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Tutorials To enhance Tutorials To enhance Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

Student Tutor Training

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Session ObjectivesSession Objectives

Reflect on current tutorial practices Explore the problem issues in tutorial

teaching Understand the different tutorial teaching

strategies Explore the method of problem based

learning in small group teaching Reflect on the implications for future practices

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Session ContentSession Content

Why Students fail to think?Specific tutorial strategies Problem Based Learning

– Problem Design– Working on a problem

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List below some of the activities List below some of the activities that your students engage in that your students engage in

during tutorial classesduring tutorial classes

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Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question

Individually, discuss the THREE major reasons why students fail to think in tutorials.

 1. 

2.   3.

Check out your answer with your group member

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Why Students Fail to Why Students Fail to Think?Think?

Students are used to spoon-feeding in the secondary school days, and are reluctant to take up an active role in tutorials

Students consider tutorials as an alternative form of mini-lectures

Students expect tutors to give them direct answers to assignments or problems in the tutorials

Students are uncomfortable speaking before the whole class. They are afraid of making mistakes

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Why Students Fail to Why Students Fail to Think?Think?

Tutors always think that tutorials are an alternative form of mini-lectures

Tutors have the tendency of repeating what the lecturers say in the tutorials or answering questions relating to specific points of the lecture

Tutors write down solutions without much explanation

Many tutors are reluctant to go beyond the prepared topics

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Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question Individually, think about three solutions that could

help you handle the ‘non-thinking’ syndrome of your students

1.

2.   3.

Check out your answer with your group member

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SolutionsSolutions Create a non-threatening environment for

students to voice out their opinions Create group response sheets and ask students

to put down their answers to be handed in Show your empathy to students’ answers by

providing immediate verbal and written feedback Feedback to students’ answer focus on the

process of solving the problems rather than on the right answers

Always start with simple questions and problems

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SolutionsSolutions

Include group participation skills as one of the criteria in the continuous assessment

Involve students to teach each other and encourage more group activities

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SolutionsSolutions Do your homework! Have a well-planned tutorial. Always remind

yourself that you have to set a real-life problem, use an open-ended tutorial method, involve the students, emphasize the process rather than the answers

Tell the students right from day one that you won’t give direct answer to them in tutorials. Set guiding questions to problems to help students think. Involve students in mini-groups to work on the problem.

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SolutionsSolutions Show the students that tutors sometimes will

always get stuck. This is the time when tutors could open up the tutorial as a mutual learning exercise to involve students. You change your role as a story-teller to a facilitator

If you feel insecure about the content and need to present rather than facilitate, try the MODELS and MIMICS strategy

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What do you think are the key What do you think are the key skills that students should skills that students should acquire through learning in acquire through learning in

tutorials?tutorials?

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What are the different What are the different approaches in tutorial teaching?approaches in tutorial teaching?

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Advice on Using Advice on Using QuickstartsQuickstarts This method is used at the start of the tutorial to

motivate students into active participation Put up an easy problem on the overhead or your

powerpoint slide and get students solve it individually at first

Allow the students to compare answers with their peers – first in pairs and then in groups of four

The problem should be directly related to concepts and issues dealt with in the previous lectures so that tutors can find out how much students know beforehand

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Advice on Using Advice on Using QuickstartsQuickstarts

The problem can be related to concepts and issues to be dealt with later in the tutorial

Problems to check concepts can be either in structured form while problems to lead to later tutorial issues can be more open-ended

The tutorial could be open up to whatever type of activity after the quickstart exercise, except you don’t show the students how to do the problem

Make sure that this activity does not take up the entire tutorial period

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A Sample CaseA Sample CaseFrank 

You are a medical student observing one evening in The Emergency Department. A 20 year old man is brought into the emergency room by paramedics. He had driven his sports car into a tree. He is conscious. He is gasping for air. He has an intravenous line and is receiving oxygen via a mask. The ER physician points out to you that the right chest moves less than the left with inspiration

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Guiding QuestionsGuiding Questions

In groups discuss the possible guiding questions you could set for this tutorial case

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A Sample CaseA Sample CaseWhat do you know from the case OR what

are the important words/phrases?

