Objective: The purpose of this article is to report on a study conducted to investigate the additional value of lectures in problem-based learning. We hypothesized that lecture quality, as indicated by students, would have a positive influence on time students would spend on self-study, that they would increase intrinsic interest in subject matter and would have a positive influence on achievement. Lecture quality would, in this view, add to other factors that play a role in problem-based learning, such as prior knowledge of students, the quality of problems presented, the functioning of the tutor and small-group collaboration. Method: The hypothesis on the influence of lecture quality on learning was assessed by means of testing a structural equating model, using data from 1500 students. Discussion and conclusions: We concluded that lecture quality does not affect time spent on study, does not add to achievement and does not influence intrinsic interest in subject matter. Post-hoc analysis, however, demonstrated the quality of lectures was related to other components of problem-based learning, not part of the presented model, such as students' perceptions of lectures as organizer of their study efforts or lectures as a means of putting the problems into a broader perspective.

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doi.org/10.1080/13576280500042648, hdl.handle.net/1765/63720
Education for Health: Change in Learning and Practice
Department of Psychology

Berkel, H., & Schmidt, H. (2005). On the additional value of lectures in a problem-based curriculum. Education for Health: Change in Learning and Practice, 18(1), 45–61. doi:10.1080/13576280500042648