Using Problem Based Learning in Training Health Professionals: Should it Suit the Individual’s Learning Style?

Tsameret Ricon, Sara Rosenblum, Naomi Schreuer

.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2010.11005                

Abstract

Context: Recently, problem-based learning (PBL) methods have been incorporated into occupational therapy (OT) curricula as in healthcare curricula worldwide. Yet, most studies examining the effectiveness of these methods have not taken into account the individuals’ learning style and occupational functioning, despite of their importance. Objective: Our research examined the question of whether specific learning styles correlate with a higher self-evaluation by occupational therapy students of their occupational functioning (learning, studying) during a new course incorporating PBL method and with greater course satisfaction. Methods: 40 female students took part in the study. The various learning demands in the new PBL course are described. We assessed students’ learning styles using Felder’s Index of Learning Styles, while Self-Assessments of Occupational Functioning (SAOF) provided learning outcome data. We used both a modified 23-item SAOF and a novel 26-item adapted version, to examine the occupational functioning required of healthcare practitioners. Course satisfaction was assessed accordingly. Results: Occupational therapy students adopt all learning styles (sensing, intuitive, visual, verbal, active, reflective, sequential, and global) equally. Nevertheless, two-tailed Pearson’s tests revealed that a sensing (i.e. practical, facts-oriented) learning style most strongly correlates with greater assessed occupational functioning in the areas of habituation and performance, e.g. time organization, routine flexibility, and communication (r = 0.33, p < 0.05). An intuitive learning style correlates with a significant ability to identify problems (r = 0.35, p < 0.05) and set goals (r = 0.36, p < 0.05), and global learning style yielded greater course satisfaction (r = 0.56, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Students having sensing and intuitive learning styles gain most from the use of PBL method. Thus, the apparently contradictory findings of earlier research regarding the efficacy of PBL methods may have arisen from differences in the learning styles of the populations surveyed. Since problem- based and traditional teaching methods appear to suit different learning styles and to better impart different skill sets, they should be regarded as complementary.

Keywords

Healthcare Education, Teaching Methods, Occupational Therapy, Occupational Performance (Functioning)

