Effectiveness in learning complex problem solving and salivary ion indices of psychological stress and activation

Following Hinton et al. (1992, Biol. Psychol. 33, 63–71) and Richter et al. (1995, Biol. Psychol. 39, 131–142) ionic concentration of [K⁺] in unstimulated saliva was predicted to rise with perceived challenge, while lowered [Na⁺] was expected when experiencing psychological stress (PS). Subjects had to learn an engaging complex problem-solving ‘game', via positive and negative feed-back on three ‘games' lasting 2.5–3.0 h overall. Comparisons were made between three groups: (1) high success; (2) partial success (‘strugglers'); and (3) total failure to learn. Saliva was sampled after resting and after each of three ‘games'. Successful learners had a significant rise in [K⁺] on the first ‘game' followed by a significant fall, consistent with task-challenge reaction followed by fast autonomic adaptation with successful learning. The ‘strugglers' [Na⁺] fell significantly over the ‘games', indicating mineralocorticoid-induced PS response of Na⁺ reabsorption. The ‘total failure' subjects had generally significantly higher [K⁺] than the successful ones, showing raised tonic sympathetic relative to parasympathetic activity — this outcome being interpreted from interference theories. The ‘failures' also had significantly higher tonic [Na⁺] on ‘games' — indicating low PS as predicted from McGrath's (1976) theory.     

病理生理学PBL教学改革的探索和实践

本文介绍了我系自2004年起开展以心力衰竭为专题的PBL教学改革。学生根据病例自学心力衰竭的病理生理知识,各小组推荐发言人对所学知识进行总结陈述,并写出相关的读书报告。在PBL教学工作中,编写病例和小组讨论十分重要,同时要注重教师角色的转换以及与其他学科的配合。     

Integrating applied anatomy in surgical clerkship in a problem-based learning curriculum

Little attention has been given to structured teaching of applied anatomy to senior medical students in problem-based learning (PBL) medical schools. A course named Anatomical Principles in Surgical Practice was introduced at the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) in 2001 for fifth- and sixth-year medical students during their surgical clerkship rotation. The course aims to emphasize, update and integrate applied anatomical concepts that are essential for surgical practice. The course consists of 15 interactive sessions held weekly to ensure topics coincide with the surgical problem-solving sessions. A questionnaire was administered to students completing their surgical rotations (n=131) seeking their perceptions about the new course during the academic years 2001, 2002 and 2003. To measure learning outcome, 70 students were also given pre- and post-tests. Positive responses were given by 85.2% of the students for course arrangement, by 92.0% for course content, by 88.3% for clinical correlation, by 95.2% for level of teaching and by 87.2% for overall judgment. The students mean scores in the post-test (71.7%±11.7) was significantly higher than their mean scores in the pre-test (42.3%±12.6, p<0.001). Students liked the course and reported feeling more confident in correlating anatomy with surgery during their rotations. By extending anatomical teaching into the clerkship phase, a link between basic medical and clinical sciences has been established that further enhances vertical integration within a PBL curriculum in a spiral fashion.     

Problem-based learning outcomes: the glass half-full.

PURPOSE: To compare the characteristics and outcome data of students from a single institution with a two-track, problem based learning (PBL) and standard (STND) curriculum. METHOD: PBL and STND students from nine graduating classes at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine were compared using common medical school performance outcomes (USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2, clerkship mean ratings, number of clerkship honors and remediation designations, and the senior clinical competency exam), as well as common admission and demographic variables. RESULTS: PBL students were older, and the cohort had a higher proportion of women. The two tracks had similar USMLE Step 1 and 2 mean scores and pass rates. Performance differences were significant for PBL students in two clerkships as well as in the clerkship subcategories of clinical performance, knowledge and clinical reasoning, and noncognitive behaviors. In addition, the proportion of PBL students earning honors was greater. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional undergraduate educational outcomes for the PBL and STND students are very positive. In several of the clerkship performance measures, the PBL students performed significantly better, and in no circumstance did they perform worse than the STND students.     

以问题为基础的教学法在儿科腹泻病液体疗法临床见习中的应用

目的评价问题为基础的教学法（Problem Based Learning，PBL）在儿科临床见习中的应用效果。方法随机选择2004级五年制临床医学专业在我院儿科见习的4个见习小组为PBL组，实行PBL教学法；随机选择另三个3个见习小组为传统组，实行传统教学法。进行问卷调查，比较学生对PBL教学和传统教学的态度，比较两组学生理论考试成绩。结果PBL组92．31％以上学生对PBL教学持肯定态度，而传统组仅46．86％学生对传统教学持肯定态度。结论PBL模式教学效果优于传统教学方法，可用于儿科临床见习教学。     

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.     