What are the problem / hypothesis identified and state a rationale for each?

What will be the further information that could help you to understand the situation?

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Working through the caseWorking through the case

Given these guiding questions, how could you work through the case?– Logistics– The journey

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Advice on using TAPSAdvice on using TAPS

This method involves two students in a pair to be involved in the problem solving process

The process allows the students to take up the role of a problem solver or a listener / recorder

The problem solver has to go through every step of the problem solving process and make it clear to the recorder

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Advice on using TAPSAdvice on using TAPS

The recorder has to work with the problem solver closely by making sure that – The problem solver is expressing well– Every points made by the problem solver is

documented

Following this TAPS method, an open class discussion is followed mainly to find out the responses from different pairs

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Advice on using Models Advice on using Models and Mimicsand Mimics

Modeling as a strategy involves the expert showing the novice how to do the problem

The expert could be the instructor or the peer tutor

The novices are the students (imitator or mimics)

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Advice on using Models Advice on using Models and Mimicsand Mimics

Tutor to work out the problem, provide sufficient explanation

Ask a student to repeat before the whole class after you have finished

Within a particular time limit, the student can delegate the duty of imitation to another student. The time limit set ensures that the tutorial will not over-run

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Advice on using Models Advice on using Models and Mimicsand Mimics

The student can also delegate the duty to another student if he/she is stuck

If the student gets stuck, tutor is always welcome to model the problem again, then go back to step 2 and proceed again

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A Sample CaseA Sample CaseFrank 

You are a medical student observing one evening in the Emergency Department. A 20 year old man is brought into the emergency room by paramedics. He had driven his sports car into a tree. He is conscious. He is gasping for air. He has an intravenous line and is receiving oxygen via a mask. The ER physician points out to you that the right chest moves less than the left with inspiration

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A Sample CaseA Sample CaseWhat are Frank’s problems? Car accident; Gasping for air; Receiving oxygenRight chest moves less than left with inspiration Generate a list of hypotheses and state a rationale foreach

Drunk driving – lead to car accident; High speed drivingLung puncture – maybe by a broken rib – can’t get enough airCracked rib; Internal breeding in lungs – can’t oxygenate blood

 

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A Sample CaseA Sample CaseList the learning issues that you will need to

deal with this case and set priorities

 What causes gasping for air?

How does a lung puncture affect respiration?

What are the mechanics of normal respiration?

How does a decrease in oxygen lead to gasping?

How is blood alcohol measured? Does the patient have

to give consent to have this done?

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Problem Based LearningProblem Based Learning

Return to the problem1. Ill-structured

Problem

2. Clarifying concept

3. Defining the problem

4. Analysing the problem/brainstorming

5. Problem analysis

6. Formulating learning objectives

7. Self study

8. Reporting

PBL

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Developing an ill-structured Developing an ill-structured problemproblem

Does the scenario– Require the learner to adopt a role?– Provide a context of time and place?– Provide the learner with information about the

situation?– Require the learner to make a decision or take an

action?– Provide the learner with a sequence of questions

which require a response?• PROBLARC 2000

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Case WritingCase Writing

With reference to the checklist, show how the case of Frank fulfill the requirements for writing a good case

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Reflecting on TeachingReflecting on Teaching

Exercise Individually spend about 6-8 minutes in

writing down some ideas/techniques discussed in this session that will help students learn in tutorials

In pairs, explain to each other what you have written down – and begin to think about some directions for development

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ReferencesReferences Mayer-Smith J.A. & Griffiths, A.J. (1995). Teaching and

learning in genetics tutorials: A handbook of teaching and learning strategies for Biology 334 and Biology 335. Unpublished Monograph. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine (1996). A guide to week and case development. Vancouver, Canada.

University of Newcastle, Problem Based Learning Assessment and Research Centre (2000). Case Based Learning or Problem Based Learning: A Checklist. Newcastle, Australia

Van Til C., & van der Heijden, F. (1998). PBL study skills: an overview. Maastricht, Vakgroep O & O.