Problem-Based Learning Approach in Microbiology

Book excerpt: Problem-based Learning Approach in Microbiology, is an organ-based study of microbiology and infectious diseases using real patient problems (cases) and cases edited for educational purposes. This approach uses case studies to stimulate interactive learning and to facilitate basic knowledge for clinical training. In seven sections, each problem in each section begins with a clinical case scenario and is followed by the learning objectives of the case. The "Question-and-answer section facilitates student-tutor interaction, thereby resulting in a problem-solving approach. The etiological agent is then described in complete detail comprising the epidemiology and pathogenicity of the agent, and the host immune response, clinical manifestations, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. This book includes a wide-spectrum of commonly encountered infectious diseases, emerging infectious diseases, and immunological diseases. This book caters to the need for fundamental knowledge through an alternative approach achieved by dividing the book into sections. This book facilitates a more effective learning process thereby ensuring better information retention, correlation with real-life scenarios, and better applicability of the concepts. - Provides real clinical cases ensuring exposure to real clinical cases and stimulating interactive learning, in addition to enhancing the readers' ability to correlate concepts in microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases with real clinical cases. - Includes a question-and-answer section--This section facilitates student-teacher interaction, thereby resulting in a problem-solving approach and ensuring better retention of information. - In the "Microbiology" section –—each chapter focuses on the etiological agent responsible for the disease manifested in the particular case. This section gives a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology and pathogenicity of the agent, and also the host immune response, clinical manifestations, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures.