Neeley believes that PBL enables the students to experience a higher level of learning. Problem-based learning is truly an interactive process where the students learn how to communicate with each other. Learning how to debate with each other on an equal footing has been extremely valuable. Working together in groups leads to a much higher energy level despite the evening hours that are necessary for participants, according to Neeley. What I love is that it is in the evening.
Nobody is passive.
Nobody is asleep. It's something I've never seen, that kind of energy in a classroom, in my 20 plus years of education. The diversity of the experience contributes to the quality of the course as well. I just think they will leave being able to know this is a problem that a dietician could solve, and if I call the dietician this is what I would need to say to them and this is the type of services I should be able to expect from them, or the social worker, or the pharmacist. Determining the educational value of the course has required evaluation of the students and the faculty facilitators.