U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  P I T T S B U R G H

October, 2001 

Problem-Based Learning, A Teaching Strategy to Link Theory and Clinical Practice: A Pilot Study

Dr. Susan Albrecht, School of Nursing, received an ACIE award for her proposal titled, Problem-Based Learning, A Teaching Strategy to Link Theory and Clinical Practice: A Pilot Study. This project will assess the effectiveness of problem-based instruction in comparison to traditional lecture-based instruction in preparing sophomore, medical-surgical nursing students for the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed in clinical settings. Half of the identified student sample will receive traditional lecture-based instruction while the other half will be divided into small groups and presented with problem-based case scenarios to resolve collaboratively. The groups will decide how to approach the case and ultimately each member will bring information back to the group. This past summer, scenarios were designed to enhance the course content, and five nursing education graduate students will be trained to assist Albrecht with facilitating groups in the fall.

Problem-based instruction has been used in other health-related fields based on the assumption that this approach mimics the real world’s team-driven patient care approach more effectively than do more traditional instructional models. Students are expected to collect, assess, and integrate information (drawn from multiple sources) with their theoretical and conceptual knowledge base. This process is intended to contribute to students’ overall learning and long-term knowledge. This study will explore the accuracy of this assumption. At the end of the term, focus groups will provide feedback on the two instructional models.

Albrecht has been teaching and mentoring nursing students at Pitt since 1976, in both her classroom and through her research. She was recognized with the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000.

 

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