Problem Based Learning
Motivating students is an important first step in teaching and, according to Dr. Don Woods, one of McMaster's authorities on Problem Based Learning, PBL creates motivation. This motivation could result from an intrinsic quality of problems, or, as Dr. Rosemary Leary states, "Problems themselves appeal to the human desire for resolution and harmony..."
Before the introduction of PBL, the standard practice in medical schools has been to create lecture-based curricula in which to impart knowledge to our up and coming physicians. This began to change in the late 1960’s with the introduction of McMaster University’s new approach to medical education. This moment in history has changed the way many medical schools all over the world design and implement their curricula. Howard Barrows is usually credited for being the first person in Canada to apply problem-based learning to medical education. Barrow’s work in PBL during the mid-1960s developed from the concepts around adult learning. PBL was thought to provide a method for students to integrate knowledge across subject boundaries and to develop problem-solving skills. Barrows grouped the objectives of PBL into four areas: structuring of knowledge in clinical contexts, clinical reasoning, self-directed learning skills and intrinsic motivation (Barrows, 1980). McMaster University was the first Canadian Medical School to adopt this model.