Revolutions and Re-Iterations
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Revolutions and Re-iterations An Intellectual History of Problem-based Learning Virginie F.C. Servant 1 REVOLUTIONS & RE-ITERATIONS ISBN: 978-94-6299-432-4 Front cover image: ‘Small Revolutions’, by V.F.C. Servant Printing: Ridderprint BV, www.ridderprint.nl Printed in Riddekerk, the Netherlands. Copyright © 2016 by Virginie F.C. Servant. 2 Revolutions and Re-iterations An intellectual history of problem-based learning Revolutie en rëiteraties Een ideeëngeschiedenis van probleem gestuurd onderwijs Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam op gezag van de rector magnificus Prof.dr. H.A.P. Pols en volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties. De openbare verdediging zal plaatsvinden op vrijdag 18 november 2016 om 13:30 uur door Virginie Felicja Catherine Servant geboren te Gouvieux, Frankrijk iii REVOLUTIONS & RE-ITERATIONS Promotiecommissie Promotoren: Prof.dr. H.G. Schmidt Prof.dr. M.A. Frens Overige leden: Prof.dr. H.T. van der Molen Prof.dr. D.H.J.M. Dolmans Prof.dr. M. Grever Paranymfen: Tung Tung Chan Yannick Servant 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 Methods ............................................................................................................... 7 Data Collection ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Archive Materials ............................................................................................................................... 8 Oral History Accounts ...................................................................................................................... 10 Analysing the data ................................................................................................................................. 21 Whewell’s Inductive Method ............................................................................................................ 21 Processing the data .......................................................................................................................... 23 Post-script on historical bias ................................................................................................................. 26 Chapter 1: The Founding of McMaster University School of Medicine ..... 31 The Founding Fathers ........................................................................................................................... 31 Dr. John Robert Evans ..................................................................................................................... 32 Dr. James Fraser Mustard ............................................................................................................... 35 Dr. William Bray Spaulding ............................................................................................................. 37 Dr. James Edward Anderson ............................................................................................................ 39 Dr. William J. Walsh ........................................................................................................................ 42 The Howard S. Barrows Legacy ....................................................................................................... 43 The Early Education Committee ........................................................................................................... 49 New characters ................................................................................................................................. 49 Role of the Education Committee ..................................................................................................... 51 Long-term perspectives .................................................................................................................... 52 Structure of the Founding Programme .................................................................................................. 53 A systems-based curriculum ............................................................................................................. 54 Small-group, problem-based learning .............................................................................................. 57 To Lecture or not to lecture? ............................................................................................................ 61 On the question of assessment .......................................................................................................... 64 Community-orientation ..................................................................................................................... 67 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 69 Chapter 2: The McMaster Philosophy ........................................................... 71 Searching for the Origins of the Founding Documents ........................................................................ 71 Harry Thode’s Report from 1963 ..................................................................................................... 71 John Evans’ Memorandum from 1966 ............................................................................................. 72 Bill Spaulding’s Report of 1968 ....................................................................................................... 76 Identifying the Intellectual Influences of the Founding Fathers ........................................................... 78 The Flexner Report ........................................................................................................................... 79 The Great Didactic of Comenius ...................................................................................................... 83 John Dewey ...................................................................................................................................... 85 Behaviourism, Humanism and the Mager controversy .................................................................... 90 Learning by Example: Practice-based Influences on McMaster .......................................................... 96 The Harvard Case Method ............................................................................................................... 96 North American Medical Schools ................................................................................................... 104 The Oxbridge Tutorial System ........................................................................................................ 109 Conclusion: A question of context? .................................................................................................... 112 Chapter 3: The Maastricht Educational Challenge .................................... 125 The Founders ...................................................................................................................................... 125 i REVOLUTIONS & RE-ITERATIONS Prof.dr. Harmannus A.W.M. Tiddens ............................................................................................. 126 Prof.dr. Wijnandus H.F.W. Wijnen ................................................................................................ 128 From McMaster to Maastricht ............................................................................................................ 131 Building an undergraduate programme .............................................................................................. 133 A longer curriculum ....................................................................................................................... 133 The problem of problems ................................................................................................................ 135 Re-inventing the tutorial process ........................................................................................................ 137 From pedagogical improvisation to structured training ................................................................ 138 A new type of tutorial group? ......................................................................................................... 140 ‘Anybody can be a tutor’ ................................................................................................................ 143 An experiment in medical skills training ............................................................................................ 148 A breakthrough in assessing PBL ....................................................................................................... 152 Setting the foundations of PBL research ............................................................................................ 155 Chapter 4: The Maastricht Intellectual Debate .......................................... 159 Underpinnings of the Basic Philosophy (1972) .................................................................................. 159 Two paradigms for understanding problem-solving ........................................................................... 160 The Information-processing Position ............................................................................................. 162 The Constructivist Position ...........................................................................................................