Teaching of anatomical sciences: A blended learning approach

Blended learning is the integration of different learning approaches, new technologies, and activities that combine traditional face‐to‐face teaching methods with authentic online methodologies. Although advances in educational technology have helped to expand the selection of different pedagogies, the teaching of anatomical sciences has been challenged by implementation difficulties and other limitations. These challenges are reported to include lack of time, costs, and lack of qualified teachers. Easy access to online information and advances in technology make it possible to resolve these limitations by adopting blended learning approaches. Blended learning strategies have been shown to improve students’ academic performance, motivation, attitude, and satisfaction, and to provide convenient and flexible learning. Implementation of blended learning strategies has also proved cost effective. This article provides a theoretical foundation for blended learning and proposes a validated framework for the design of blended learning activities in the teaching and learning of anatomical sciences. Clin. Anat. 31:323–329, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

PBL教学法在胸心外科教学中的应用

PBL（problem-based learning,PBL）教学法即＂基于问题式学习＂,是以临床实践问题为出发点,以学生为主体、教师为主导,围绕某一临床病例的诊治等专题,通过小组讨论的形式进行研究性学习[1]。胸心外科专业性、实践性强,根据我校人才培养方案和课程标准,其教学时间较短、内容少,导致学生对胸     

基于网络平台的PBL教学法在医学微生物学教学中的应用初探

以问题为基础的学习（PBL）教学法是上世纪六十年代末在北美开始兴起的一种新的教学模式,是我国高等医学院校教育改革的新方向。本教研室近年开始在医学微生物学部分教学中试行网络教学与PBL教学相结合的新模式,即以案例讨论作为PBL教学的形式,并建立了方便师生交流的PBL教学网络交流平台,结果表明教学效果良好。     

Comparability of developmental cognitive assessments between standard and computer testing methods

Substantial questions have been raised about the validity of using computer-based testing to assess cognitive development with young children. However, little work has been done to assess the comparability of performance elicited using computerized methods with performance garnered using standard testing methods. The purpose of this study was to establish whether computerized testing resulted in performance that was different than established performance norms for infant monkeys (Macaca nemestrina) tested on four highly used cognitive tasks. Infants performed comparably on simple discrimination, reversal learning, and delayed nonmatch to sample rule learning. However, the infants tested in a computer testing-environment appeared to have difficulty on a task that required them to form response strategies. The results of the study reveal some apparent limitations of computer-based testing with infants, but do show that performance on several common cognitive tasks is comparable between the environments.     

PBL教学法在八年制医学免疫学理论教学中的实践

PBL教学法是我国教学发展改革的方向之一,为了探索八年制医学免疫学理论课教学的新方法,从2007年起我们将传统教学与PBL教学法相结合的新模式应用于我院2004和2005级八年制医学免疫学的理论教学中。先以传统教学方法课堂讲授基础知识,然后安排PBL讨论课,学生进行自由讨论和发言,教师从旁引导;通过课堂反应和问卷调查评估教学效果。结果表明,这种新的教学模式受到了学生的欢迎和认可,教学效果良好。     

Problem-based learning with gross anatomy specimens: One year trial

A problem-based learning experience was implemented at the University of Florida College of Medicine during the Fall, 1989 gross anatomy course for first year medical and dental students. A problem for deliberation was selected by students at one dissecting table (two medical and two dental) that related to the cadaver they were dissecting. Each member of the group picked a single topic and researched that subject either through use of the library or personal contacts with basic science or clinical faculty. Specific times within the course were established for the problem-based sessions. Each student gave a 5 to 10 minute oral presentation to a faculty member and one or two other groups of students. The overall rating for the sessions by the students was positive (72.5% ranked them either outstanding or above average). Eighty-two percent of the students felt that these sessions were a useful method of providing clinical correlations with gross anatomy and 81.6% stated they thought the program should be continued next year. Conversely, approximately 20% of the students responded that they could have been doing something more productive with their time and several felt it was unfair that their sessions were scheduled just prior to an examination. Overall, the opinion of the faculty was that the sessions were a positive experience, encouraged cooperation between medical and dental students, and generated additional interest in the dissecting experience.     

Evolutionary learning processes as the foundation for behaviour change

We argue that the active ingredients of behaviour change interventions, often called behaviour change methods (BCMs) or techniques (BCTs), can usefully be placed on a dimension of psychological aggregation. We introduce evolutionary learning processes (ELPs) as fundamental building blocks that are on a lower level of psychological aggregation than BCMs/BCTs. A better understanding of ELPs is useful to select the appropriate BCMs/BCTs to target determinants of behaviour, or vice versa, to identify potential determinants targeted by a given BCM/BCT, and to optimally translate them into practical applications. Using these insights during intervention development may increase the likelihood of developing effective interventions – both in terms of behaviour change as well as maintenance of behaviour change.     

PBL教学法运用在寄生虫学教学中的体会

本文介绍在人体寄生虫学教学中以问题为基础的学习（PBL）教学方法应用的体会，探讨在人体寄生虫学教学中推行PBL教学方法可能性。     

A comment on the evidence for learning in diptera

We find that the two reviews of dipteran learning in the September 1984 issue ofBehavior Genetics present a more optimistic view than is warranted by a close examination of their references. Also, because of the absence of adequate control experiments, we question whether successful selective breeding for learning ability in the blow fly has yet been demonstrated. Much of our criticism of the two reviews arises from their failure to distinguish between validly measuring learned behavior in individual flies and the inability to infer from group performance that a given individual has learned. We discuss an approach that can be used to measure learning in individual flies as well as in subsequent selective breeding for learning ability.