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9th Annual Meeting 
of the 
International Association of Medical Science Educators 

July 14-19, 2005
 

Abstract Category: General

Poster ID: G5

PROBLEMS WITH PBL – INSIGHTS FROM THE BERLIN CURRICULUM
Jörg Pelz^1,2*, Andreas Stein², Simone Scheffer², and Dagmar Rolle² (1)Prodekanat für Studium und Lehre, (2) Reformstudiengang, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany.

Students in the Berlin Reformed Medical Curriculum Track at the Charité Berlin work with paper cases based on complex real patient casuistics in a problem based learning (PBL) format for five years. The curriculum has no courses in the traditional disciplines. PBL is the central learning format supplemented by seminars, clinical skills training and laboratory courses. During semesters six to ten the theoretical modules represent the different periods of life during which students attend seven blocks of clinical training. From several systematic reviews of PBL curricula one can conclude, that students are more likely not to study for memorization but for understanding. Even if the changes in learning format from traditional to PBL result in now difference as far as knowledge is at issue, studies generally attest that students enjoy PBL much more than a lecture-based (systematic) approach. – Therefore we were astonished to detect, that in some of our PBL groups during the course of the 8^th semester students confederate with PBL tutors started to cheat – certifying regular attendence by mutual agreement without physical presence. We invited all students during their 9^th semester for personal semi-structured interviews – no one refused to participate. Information was collected and recorded about different aspects of PBL, learning strategies, influence and role of BPL tutors. Quantitative and qualitative analysis resulted in complex picture of subjective and objective factors influencing (non)satisfaction with BPL.

PBL continued during the 9^th and 10^th semester without any further problems.

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