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	P. Moyers, “The Guide to Occupational Therapy Practice,” American Journal of Occupational therapy, Vol. 53, No. 3, 1999, pp. 247-322.
[2]	P. Stern, “Student Perceptions of a Problem-Based Learning Course,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 51, No. 7, 1997, pp. 589-596.
[3]	S. E. Baptiste, “Problem-Based Learning, A Self-Directed Journey,” Slack inc, NJ, 2003.
[4]	A. Bjorklund, “Occupational Therapy Students’ Paradigms: A Passage from Beholder to Practitioner,” Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2000, pp. 97-109.
[5]	B. P. Velde, P. P. Wittman and V. W. Mott, “Hands on Learning in Tillery,” Journal of Transformative Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2007, pp. 79-92.
[6]	S. Novak, S. Shan, J. P. Wilson, K. A. Lawson and R. D. Salzman, “Pharmacy Students’ Learning Styles before and after a Problem-Based Learning Experience,” Ameri- can Journal Pharmacy Education, Vol. 70, No. 4, 2006, pp. 1-8.
[7]	F. Milligan, “Beyond the Rhetoric of Problem-Based Learning: Emancipatory Limits and Links with Andragogy,” Nurse Education Today, Vol. 19, No. 7, 1999, pp. 548-555.
[8]	C. B. Royeen, “A Problem-Based Learning Curriculum for Occupational Therapy Education,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 49, No. 4, 1994, pp. 338- 346.
[9]	M. A. Albanese and S. Mitchell, “Problem-Based Learning: A Review of the Literature on its Outcomes and Implementation Issues,” Academic Medicine, Vol. 68, No. 1, 1993, pp. 52-81.
[10]	K. G. Vorman and N. MacRae, “How Should the Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning in Occupational Therapy Education be Examined?” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 53, No. 5, 1999, pp. 533- 536.
[11]	M. Law, B. Cooper, S. Strong, D. Stewart, P. Rigby and L. Letts, “The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance,” Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 63, No. 1, 1996, pp. 9-23.
[12]	M. McParland, L. M. Noble and G. Livingston, “The Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Compared to Traditional Teaching in Undergraduate Psychiatry,” Medi- cal Education, Vol. 38, No. 8, 2004, pp. 859-867.
[13]	G. R. Norman and H. G. Schmidt, “Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Curricula: Theory, Practice and Paper Darts,” Medical Education, Vol. 34, No. 9, 2000, pp. 721-728.
[14]	J. Cohen-Schotanus, A. M. Muijtjens, J. Sch?nrock- Adema, J. Geertsma and C. Van der Vleuten, “Effects of Conventional and Problem-Based Learning on Clinical and General Competencies and Career Development,” Medical Education, Vol. 42, No. 3, 2008, pp. 256-265.
[15]	J. Colliver, “Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Curricula: Research and Theory,” Academic Medicine, Vol. 75, No. 3, 2000, pp. 259-266.
[16]	G. Goelen, G. De Clercq, L. Huyghens and E. Kerckhofs, “Measuring the Effect of Inter-Professional Problem- Based Learning on the Attitudes of Undergraduate Health Care Students,” Medical Education, Vol. 40, No. 6, 2006, pp. 555-561.
[17]	S. Reeves, L. S. Mann, M. Caunce, S. Beecraft, R. Living and M. Conway, “Understanding the Effects of Problem- Based Learning on Practice: Findings from a Survey of Newly Qualified Occupational Therapists,” British journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 67, No. 7, 2004, pp. 323-327.
[18]	P. L. Schaber, “Incorporating Problem-Based Learning and Video Technology in Teaching Group Process in an Occupational Therapy Curriculum,” Journal of Allied Health, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2005, pp. 110-116.
[19]	M. E. Scaffa, “Effects of Problem-Based Learning on Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 58, No. 3, 2004, pp. 333-336.
[20]	J. Hammel, C. B. Royeen, N. Bagatell, B. Chandler, G. Jensen and J. Loveland, “Student Perspective on Problem-Based Learning in an Occupational Therapy Curriculum: A Multiyear Qualitative Evaluation,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 53, No. 2, 1999, pp. 199-206.
[21]	G. Kielhofner and J. P. Burke, “A Model of Human Occupation, Part 1. Conceptual Framework and Content,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 34, No. 9, 1980, pp. 572-581.
[22]	G. Kielhofner, “A Model of Human Occupation. Theory and Application,” Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1985.
[23]	D. H. J. M. Dolmans, H. G. Schmidt and W. H. Gijselaers, “The Relationship between Student-Generated Learning Issues and Self-Study in Problem-Based Learning,” Journal of Instructional Science, Vol. 22, No. 4, 1994, pp. 251-267.
[24]	R. M. Fedler and L. K. Silverman, “Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education,” Engineering Education, Vol. 78, No. 7, 1998, pp. 674-681.
[25]	R. M. Fedler, “Reaching the Second Tier: Learning and Teaching Styles in College Science Education,” Journal of College Science Teaching, Vol. 23, No. 5, 1993, pp. 286-290.
[26]	B. Soloman and R. M. Felder, “Index of Learning Styles (ILS), http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-ublic/ILSpage.html
[27]	R. M. Felder and J. Spurlin, “Applications, Reliability and Validity of the Index of Learning Styles,” International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2005, pp. 103-112.
[28]	D. A. Cook and A. J. Smith, “Validity of Index of Learning Styles Scores: Ultitrait-Multimethod Comparison with Three Cognitive/Learning Style Instruments,” Medical Education, Vol. 40, No. 9, 2006, pp. 900-907.
[29]	C. R. West, J. H. Kahn and M. M. Nauta, “Learning Styles as Predictors of Self-Efficacy and Interest in Research: Implications for Graduate Research Training,” Training and Education in Professional Psychology, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2007, pp. 174-183.
[30]	P. L. Weiss, N. Schreuer, T. Jermias-Cohen and N. Josman, “An Online Learning Course in Ergonomics,” Work, Vol. 23, No. 2, 2004, pp. 95-104.
[31]	A. T. Litzinger, S. H. Lee, J. C. Wise and R. M. Felder, “A Psychometric Study of Index of Learning Styles,” Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 96, No. 4, 2007, pp. 309-319.
[32]	K. B. Baron and C. Cuurtin, “A Manual for Use with Self-Assessment of Occupational Functioning,” Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1990.
[33]	A. D. Henry, K. B. Baron, L. Mouradian and C. Curtin, “Reliability and Validity of the Self-Assessment of Occupational Functioning,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 53, No. 5, 1999, pp. 482-488.
[34]	B. Messer and S. Hatter, “Manual for the Adult Self- Perception Profile,” University of Denver, Denver, CO, 1986.
[35]	B. Nevo, “Examinee Feedback Questionnaire: Reliability and Validity Measures,” Education & Psychology Measurements, Vol. 55, No. 3, 1995, pp. 499-504.
[36]	V. M. Titiloye and A. H. Scott, “Occupational Therapy Students’ Learning Styles and Application to Professional Academic Training,” Journal of Occupational Therapy and Health Care, Vol. 15, No. 1-2, 2002, pp. 145-155.
[37]	N. Katz and N. Heimann, “Learning Style of Students and Practitioners in Five Health Professions,” Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, Vol. 11, No. 4, 1991, pp. 238-244.
[38]	C. A. Carver, R. A. Howard and W. D. Lane, “Addressing Different Learning Styles through Course Hypermedia,” Transactions on Education, Vol. 42, No. 1, 1999, pp. 33- 38.