How experienced tutors facilitate tutorial dynamics in PBL groups

Figures & data

Table

Practice points

The experienced tutors used a rich repertoire of techniques and there were carefully considered reasons for the execution of these techniques to facilitate tutorial dynamics. The 48 tutorial skills concerning the tutorial dynamics can be used as teaching materials in faculty training. The intentions behind tutor interventions were grouped under four themes: iterate the principles of PBL, delegation of the learning responsibility to the students, construct a good discussion forum, and construct a good learning atmosphere. It is worth further exploring what factors affected the tutors’ behavior and under which conditions a tutor's behavior could achieve the best educational results.

Table 1.  Demographic characteristics for the eight experienced tutors

Tutor	Department	Unit of video recording	Male/female	Years of PBL teaching experience
1	Clinical psychology	Psychopathology	Female	2
2	Clinical psychology	Psychoanalysis	Female	2
3	Nursing	Nursing theory	Female	2
4	Nursing	Community nursing	Female	2
5	Medicine	Central nervous system unit	Male	2
6	Medicine	Peripheral neuro-muscular system unit	Male	2
7	Medicine	Respiratory unit	Female	3
8	Medicine	Cardiovascular unit	Female	3

Table 2.  Example of data analysis from one tutorial episode

Situation when a tutor intervened	Tutor's behavior	Researchers’ description of the skill showed by the tutor	Tutor's explanation of his/her intention	Researchers’ summary of tutor's intention
Non-verbal negative response	Have you decided to move on to the next page? Some of you are becoming impatient	To confirm if the students really wanted to move on to the next chapter/page	As tutors, we have to ask them to reconsider the rush to move on to the next chapter/page	Wanted the students to focus on one learning issue
		Pointing out the impatient behavior of students	I asked them not to jump to the next chapter so quickly. They should consider the materials at hand more closely.	Wanted to encourage them to attempt more discussion of the current materials

Table 3.  The 48 tutors’ skills for the group dynamics

1. Discussion of procedural errors

1. Remind and iterate the principles of PBL to students, correct the wrong process, and provide example of implementation

2. Let the students understand the relationship between the current discussion and the entire curriculum before the opening of a new problem

3. Encourage the students to slow down to think deeper during brainstorming and hypothesis generation

4. Teach them how to allocate time

5. Understand when the students are facing problems

6. Regroup a disorderly discussion group

2. Influence of the traditional passive learning method

1. Using PBL principles, encourage students to challenge authority, to freely express their opinion and to accept others’ opinion

2. Throw the question directed at the tutor back to the group to let the group think

3. Deflect the question back to the student, or ask the student to go back to find out the information

4. Tell the students in advance to avoid mini-lectures by students, and point this out appropriately during tutorial

3. Ineffectual leadership

1. Affirmative praise for group leader to reduce his/her anxiety

2. To indicate or hint to the group leader that he/she should play his/her role to allocate time, adjust the direction of discussion, and to summarize

3. Take over the role of group leader temporarily to assist the group leader to synthesize the information, or to direct evaluation

4. Tutor provided several suggestions and let the group leader have the authority to decide

5. Directly correct mistakes spoken by the group leader

4. Recorder was not effective

1. Propose a method on record keeping

2. Point out the error when the recorder has misinterpreted the statement of the speaker

3. Bring to the group's attention the isolated situation of the recorder, so that the group can help the recorder participate effectively

5. Tutorial group got stuck or no response

1. Point out the silence, explore the thinking and feeling of the group members to find a consensus

2. Let the group confront the issue of not studying and discuss the underlying reason

3. Summarize and extend the discussed materials and present back to them

4. Encourage students who understood the issue to come out and elaborate

5. Ask the group leader to provide leadership

6. Provide emotional support to alleviate group anxiety

7. Agreeing with the students not to move the discussion on if they get stuck at a certain point, in order to create an atmosphere conducive to free discussion

8. Leave behind a difficult problem and start again from the beginning with simple ideas

6. Students speaking too much or too little

1. Remind the students about time management

2. Interrupt students who are speaking too much, and invite other students to speak

3. Directly inquire why a student was silent, attempt to find out the underlying reason, and suggest ways on how to share information

4. Create an atmosphere so that quiet students can have a chance to speak, or provide support and encouragement when they do speak

5. Stop the group from rushing to conclude the discussion of a main learning objective

7. Non-verbal negative response

1. Point out non-verbal cues, bring the group's attention to them and clarify their meanings

2. Encourage students to express their opinion verbally in a non-judgmental manner to facilitate communication

3. Facilitate communication between two students or group discussion

4. Acknowledge positive interaction and appreciation among students, to create a positive environment

8. Unhelpful interpersonal interaction

1. Affirm the value of having conflicts in a group

2. Pointing out the conflict among the students, allowing them a chance to speak

3. Inviting student who was taking a free ride to speak

4. Inviting the student who was interrupted to speak

9. Students with unusual behaviors

1. Direct teaching, explaining the principle of PBL

2. Affirm the value of criticism

3. Explore with the group why a student was not catching up

4. Asking student who is making good progress to help student who is lagging behind

5. During feedback, ask the students to express their opinion about the student with unusual behavior and to provide positive feedback

6. Asking student unable to express themselves adequately to address the issue

10. Positive experiences

1. Pointing out the progress the group is making and providing encouragement

2. Use positive language to stimulate students

3. Extending knowledge from basic science to clinical application, letting the students appreciate the value of their learning

Table 4.  Tutors’ intentions in promoting tutorial group dynamics

Themes	Categories
Iterate the principles of PBL	• To establish a correct PBL format so that students understand there are specific process and methods to follow • Let the students learn to be receptive of mistakes made by themselves and by others • Emphasize the importance of pausing to reconsider the issues
Delegation of the learning responsibility to the students	• Allow the students to be the driving force to direct group direction and process • To uncover students’ innate problem-solving ability • To remove the image of tutor as authoritative figure
Construct a good discussion forum	• Use time management to make sure every student got an equal chance to speak and discuss main issues • To assist the group to generate appropriate learning objectives • To help the Group Leader, note-taker, and group members improve the performance of their roles
Construct a good learning atmosphere	• Generate a relaxed atmosphere, so that the group feels comfortable and trusted • Stimulate active and balanced interaction among group members • Look after group members who are ignored or disliked by other group members • Pay attention to the emotional state of every group member • Assist students when they faced setback, and try to alleviate their negative emotion • Pay attention to group silence and on how to handle it