History of the use of the problem-based learning method in medical and health sciences schools

History of the Use of the Problem-Based Learning Method in Medical and Health Sciences Schools Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation History of the Use of the Problem-Based Learning Method in Medical and Health Sciences Schools The medicine and health sciences industry is highly dynamic thereby demanding continuous changes in knowledge acquisition and application. Throughout history, stakeholders in medicine and health sciences have adapted to the needs of the industry. Part of such needs include swift changes in the demand for healthcare services, the determination to adapt to technological changes, and advancements of more practical approaches to healthcare practice. Reactively, the educational strategies changed to match the dynamism. Part of the most considerable changes that medicine and health sciences have experienced in education is the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL). PBL is a new learning technique that was structured to eliminate conventional teacher-led education. In PBL, students are actively involved in the knowledge acquisition process. PBL came with unique characteristics that include active learning and student-centered learning that propelled its popularity. Amidst its seeming fit, PBL was implemented in medicine and health sciences long after its application had been noted in other industries. In this analysis, emphasis is put on exploring the history of the use of the problem-based learning method in medical and health sciences schools. The analysis is vital in understanding the adoption of PBL in North America, Europe, and the rest of the world as different industries unearthed its value. The origins of PBL in medicine and health sciences education can be traced back to the 1960s. At the time, two academicians, Michael G. DeGroote and Howard S. Barrows of McMaster University, Canada fostered challenging the prevalent teaching strategies in medicine and health sciences at the time (Huggett & Quesnelle, 2022). Michael and Howard noted that the conventional lecture-based approaches to learning for more suitable approaches. The pioneers suggested the implementation of PBL with a focus on two aspects. The primary aspect of focus was to instigate learner activity in medicine and health sciences. Conventionally, learning was controlled by lecturers/teachers who dominated the entire process. Through such conventional learning prospects, students were not allowed to partake in the class activities. The second objective of PBL would be to steer learning through student-centered lenses. That is, Michael and Howard needed learners to be the leaders in the learning process (Walsh, 2013). As per the objectives of the two pioneers, the implementation of PBL at McMaster University would ease the ability of the learners to blend the theories learned in class with their experiences and applications in real-world settings. The implementation of PBL was not so swift even though its advantages over...