The relationship between the monitored performance of tutors and students at PBL tutorials and the marked hypotheses generated by students in a hybrid curriculum

Abstract

Introduction: There have been a number of published studies examining the link between the effectiveness of the problem-based learning (PBL) process and students’ performance in examinations. In a hybrid PBL/lectures curriculum, the results of such studies are of limited use because of the difficulty in dissociating the knowledge gained at lectures from that gained through PBL-related activities. Hence, the objectives of this study were: (1) to develop an instrument to measure the performance of tutors and students at PBL tutorials, and (2) to explore the contribution of such performances to the marks attained by students from the hypotheses generated at PBL tutorials. Methods: A monitoring instrument for assessing the performances of non-expert tutors and students at tutorials was developed and validated using principal component analysis and reliability analysis. Also, a rubric was formulated to enable a content expert to assign marks to the quality of hypotheses generated. Results: The monitoring instrument was found to be valid and reliable. There was a significant correlation between the performance of tutors at tutorials and hypotheses marks. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between the performance of students and hypotheses marks. Discussion: The monitoring instrument is a useful tool for improving the PBL process, especially where the medical programme depends on non-expert PBL tutors. In addition to ensuring good PBL processes, it is important that students achieve the desired output at PBL tutorials by producing hypotheses that help them understand the basic sciences underlying the clinical cases. The latter is achieved by the use of an open-ended rubric by a subject expert to assign marks to the hypotheses, a method that also provides additional motivation to students to develop relevant and detailed hypotheses.

Medical students' perceptions of small group teaching effectiveness in hybrid curriculum

“…The medical school at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, uses a hybrid system of the curriculum where students get the opportunity to learn in two different and distinct teaching methods. [ 13 14 ] One method is the PBL in small group settings whereas the other method comprises the didactic lectures and laboratory practical. Students utilize their previous knowledge and take part actively in the PBL process because the topics covered during the PBL session have already been taught during the didactic lectures.…”

“…Each PBL group, which comprises of 11–13 student and a tutor, meets once a week approximately for three hours. [ 14 ] This is a student-centered approach where a great responsibility is placed on the students. Students volunteer to lead the group, act as scribe to document the contributions made by the group and take part actively in both brain storming and discussion sessions.…”

Best practices to impart clinical skills during preclinical years of medical curriculum

“…PBL as a learning method has been implemented in a significant part of medical education for half a century to improve the application of knowledge by students to diagnose and manage clinical problems. [ 5 ] PBL is a very effective learning method in that it is a vehicle for stimulating academic study that enables the natural acquisition of clinical skills required for health professionals. The benefits of PBL include not only its promotion of efficient knowledge acquisition, self-directed learning, participation, critical thinking, self-reflection, collaborative learning, and communication skills but also many other skills and competencies that are necessary for success in the health professions.…”

“…[ 4 ] Since its' inception in McMaster University in 1969, PBL has become a popular learning approach among the medical institutions across the world, including the University of the West Indies. [ 5 6 ] Simulation-based medical education (SBME) is another useful pedagogical approach that provides medical students with opportunities to practice their clinical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to cope competently with real-life critical situations in a planned and prescribed manner without compromising ethical and legal rights of patients. In a meta-analysis, McGaghie et al .…”

Tutor assessment of PBL process: does tutor variability affect objectivity and reliability?

“…However, the major challenge for PBL is in the assessment of its process. In PBL, tutors’ role is different from the role of a teacher in a traditional and didactic teaching setting [7]. Tutors facilitate active learning, encourage critical thinking, and promote self-directed learning among students [3–5].…”