Analysis of verbal interactions in tutorial groups: a process study

Introduction  Collaborative learning, including problem‐based learning (PBL), is a powerful learning method. Group interaction plays a crucial role in stimulating student learning. However, few studies on learning processes in medical education have examined group interactions. Most studies on collaboration within PBL used self‐reported data rather than observational data. We investigated the following types of interactions in PBL tutorial groups: learning‐oriented interactions (exploratory questioning, cumulative reasoning and handling conflicts about knowledge); procedural interactions, and irrelevant/off‐task interactions.

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