Implementation and Implications

Problem based learning (PBL) is a relatively new term of educating medical students. In its own right, it claims to reform the face of medical education. The paradigm shift of medical education towards PBL has closely paralleled with the timing of information explosion in 21st century. It is a learning system design that incorporates several educational strategies to optimize student – centered learning outcomes beyond just knowledge acquisition. It has now spread widely across the world and is now being adopted globally 1,2. Its adoption in a country with meager resources and with a large number of students in each year of medical school is a difficult task. It needs a cautious beginning after deliberating on all its positive and negative outcomes. Problem based learning finds its roots in the Structuralism and Pragmatism schools of philosophy. On the basis of these philosophical concepts, the three main requirements of PBL are learning by doing, learning in context and focusing on students3 . In our conventional teaching methods, the teacher has got the pivotal place. But, PBL shifts the teaching methodologies from teacher – centered learning methodologies (for example, lectures in large auditoriums) to student – centered learning strategies (for example, active discussions and problem solving by students in small groups under the guidance of faculty members). Delivery of instructions in PBL involves active peerteaching – learning in an open communication style2,4 . PBL implicates fostering of selfdirected learning and its prospects deal with depth and retention of knowledge and clinical reasoning skills. Problems are used to define learning goals and to stimulate students’ interest (brain – storming) in various aspects of an item, rather than just for problem solving. PBL has the potential to prepare students effectively for future learning because it is based on four modern insights into learning: constructive, selfdirected, collaborative and contextual .The enhanced work environment for students and faculty that has been consistently found in PBL is also a worthwhile goal 5-9 . In PBL teacher plays a role that is different from the role of a teacher in a conventional teaching format. PBL, out rightly seems to be student – centered. In the small group tutorials of a PBL curriculum, the teacher is assigned to facilitate the process of self – directed learning, and needs not necessarily be a subject matter expert. Teacher is supposed to stimulate the discussion, selflearning and to detect gaps in understanding. Teacher should be proficient in asking probing questions, encouraging students to pursue learning errors and then to share his experiences in objective evidence based manner 6, 8, 10, 11