The Impact of Problem Based Learning versus Conventional Education on Students in the Aspect of Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving

Introduction: Problem based learning (PBL) since its first implementation is continuous to be one of the method’s strongholds worldwide in medical education and also gaining ground in higher education. This curricular and structural innovation in medical education has certain advantages over the conventional lecture-based education in terms of student achievements, their abilities to learn problem solving skills and acquire knowledge about the basic and clinical sciences. Method: The literature research was conducted by using several keywords including: “PBL, education, medical, reasoning, teaching, undergraduate” (MeSH – Medical Subject Headings). PubMed and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) were the database using for literature review. Result: The traditional teaching methods in medical and higher education show somehow a lack of keeping the traditional knowledge for long-lasting period and just memorisation of the necessary information. The problem based learning by using different format wisely has shifted this knowledge paradigm from teacher-centred to be a student-centred approach. Although, the pros and cons of problem based learning are still indistinct and varies, it’s still more beneficial to the students for structuring their knowledge in clinical contexts, developing clinical reasoning processes, mounting self-directed learning skills and enhancing their intrinsic motivation for learning. Conclusion: The differences between the conventional methods and problem-based learning were covered briefly. After that, the approaches of how the medical students with PBL system, specifically improved their clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills were also demonstrated in details by over viewing some published studies in this prospectus.