From tradition to transformation: Revolutionizing medical education for the digital age through virtual problem-based learning

In the field of medical education delivery, problem-based learning (PBL) is an important teaching–learning method owing to the active engagement of students.[1] PBL plays a pivotal role in the making of a lifelong learner by cultivating the skill of self-directed learning, which in turn enables medical students to adapt to real-world professional challenges and thereby develop a mindset of continuous improvement.[1,2] Further, it also promotes interdisciplinary learning by encouraging students to establish linkage between different specialties, which in turn ensures a holistic understanding of complex medical issues.[3] Owing to the emergence of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, different health-care institutions colleges resorted to virtual PBL and reported encouraging results.[4,5] VIRTUAL PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING Virtual PBL is an innovative pedagogical approach that merges the principles of PBL with the benefits of online and digital technologies.[6] In the current era, the utility and scope of virtual learning environments have significantly increased, as it gives a platform for teachers to engage students and provide them with interactive learning experiences.[6,7] Virtual PBL has the potential to expose students to authentic and real-world scenarios that essentially require active participation and collaboration.[7] This motivates medical students to work in virtual teams, and also apply their knowledge to come out with solutions to complex problems. Further, owing to the online discussions, virtual presentations, and asynchronous collaboration, students also acquire a wide range of skills, namely communication, teamwork, and self-directed learning, which are a must in the making of a competent healthcare professional.[5–7] DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING As educators, we must ensure the creation of an engaging and meaningful learning experience for medical students.[5,7] The process of design and implementation of virtual PBL in any institution depends on the successful execution of multiple steps.[8–13] The first and foremost step will be to select and formulate authentic problems (viz., relevant, realistic, and aligned with the learning objectives) that are crucial in the conduct of virtual PBL.[7,8] These problems must represent challenges prevailing in the real world, and their resolution must depend on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The selection of such problems should be made by the facilitators after giving due consideration to the available resources and technological tools in the virtual learning environment.[7,8] The successful conduct of virtual PBL also depends on the making of virtual PBL groups and assigning specific roles and responsibilities to each member of the group.[9] It is quite essential that facilitators should acknowledge the strengths, backgrounds, and interests of the students, and then create groups of students, which will play a crucial role in the formation of a balanced group and enriching discussions.[10] At the same time, it is must that clear guidelines with regard to the etiquette to be followed, the responsibility of the group (including expectations), the timeline of various events, communication framework, etc., should be framed and informed to all the students.[9,11] In addition, we must also assign specific roles (such as leader, timekeeper, and recorder) for different members of the group to distribute work and promote better teamwork, and these roles should be changed in different virtual PBL sessions to give an opportunity to everyone.[2,3,11] We all know that the virtual collaboration tools (such as discussion boards and video conferencing) and platforms (such as video conferencing platforms, learning management systems, and instant messaging platforms) ultimately will define the extent of communication, information sharing, and collaboration between team members of each group.[10,12,13] These tools and platforms must be available to students for use both synchronously and asynchronously (to simulate face-to-face interactions in virtual settings).[11–13] However, to ensure that these tools and platforms are optimally utilized, it is must that facilitators as well as students should be trained to use them. Moreover, the effectiveness of virtual PBL will be determined by the effective integration of technology, and all options should be explored to ensure that the sessions remain engaging for students.[4,12,14] We must also give importance to the process of assessment and feedback delivery, as both are crucial aspects and components in the successful conduct of virtual PBL. The designed assessment should be in alignment with the learning objectives and must give opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge application and problem-solving skills. We can either decide on individual assignments (such as reflective writing, which also has the potential to minimize the chance of plagiarism) or group presentations, online quizzes, or even peer assessments. Further, it is critical that the assessment criteria are clear and communicated to students in advance to enable fair and consistent evaluation. In addition, it is very important that facilitators provide timely and constructive feedback to the students to aid in the learning process and academic progression. Further, it will be really good, if we leverage technology to streamline the assessment and feedback process by using online platforms for submission of assignments, grading, and providing feedback to the student.[10–14] MERITS ATTRIBUTED TO VIRTUAL PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING Similar to any other online model of learning, virtual PBL offers a wide range of benefits to all stakeholders.[4,6–8,15] To begin with, students from different geographical regions can participate in the learning sessions, thus providing an opportunity for students to indulge in interactive learning which might not be possible if they are unable to attend traditional face-to-face sessions.[4,6] Further, as students who participate in virtual PBL sessions can be from different backgrounds (including different nations), it becomes a wonderful opportunity for the medical students to collaborate, gain insights from other participants and learn from their experiences.[7,8] From the administrator’s perspective, this pedagogical method can prove to be cost-effective, as it minimizes the requirement for physical infrastructure, conveyance charges, and other logistics that are required for the conduct of conventional PBL.[6,7] At the same time, these virtual sessions give the option of flexibility to students, wherein they can plan their individual learning at their own pace, which is a very crucial aspect of adult learning.[4,5] This also becomes quite important in saving time for students, as they can also engage in fruitful and meaningful discussions asynchronously. In addition, this platform also acts as a medium for the students to focus on their individual learning needs.[4–6] In accordance with the merits attributed to traditional PBL sessions, even virtual PBL puts a strong emphasis on the active engagement of the students, wherein they acquire the skills of application of knowledge to problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-directed learning.[1–3,15] Moreover, the engagement can be further augmented by the inclusion of interactive multimedia and gamification elements, which also aids in motivating students to learn.[9,11,12] Further, as students can receive immediate feedback from their peers and facilitators, the learning becomes deep and long-term. As students get involved in virtual PBL, their overall digital literacy skills (viz., using online platforms, and digital resources) also develop and thus they prepare themselves for the essential needs of the digital era.[6,8] In continuation, students become more familiar with online libraries, databases, etc., which not only augments the range of information available for students but also prepares them for practicing evidence-based medicine. Furthermore, virtual PBL encourages medical students to indulge in online research, explore a wide range of learning resource materials, and learn the art of critically evaluating information. IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS The adoption of virtual PBL in any medical institution is expected to have some resistance and is bound to have some challenges as well. These challenges could be from the student’s perspective (viz., reluctance, poor group dynamics, and social isolation), teacher’s perspective (viz., reluctance, lack of familiarity, fairness in evaluation.), administrator’s perspective (such as financial investment at the start, monitoring progress), or miscellaneous (like poor access, technological constraints, etc.).[4,5,16,17] We must respond to these identified challenges by implementing appropriate strategies, as this will aid in creating a more effective and supportive learning environment for students [Table 1].[4,6–9,11,12,14,16,17]Table 1: Identified challenges in virtual problem-based learning and the potential solutionsCONCLUSION The conduct of virtual PBL has been linked with multiple merits and opportunities for students to learn in the current era of the digital age. Virtual PBL has the potential to revolutionize education and enhance the quality of learning experiences for learners worldwide. It is the need of the hour to leverage the potential of virtual PBL and create engaging learning environments for students to empower them to acquire essential skills and competencies. Financial support and sponsorship None. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.