source for the early
weeks of your PBL experience. Most of the words are contained within the text, a
few may require you to use a dictionary, the internet or even your new PBL group.

Self directed learner

Scribe
Chairperson
Teacher centred education
Didactic
Student Centred education
Deep understanding
Context Learning
Problem Based Learning
Guided Discovery Model
Open discovery model
Formative assessment
Summative assessment
Facilatator
Feed back session
Case studies
Virtual Patients
PBL process
Brainstorming
Aetiology
Structure and function
Disease presentation
Psycho-social
Epidemiology
Pathology
The GMCs vision of Tomorrows Doctors
Confidentiality

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The End.

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