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Abstract |
Problem based learning (PBL) has been used in a Bachelor of Nursing course since 1996 and several modifications to this delivery have been made. These changes were in response to concerns from students and tutors that students knowledge level was not appropriate and they were unable to apply this knowledge to their practice. The pure PBL process has been adapted to gradually move from tutor direction to self-direction. This has enabled students to develop critical thinking, problem solving, information retrieval and evaluation skills and group work skills over an 18-week period.However, no rigorous evaluation of these changes had been undertaken and so the purpose of this study was to evaluate how the current format of PBL was meeting students learning needs. An action research method was chosen as most relevant to the context and the questions posed, namely: How useful are the classroom activities in developing students understanding and integration of knowledge? How well do the students perceive they are learning compared to traditional teacher-centred methods?Two cycles of the action research method (Cardno and Piggot-Irvine, 1994) were used, involving four tutors and 17 students. Data was collected both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings indicated the importance of: explaining the purpose and process of PBL; communicating in detail the role of both students and tutors; keeping communication open between students and tutors; addressing timetabling issues and valuing this method of learning for nursing practice. Implications for nursing education are addressed |
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