The effect of problem‐based learning on the academic performance of students studying podiatric medicine in Ontario

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on student achievement. DESIGN: Two cohorts of students studying podiatric medicine in Ontario were compared - one having undertaken the traditional lecture-based curriculum, and the other the problem-based learning programme. SETTING: The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences and The Toronto Hospital. SUBJECTS: Chiropody students. RESULTS: The performance of the students on the written Provincial Registration Examinations of Ontario was analysed utilizing independent t-tests and demonstrated that the PBL cohort of students achieved significantly higher overall examination scores (P < 0.005) than the traditional cohort. Further analysis revealed that no significant difference existed between student cohorts with respect to factual biomedical knowledge (P > 0.5), but that the PBL students performed significantly better in tests of deeper understanding and the cognitive skills related to patient management (P < 0.0005). Additionally, intragroup analysis using Spearman's rank order correlation indicated that there was no rank ordered association between performance on the multiple-choice and essay sections of the examination. CONCLUSIONS: The above results suggest that the PBL cohort of students was more knowledgeable than, and possessed superior cognitively related patient management skills, to their traditional counterparts.