1. Medical students’ insight about PBL at Alfaisal University, Riyadh

2. Authors – Affiliation Dr. Bibi Kulsoom MBBS, M.Phil Lecturer of Biochemistry Dr. Nasir Ali Afsar MBBS, M.Phil, Ph.D Senior Lecturer of Pharmacology College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Off Takhassusi Road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20122

3. Background Problem-based learning (PBL) is a learning strategy that favors contextual, self-directed, constructive learning for future application. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20123 Barrows, S., and Tamblyn, M. (1980). Problem-Based Learning: An Approach to Medical Education. New York: Springer

4. Background Alfaisal University’s College of Medicine is one of the few institutes in the region which uses PBL as its core strategy in a hybrid, 5-year curriculum for both genders. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20124 Phase-1 Basic Phase-2 Preclinical Phase-3 Clinical

5. Background – AU Curriculum 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20125 Phases 1-3 Semesters 1-10 Course Blocks

6. Background In our setting – the superiority of PBL over lectures: an ongoing debate. – a certain degree of variation regarding PBL’s perception and acceptance. Hence we conducted this study to know about the insight and reflection about PBL among our medical students in basic, pre- clinical and clinical phases. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20126

7. Material & Methods Tool: – A questionnaire consisting of 13 closed-ended questions with “Yes/No/Don’t know” reply options and a single open ended question – Short, once-only, online, force-to-reply survey (alpha 0.8) Interface: E-Learning Management System Subjects: All 320 medical students received the questionnaire link via institutional email, followed by subsequent email reminders. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20127

8. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20128

9. Distribution of Respondents 25-Apr-12SIMEC 20129 n = 83/ 320 = 26%

10. Distribution of Respondents 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201210

11. 1. PBLs make me a self-directed learner 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201211

12. 2. PBLs enable active learning better than lectures 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201212

13. 3. PBLs were more interesting than lectures 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201213

14. 4. PBLs motivated me to consult multiple resources 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201214

15. 5. As compared to lectures, PBLs help me to simultaneously correlate concepts of different basic science subjects 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201215

16. 7. As compared to lectures, PBLs help me to better correlate basic science concepts with clinical presentation of the patients 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201216

17. 6. Discussion during PBL sessions helps me to clear any confusion in my concepts 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201217

18. 8. The concepts which I carried with me to subsequent semesters were largely those which were obtained through PBL 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201218

19. 9. PBL session participation rather than lectures enabled to learn and perform better in clinics 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201219

20. 10. I found it easier to solve questions in exams, about concepts learnt in PBLs rather than lectures 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201220

21. 11. PBLs motivate me to do research 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201221

22. 12. PBLs have increased my ability to work in a team 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201222

23. 13. PBL-based curriculum will make me a better professional 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201223

24. 14. Give one suggestion to improve PBL at AU 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201224

25. Conclusions Most of the students perceived that PBL Makes learning active, interesting, self-directed, constructive and reproducible Favors better team work Would groom them professionally. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201225

26. Limitations Only ¼ students responded. There were minimal respondents from phase-3. 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201226

27. Medical students’ insight about PBL at Alfaisal University, Riyadh 25-Apr-12SIMEC 201227 Take-Home Message: Students’ insight about PBL is positive regarding professional learning, application and development.