The Tutor's Role

Abstract

Traditionally, learning has been dominated by explanation and by organisation of a body of knowledge. A typical mode of learning is that the teacher initiates the question, generally aimed at getting the student to display his or her knowledge. The student then responds and the teacher evaluates the response. The aim is often focused on having students learn facts. In PBL, learning is said to be student-centered, with students driving the discussion and teacher serving as guide on the side. Two essential factors that affect the success of a PBL curriculum are: the tutor’s understanding of the educational theories underlying PBL and the group process in the tutorial. Understanding the role of teacher in student-centered learning is important in being able to implement PBL effectively. The facilitatory skills of the teacher are central to the success of PBL. This chapter describes the role of the tutor in PBL. It begins with a brief review of factors such as commitment, resources, design of a good problem or trigger, and assessment of learning. Subsequent sections of the chapter are devoted to the role of the tutorial. This includes skills that a good tutor should possess in order to implement PBL effectively.