Davoud Tahmasebzadeh Sheikhlar; Farnaz Limouei; Mohammad Reza Ranjkesh; Armaghan Gharaaghaji-Zare; Afsaneh Radmehr
Abstract
Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) has been one of the most attractive and effective teaching-learning programs during the last 40 years and is one of the newest methods of medical education. In this method, students usually work on a problem in small groups and learn the objectives of education, ...
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Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) has been one of the most attractive and effective teaching-learning programs during the last 40 years and is one of the newest methods of medical education. In this method, students usually work on a problem in small groups and learn the objectives of education, which include basic and clinical knowledge. The purpose of this study was to seek the opinions of dermatology department students about a viral skin diseases course delivered in a PBL style.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to seek the opinions of dermatology department students about a viral skin diseases course delivered in a PBL style.Methods: This survey-type cross-sectional collected the opinions of 175 medical students (99 externs and 76 interns) at the dermatology department of Sinai Educational, Research and Treatment Center from April to July 2022. In this study, a researcher-made questionnaire with 25 questions that evaluated learning of viral skin diseases through the PBL method was utilized for data collection. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts.Results: The collected opinions of the students showed that this teaching method improved their learning attitude and performance, developed critical thinking skills, improved their ability to learn interactive communication and self-evaluation, and enhanced their time management capacities and motivation to learn clinical subjects.Conclusion: According to the results, the PBL method is effective in teaching theoretical courses on skin diseases, and this method can be recommended for delivering other similar courses.
Behjat Seifi; Enayatollah Bakhshi; Alireza Imani; Sedigheh Najafipour; Azim Mirzazadeh
Abstract
Background Traditional teaching methods such as lectures alone cannot meet educational needs in the medical sciences. It is necessary to supplement lectures with additional methods in order to prepare the students for problem solving in real situations. Objectives The present study aimed at employing ...
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Background Traditional teaching methods such as lectures alone cannot meet educational needs in the medical sciences. It is necessary to supplement lectures with additional methods in order to prepare the students for problem solving in real situations. Objectives The present study aimed at employing the problem-based learning (PBL) method in the theoretical physiology of autonomic nervous system (ANS) course for medical students and comparing the results with the customary method of lectures. Methods In 2014, first-year medical students enrolled in the neurology curricular block at Tehran University of Medical Sciences were randomly assigned to two groups. One group participated in classes with lectures, while the other group was divided into subgroups of 10 for PBL sessions. In the first session of PBL, a scenario pertaining to ANS was presented, and then the students were asked to expand the scenario and discuss it using brainstorming method. The first session was held on introducing a reference for studying. In the second session, students in each group presented the results of their individual studies, and a representative from each group gave a report in line with the educational objectives of the class. Finally, a short-answer final test and survey were administered. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and Levene’s test. Results Based on results, mean scores of students in the PBL group (15.20 ± 3.31) were significantly higher than those of students in the lecture group (12.38 ± 4.49) (P < 0.001). Based on the survey, students preferred PBL to lectures. Conclusions PBL promotes motivation, self-confidence, and communication skills, all of which contribute to the better learning of the students who attended the theoretical physiology of ANS course.