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Hindi Research Article
Early Introduction of Problem - Based Learning into the Integrated Curriculum of a Newly Established Medical School in Malaysia
Anita Devi K*, Pathak R, Chai JW, Noor H, Rohaini M, Samiah Yasmin AK and Atiya ASSEGi University, Selangor, Malaysia
- *Corresponding Author:
- Anita Devi K
Faculty of Medicine
SEGi University ,No. 9
Jalan Teknologi, Taman Sains Selangor
Kota Damansara, PJU5, 47810
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
E-mail: anitadevi@segi.edu.my
Received date: October 16, 2012; Accepted date: November 26, 2012; Published date: November 28, 2012
Citation: Anita Devi K, Pathak R, Chai JW, Noor H, Rohaini M, et al. (2012) Early Introduction of Problem – Based Learning into the Integrated Curriculum of a Newly Established Medical School in Malaysia. J Community Med Health Educ 2:189. doi:10.4172/2161-0711.1000189
Copyright: © 2012 Anita Devi K, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Introduction: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. At our newly established medical school’s Faculty of Medicine, PBL was introduced from the beginning of the medical programme with the aim of early introduction of clinical scenarios to foster critical thinking and group work. Methods: The students experienced four PBL cases, and each case consisted of two sessions. The students were assessed (by the facilitator) during each session as part of the formative assessment. At the end of each block, Problem- Based Questions (PBQs) were used as part of the Modified Essay Question (MEQ) paper. Student performance was analyzed based on (a) mean performance in PBL sessions during each block (as part of the continuous assessment), (b) PBQ marks (as part of end of block assessment), (c) student’s feedback (using questionnaire). Results and discussion: A comparative study of the performance in PBL sessions versus other formative assessment sessions showed a relatively better score in the PBL assessment. The End of Block examinations also reflected a better performance by the students in the PBQs as against the non-PBQ section. The questionnaire based analysis showed that the students favoured the PBL mode of learning. Though they appreciated and enjoyed the sessions, the students felt that lectures are equally or more important in disseminating basic sciences topics.
