Problem-based learning in medical informatics for undergraduate medical students: an experiment in two medical schools

PURPOSE: The objective of this work was to assess problem-based learning (PBL) as a method for teaching information and communication technology in medical informatics (MI) courses. A study was conducted in the Schools of Medicine of Rennes and Rouen (France) with third-year medical students. METHODS: The "PBL-in-MI" sessions included a first tutorial group meeting, then personal work, followed by a second tutorial group meeting. A problem that simulated practice and was focused on information technology was discussed. In Rouen, the students were familiar with PBL, and they enrolled on a voluntary basis, while in Rennes, the students were first-ever participants in PBL courses, and the program was mandatory. One hundred and seventy-seven students participated in the PBL-in-MI sessions and were given a questionnaire in order to evaluate qualitatively the sessions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The response rate was 92.1%. The overall opinion of the students was good. 69.8% responded positively to the program. In Rouen, where the students participated in PBL-in-MI sessions on a voluntary basis, the students were significantly more enthusiastic about PBL-in-MI. Moreover, attitudes and opinions of students are plausibly related to differences in previous PBL skills. The fact that the na?ve group had two tutors, one trained and one na?ve as the students, has been investigated. Teacher naivety was an explanatory factor for the differences between Rennes and Rouen.