Tutorial – Appendix 2 GBL – Level 2

Appendix 2: Group Based Learning (GBL) Tutorials

What happens in a GBL tutorial?

The students run the tutorials themselves. The Academic Tutor is the facilitator and does not take part, other than to provide guidance if needed.

A specific topic, short article from a journal or a research paper is given to, or chosen by, the students.

In the first session students decide on the primary learning objectives of the topic and how they are going to go about researching these. This should be done using a wide variety of information resources focussed on the primary literature.

At the second session (student-led with Academic Tutor not present) the group have a full detailed discussion of the topic, focusing on the primary learning objectives. During this session one of the students should act as chairperson. During this session students should also decide on how the material will be presented the following week to the Academic Tutor.

The final session is a formal presentation/discussion of the topic between the Academic Tutor and students.

Attendance at all sessions is compulsory as a primary aim of GBL is to develop an awareness of teamwork skills and increase the knowledge base of the whole group. Non-attendance jeopardises the learning of all other group members as individuals. For this reason recordings of attendance and minutes of meetings in the absence of the Academic Tutor must be taken and be open to review by the Academic Tutor at any time.

Guidelines for the running of GBL tutorials

1. A chairperson must be appointed at the beginning of each GBL to control the running of the discussion. Attendance must also be recorded.
2. Another student is appointed as secretary, to produce an agenda and write out the agreed learning objectives using a whiteboard or overhead projector if available.
3. All students make a record of the agreed topics to be researched.
4. Group communication is essential and everyone in the group should have input (this is strongly dependent on the chairperson).
5. The sessions should cover set one-hour time periods. This aids to focus the group and develops time and resource management.
6. The research information should come from a range of sources (for example, primary literature, textbooks, internet, reviews, personal experience etc.).
7. In GBL sessions based on a research paper the chairperson may want to split up the paper by figures and assign a figure or figures to one person to present the data.