Generating productive learning issues in PBL tutorials: an exercise to help tutors help students

The development of productive, manageable, appropriate learning issues is central to students’ achievement of content objectives in problem-based learning. Students’ reflection on their learning issues is also an important part of the development of their self-directed learning skills. The use of an exercise to support tutors in helping students develop and apply criteria for productive learning issues is described and analyzed. According to feedback from tutors, the forty five minute preparatory workshop for tutors, followed by a 15 to 20 minute “miniworkshop” with students in their tutorials was a successful format for achieving the objectives of the exercise in a first year problem-based learning course. By integrating the activity into the tutorial process, the student participation rate was much higher than previous, stand-alone workshops for students on educational process. Several modifications to the exercise and proposals for related future research are offered.