Health Sciences Tutors Trained to Enhance Problem-Based Learning Approach

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• Purpose of the Workshop: The workshop aimed to enhance the ability of academic staff and tutors from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences to support student learning through problem-based learning (PBL).
• Host and Focus of the Training: Hosted by the Centre of Health Education Research and Development (CHERD), the ‘Train the Trainer’ session focused on building facilitation skills for PBL, a crucial component of the Health Sciences curriculum.
• Importance of PBL Methodology: Professor Constance Rusike emphasized that PBL centers students in their learning by engaging them in analyzing real patient problems, which fosters critical thinking and self-guided learning.

A group of academic staff and tutors from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences recently took part in a hands-on training workshop aimed at improving how they support student learning through a problem-based learning (PBL) approach.

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Hosted by the Centre of Health Education Research and Development (CHERD), the “Train the Trainer” workshop focused on building skills for PBL facilitation, a key part of the Health Sciences curriculum. The session was specifically designed for members of the Department of Human Biology.

Professor Constance Rusike, Head of the Department, explained that PBL places students at the centre of the learning process. “It’s a method that encourages students to discuss and analyse real patient problems, which helps them identify what they need to learn, find the knowledge, and then apply it to propose solutions,” she said. “This develops critical thinking and self-directed learning.”

The workshop gave tutors practical strategies to guide discussions without dominating them, allowing students to take ownership of their studies and build lasting understanding through real-world cases.

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