Proposal for a novel learner centered tutorial programme in biochemistry

The aim of this paper is to suggest a novel teaching learning method in biochemistry by way of a redesigned tutorial for first year medical students. Our approach will be to incorporate the following characteristics into tutorial instructional design: allowing enough time for discussion, shifting instructor’s role to facilitator, changing the role of students as learning partners, including demonstrations and practice sessions and facilitating self directed learning. The students will be divided into five groups and they will be asked to prepare for tutorials as follows; One group will present short lectures, the second group will involve itself in Multiple Choice Question setting, the third group will engage in clinical case development, the fourth group will lead the discussion through brainstorming and the fifth group will summarize the session. One person from each group will act as a presenter for one time, so that all students will get a chance subsequently. The tutor’s role will be to facilitate the session. In this paper we have suggested a new design of tutorial which is learner centered as compared to the traditional type, which incorporates Gagne’s conditions of learning, Merrill’s principles of Instruction and Kolb’s experiential learning theory.