Intellectual Property Rights: Open Access

Abstract

Effectiveness of Implementing a Tutor Training Workshop for Problem Based Learning Class Tutors at the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University

Marwa Ahmed Abd El-Aziz El Naggar, Fathi Abdel Hamid Maklady, Adel Morshedy Hamam and Aziza Sayed Omar

Background: The Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University was established to become the first Problem-Based Learning school in the Middle East. In a problem-based-learning tutor should know well both the content of the problems and how to facilitate the small-group learning process, A tutor training program needs to be developed that will morph tutors from teachers to facilitators.

Aim: The aim of this study was to measure the educational effectiveness of implementing a tutor training workshop at The Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University.

Methodology: A quasi-experimental, Pre-program/post-program non-equivalent comparison group design was applied in this study. The target population was randomly assigned to intervention and control groups, a total number of 28 tutors in each group. The study passed through three stages: “preparatory’’, “design” and “implementation and evaluation” stages. The data was collected by: needs assessment questionnaire, tutors self-satisfaction questionnaire, student satisfaction questionnaire administered before and after the implementation, questionnaire to assess tutors’ and students’ satisfaction with tutors’ performance. Six steps approach to curriculum development was used as a method for planning and implementing the tutor training workshop. The first three levels of Kirkpatrick’s model of evaluation of educational interventions (reaction, learning, and behavior) were applied in this study to evaluate effectiveness of the workshop.

Results: Results showed an overall tutor satisfaction with the training workshop. More than 70% of workshop participants agreed that the workshop furthered their understanding of PBL as educational strategy and their role as tutors. The mean of the pretest was 5.42 and the mean of post-test was 7.1, the results also shows that there was a statically significance difference between the results of the pre-and the post-tests for the workshop at p ≤ 0.05. Results also showed improvement of the intervention group performance. The average score for the overall performance of the tutor was (7.67 ± 1.20) in the intervention group compared with the control group (6.54 ± 2.02).

Conclusion: The study concluded that tutor training workshop was effective in improving tutor facilitation skills in the areas of constructive active learning, self- directed learning, collaborative learning, intra-personal behavior as tutor, and increase educational effectiveness of the PBL sessions from students’ point of views. Tutor training workshop enhanced tutor performance in intervention group compared to the control group. The tutor training workshop increases tutors’ self satisfaction with their performance and enhances students’ satisfaction with tutor performance. Tutor training was effective as it incorporated adult learning principles (was relevant and interactive); experiential learning; arose from needs assessments; rewarded participation; encourage active participation; had clear goals and a theoretical framework