BMS 1515 Problem Based Scenarios for seminar work.

The goals of the scenarios for tutorial/seminar sessions are to aid learning by:
1. Stimulating interest, thought and discussion
2. Provide a realistic context for learning
3. Activate, expand and restructure existing knowledge

identify what knowledge is required to understand the scenario and to what aspect of physiology it refers. You will do this by dissecting’ the scenario and in small groups work out what are the key issues in the scenario, what do you already know that is relevant, what do other sin your groups know and what more do you think you need to know. What information will make sense of the scenario and improve your physiology knowledge? In class you begin this process in your groups and use your lecturer/seminar leader to help you do this. You may feel you know loads already €“ this is positive. Do share this with your group €“ then as a group identify HOW you know this and what evidence there is to back up what you know. Is just knowing’ enough. What about evidence? What is good evidence and how much evidence is needed? You will need to address all these questions in approaching this work. In this way you use your peers, your prior knowledge and experiences, the lecturer and then other items (books, journals, healthcare databases) as resources. This is a valuable learning process and enables you to develop some key learning skills: information management, questioning, analysis, critical thinking and evaluating evidence, team work and giving feedback and constructive criticism. You are assessed on the PROCESS (ie how you work together) as well as the PRODUCT (short written outline) so you need to work on all tasks given. Do maximise this and improve learning by:
1. Facilitating and sharing knowledge
2. Stimulating reflection on knowledge and understanding
3. Maximise the differing skills of the group members and peer support each other’s learning
The key feature of problem scenarios is that it reverses the traditional approach to teaching and learning . The idea is that the starting point for learning should be a problem the learner wishes to solve but not to necessarily provide an answer’ but rather search for the knowledge they need to approach the problem.
Ask yourself:
1. What is this scenario about?
2. What physiology is relevant? Is it NORMAL physiology or altered physiology €“ how do you know which?
3. What aspects of this scenario (environment/activity/key people) link to the physiological processes? What are the process (is homeostasis evident €“ if so how?)

4. What do I know already? What do my peers know? What do we need to look up? Where can we find this? How do we know it is fact’ or good evidence to back up what is happening?