Hi, just wondered if anyone else did PBL as a way of learning at their uni?
We dont really have lectures, we have active workshops and PBL sessions, i hadnt done PBL before but really enjoy it, just wondered if other uni's used PBL? and what you think of it?

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Yup our uni used PBL in the first year... Our group HATES it! lol!
Not much help really am I!
I think we got annoyed that we were just sent off to learn things that we all thought we should have had taught IYSWIM.. Also it annoyed us when we were put into groups and so members of the group did bugger all work towards whatever we were doing!

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Duel X
2nd year student midwife
SM.NET Stafford University Representative
Moderator

Yeah it can be an issue, people not pulling their weight..
Our tutor/facilitator tries to make sure everyone speaks when giving feedback on what weve found, and also we all have to submit online.
We did PBL during our inter proffessional learning week where we worked with nurses, OT's and physios (none of them had done PBL before) and most of them hated it, a lot depends on a persons prefered learning style i think aswel.
XX

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Don't get me started on PBL..... arggghh! I hate it. I don't like having preconceived ideas about people, but scuse me for presuming that lecturers were supposed to, well, lecture. I don't seem to retain anything in PBL, except what I have researched. I hate having to rely on other people to research something and report back their findings. There are several people in my group who completely seem to miss the point and go off on a tangent, or present their findings really poorly so that you can't concentrate very well . As a result I feel that I have huge chunks of knowledge missing.

During the 'trigger'/'brainstorming' sessions, instead of sparking intelligent debate, arguments start and we end up rubbing each other up the wrong way. I much prefer to sit and be spoon fed my knowledge!

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3rd year Student Midwife

I like being spoon-fed also. I don't mind labs and researching, but I enjoy lecture. Then, putting it all in practice in a clinical setting. I'm not much for groups, because it seemed like when you get into a group, there is always at least one person who thinks they can sit back and let the rest do for them. Unless I got to choose my own group, then it was fun and interesting.

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Sasha, Doula, Mama, Wife, Student Midwife

Three little wild boys and one soldier husband

The uni I go to uses PBL too.

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Bless you Mum & Dad x
Student Midwife 2007

Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

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We don't do PBL at all really we do a bit od group work but there are always those who don't like/feel they can't contribute and I don't like it for there sakes, as there are always those VERY OPINIONATED ones out there who don't give these ones a chance, and for that reason I dislike it-on behalf of others.

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At first I didnt 'get' PBL I thought it was waffly nonsense but after the first trigger I could see why it was useful. As you progress you experience so many cases that these case studies can really inform, either wholly or in part. If you have a good PBL group (I love mine) it can be a really interesting session. I like active learning I think it helps us to develop into 'thinking practitioners' which in my view is what will continue to take the profession forward.

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I find i learn better when doing PBL. Yes the main problem is if people dont pull there weight but for me its great.

I love PBL, couldn't do with sitting in endless lectures, pretending that i understand and listening to everything, even when I'm really thinking about what I should cook for tea!! In our PBL sessions we come up with 4-5 learning outcomes and we all research each one in depth, i have found it really backed up my knowledge and I practised my breastfeeding knowledge in my first placement.
It doesn't really matter to me that there is one particular person who doesn't contribute, as it is only herself who she is letting down because of the way we do it.