Information literacy of medical students studying in the problem-based and traditional curriculum

This paper reports on part of a research project on the relationships between learning methods and students' information behaviour in Finland. In this qualitative study information behaviour is studied in the contexts of a problem-based learning curriculum and a traditional curriculum. In 1998, 16 theme interviews were conducted at the Tampere University medical school, which applied the problem-based learning curriculum and 15 interviews at the Turku University Medical School, in which the traditional curriculum with an early patient contact programme was implemented. The focus of this paper is on the concept of information literacy as a part of the students' information behaviour. The findings indicate that students' information literacy is developed on the other hand through active use of information and sources in connection with real information needs, on the other hand through an educational context which offers opportunities to get different viewpoints on issues. Superiority of small group instruction compared to lecturing as a teaching method on courses in information searching and the importance of the correct timing of the instruction are confirmed.