A Context for Learning: Collaborative Groups in the Problem-Based Learning Environment

Abstract

A central issue in preparing professionals is creating a link between education and practice. A number of instructional strategies have been recommended for facilitating this link including cognitive apprenticeships (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989), the reflective practicum (Schon, 1987), and problem-based learning (Barrows, 1986). Of all these innovative instructional [End Page 347] approaches, problem-based learning (PBL) has perhaps attracted the most attention from educators in such professional fields as nursing, education, and medicine.