Abstract

ESCAYOLA MARANGES, Ana María  and  VILA GANGOLELLS, Montserrat. On the verge of change in University Education. Educ. méd. [online]. 2005, vol.8, n.2, pp.19-23. ISSN 1575-1813.

Changes in society as a whole oblige University education to introduce changes as well. In order to train well-equipped professionals, an open educational model is necessary, based on the ability of the student to learn, to obtain information, and to adapt to the changes inside the profession. The planning of learning programs involves new roles for the teacher and new functions for the student. It requires changes in methodology and in educational strategies. The new information and communication technologies are indispensable instruments for promoting these changes, but they are not enough in isolation. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an innovative instrument in the University setting, increasing students’ motivation, empowering group work, stimulating the search for information and increasing the comprensión and memorizing of knowledge. PBL also emphasizes interdisciplinary work, stressing the need to cooperate and to increase students’ responsibility for their learning. In the field of health sciences, effective learning methods are vital for the training of competent professionals due to the close connection between the educational and work environments.

Keywords : Education; teaching; problem based learning (PBL); competency; higher education in the European region.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )