Using problem-based learning to improve educational outcomes

As the health care industry and the occupational therapy profession experience rapid change and growth, our professional preparation and continuing education must prepare graduates and therapists for an evolving practice environment. By exploring and evaluating alternative teaching methods and their impact on educational outcomes, occupational therapy educators demonstrate their commitment to improving the quality of student education. This article proposes that the traditional educational paradigm prepared clinicians for the old health care environment, and that problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational strategy that could prepare occupational therapists for success in a new practice environment that values cost, quality, and customer satisfaction. The PBL approaches used by various international occupational therapy educators are reviewed to highlight the strategies that have been implemented to achieve educational objectives that parallel the requirements of this new practice environment. Copyright © 1996 Whurr Publishers Ltd.