ADOPTING AND ADAPTING PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING FOR LABORATORY SCIENCE

Problem-based learning (PBL), an instructional format, has gained great popularity in medicine during the last 2 decades. Modest interest in PBL has developed recently in the allied health professions. In PBL, students meet in small groups to solve clinical problems from which they develop a list of learning issues to study on their own. PBL promotes problem-solving skills, self-directed study, group interaction and communication, and the integration of content across disciplines. It is especially suitable to certain student learning styles and can be used to improve information retention. The disadvantages include increased time required, decreased immediate recall of information, and the need for additional reference resources. PBL challenges include assessment of student achievement and ensuring adequate content coverage. The classical medical school model of PBL will require modification for adoption in clinical laboratory science.