Problem-based, self-directed learning
H. S. Barrows
There is an increasing concern that the curricula of many medical schools
put too heavy an emphasis on memorization of facts and little stress on
problem solving or self-directed study skills necessary for the practice of
medicine. Problem-based, self-directed learning is a teaching-learning
method specifically designed to emphasize these skills and to increase the
retention of facts and their recall in the clinical situation. This
approach, built on research into the problem-solving skills of physicians
and principles of educational psychology, is employed by several medical
schools and serves as an antidote to the many educational abuses seen in
more traditional approaches.
