ABSTRACT
The group process promotes deep learning by encouraging higher-level activities such as reflection, analysis and evaluation. The strong support by some adult educationalists for small group methods is based on a particular theoretical model of how adults learn. Small group methods have been introduced in universities in parallel with problem-based learning (PBL). PBL is an increasingly popular educational technique which aims to achieve deep learning. It would appear that PBL produces more satisfied students who may perform slightly less well in traditional examinations. Over the past generation, educationalists have come to distinguish between the kind of learning that allows basic assimilation of facts and the deeper level of learning that allows the student to process those facts, link them with other areas of knowledge and apply them to new situations. Experiential learning theories differ fundamentally from both instructivist theories and behaviourist theories.
