Students' thoughts during problem-based small-group discussions

Small-group discussions are a cornerstone of problem-based learning. Usually, when one student speaks, the others are silent. Silent students may think about various topics. The question is how far these thoughts are pertinent to the subjects under discussion. This covert behavior is directly tapped by means of the thought-sampling method (using a beeper to signal the students to report). The reproduced thoughts were classified and the percentage of relevant thoughts calculated. At the end of the last group session the students completed a questionnaire. Approximately three-quarters of the thoughts reported were task-relevant. Students showed proper self-knowledge about their own level of attention.