Problem‑seeking Learning in Medical Education

Abstract

Sir, The term “problem‑seeking learning” does not exist anywhere in the lexicon of pedagogy. It is a term coined by me to drive home the limitations of problem‑based learning (PBL). At present, a widely accepted method of teaching PBL was pioneered in the medical school program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in the late 1960s by Howard Barrows and his colleagues as a succor to disenchanted medical students, who perceived the vast amount of facts taught in the first 3 years of medical school as having little relevance to the practice of medicine.^[1] PBL is a form of active learning in which, through the experience of solving problems, students not only learn about a subject but also discover newer thinking strategies.^[2] The role of the tutor is to support, guide, and monitor the learning process. Although hailed and heralded as a novel form of education, PBL is nothing new. it has always been the bedrock of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering.Read more....