Twelve tips for recruiting and retaining facilitators in a problem-based learning programme

Abstract

Successful curriculum reform requires considerable staff development. It is imperative for management to ensure that its academic staff members are committed to the change. This requires planning and negotiation. As facilitators form the ‘teaching’ backbone of a problem-based learning programme, faculty management must ensure mechanisms are in place to recruit facilitators, and that once recruited, the experience is sufficiently rewarding personally for their enthusiasm to be sustained. This article offers several solutions to difficulties which many medical schools encounter during the early years of an undergraduate PBL programme which replaces a traditional curriculum. The advice offered ranges from recruiting facilitators from the private sector to encouraging staff to become involved in other areas of curriculum development. Most importantly, however, is the reward and incentive system, which must be well advertised in advance of any programme implementation. The suggestions presented in this article will be useful to faculties planning to implement problem-based learning as well as those who already have a programme in place.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle McLean

PROFESSOR MICHELLE MCLEAN recently accepted a post in Medical Education at the University of the United Arab Emirates after almost 20 years in the Department of Physiology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Jacqueline Van Wyk

JACQUELINE VAN WYK has been involved in facilitator training and evaluation for several years at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal.