Peer consultation as a method for promoting problem-based learning during a paediatrics course.

In problem-based learning (PBL) there are problems during tutorial group sessions, for example lack of participation, interaction and cohesion, and withdrawing. The authors evaluated whether these problems could be avoided with a peer consultation model. Peer consultation takes advantage of cooperation between students by encouraging them to accept more responsibility for learning from their peers. Forty-nine fifth-year students participated in three group sessions where they solved a paediatric case problem. The students were working in small groups, assuming the following roles in turn: presenters, facilitators and observers. The students reported that this consultative method forced one to actually define the problem, helped to develop communication skills and to identify problematic issues from different viewpoints and offered the possibility to evaluate personal problem-solving strategies. The method also gave an opportunity for students to learn in practice how to utilize new technology in data searching. These experiences suggest that the model of peer consultation adds new flavour, increasing enthusiasm in problem-based learning.