Evaluation of an e-PBL model to promote individual reasoning

Medical educators should promote the development of student clinical reasoning toward independence in clinical settings. The objective of this study was to evaluate an online problem-based learning (e-PBL) model designed to promote student individual reasoning in supplement to traditional PBL.

Twelve e-PBL modules were added to the fully problem-based curriculum for Year 2 at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine (SKKUSOM). In this e-PBL, students worked on the problems individually in an online setting, followed by face-to-face discussions in a colloquium. The cases were presented using interactive multimedia to enhance the authenticity of the case and stimulate student interest in learning. A formative evaluation study was conducted to determine student satisfaction with e-PBL and its effectiveness as perceived by the students using both quantitative and qualitative methods. A cohort of Year 2 students at SKKUSOM (n = 38) took part in this study.

Students perceived e-PBL significantly more positively after they had taken a module in terms of its ability to foster problem-solving skills and its ability to allow them to learn in ways suited to individual learning styles. Additionally, student survey and interview revealed that a vast majority of students were satisfied with the overall learning process in e-PBL and perceived it positively in fostering knowledge acquisition and clinical reasoning. Moreover, students found the cases realistic and engaging.

The results show the potential of e-PBL to enhance traditional PBL by promoting the development of individual reasoning in a flexible online-learning environment and offering cases in an interactive multimedia format, which warrants further investigation into its impact on student learning outcomes.