Evaluation of an Open Learning Environment

Abstract

Educational goals have generally shifted from knowing everything in a specific domain to knowing how to deal with complex problems. Reasoning and information processing skills have become more important than the sheer amount of information memorized. In medical education, the same evolution occurred. Diagnostic reasoning processes get more strongly emphasized. Whereas previously knowing all symptoms and diseases was stressed, reasoning skills have become educationally more important. They must enable professionals to distinguish between differential diagnoses and recognize patterns of illnesses (e.g., Myers & Dorsey, 1994).