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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.