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Does problem-based learning work? A meta-analysis of evaluative research

D T Vernon1, R L Blake

  • 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine 65212.

Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
|July 1, 1993
PubMed
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Problem-based learning (PBL) significantly enhances medical students' program evaluations and clinical performance compared to traditional methods. However, differences in factual knowledge and National Board of Medical Examiners Part I scores were not significant, with some data suggesting traditional methods may be superior in specific areas.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Education
  • Educational Psychology
  • Curriculum Development

Background:

  • Traditional medical education methods have been the standard for decades.
  • Problem-based learning (PBL) emerged as an alternative pedagogical approach.
  • Evaluative research comparing PBL and traditional methods is crucial for understanding their relative effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize all available evaluative research comparing problem-based learning (PBL) with traditional medical education methods.
  • To assess the comparative effectiveness of PBL across various student outcomes.
  • To provide evidence-based insights into the value of PBL in medical training.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a comprehensive review of evaluative research from 1970 to 1992.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Performed five separate meta-analyses on 35 studies from 19 institutions.
  • Utilized effect-size and supplementary vote-count analyses where applicable.

    • Main Results:

    • PBL was significantly superior in student program evaluations (dw = +.55) and clinical performance (dw = +.28).
    • No significant differences were found in factual knowledge (dw = -.09) or clinical knowledge (dw = +.08).
    • Traditional methods showed better performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I (NBME I) (dw = -.18), though results were heterogeneous.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings generally support the superiority of the problem-based learning (PBL) approach over traditional medical education methods.
    • PBL positively impacts student attitudes and clinical skills, suggesting its value in medical training.
    • Further research is needed to clarify performance on standardized examinations like the NBME I due to observed heterogeneity.