Problem-based projects in medical education: extending PBL practices and broadening learning perspectives

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pedagogy
• Problem-Based Learning

Background:

• Medical education requires innovative approaches to keep pace with evolving medical practices.
• Traditional case-based problem-based learning (PBL) is a cornerstone of medical training.
• There is a need to explore supplementary methods to enhance student learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of project-based problem-based learning (project-PBL) as a supplement to traditional case-PBL.
• To examine how project-PBL influences student engagement, metacognition, and research skill development.
• To understand the distinct learning experiences offered by project-PBL compared to case-PBL.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of project-PBL's potential benefits in medical education.
• Analysis of student engagement and motivation through self-directed learning.
• Assessment of metacognitive skill development in collaborative, facilitator-free settings.
• Evaluation of fostered skills relevant to medical research.
• Illustrative example from Aalborg University's project-PBL implementation.

Main Results:

• Project-PBL can enhance student engagement and motivation by enabling self-directed learning.
• It fosters metacognitive competencies through collaborative learning without direct facilitation.
• Project-PBL cultivates skills and competencies essential for medical research.
• Students experience different learning outcomes from project-PBL versus case-PBL.

Conclusions:

• Project-PBL serves as a valuable supplement to traditional case-PBL in medical education.
• The distinct learning modalities of project-PBL and case-PBL suggest they are complementary, not interchangeable.
• Further research is recommended to fully explore the benefits and optimal implementation of project-PBL.