Resources for Case Based Learning (CBL) Tutors

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New CBL Tutors      Preparing to Tutor      Teaching Resources     Student Assessment      Feedback CBL Tutors Receive      Contacts

Where to find essential CBL tutor information:

New CBL Tutors

What is CBL?

Case-Based Learning (CBL) is an approach to small group learning for students in Years 1 and 2 of the MD Undergraduate Program. The CBL cases are designed to shift the focus of student learning from foundational science to clinical knowledge and skills development, with opportunities to demonstrate communication skills and model professional behaviours. Over three tutorials a week in Year 1, or two tutorials a week in Year 2, students are presented with patient information and probing questions to articulate, elaborate, and apply their medical science knowledge and develop differential diagnoses and patient management approaches. This active learning solidifies the students’ knowledge and understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of disease processes. Throughout Year 1 and Year 2, the cases will progressively increase in difficulty and become more undifferentiated. 

What is the role of the CBL tutor?

The CBL tutor guides a group of 9 students through a weekly case pertaining to the week topic. The CBL tutor is provided in advance with a comprehensive Tutor Guide to the weekly case, and is not required or expected to be a content expert.

Tutors Responsibilities:

-Read and familiarize themselves with the Tutor Guides

-Guiding students to achieve weekly case objectives

-Completing mandatory Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs)

-Monitoring student attendance and reporting any absences or concerns to the Site Directors

-Participation in all weekly tutor meetings, and pre-cluster meeting

Introduction to CBL video:

Produced through a UBC Faculty of Medicine FLEX student initiative, this video provides the ins-and-outs of CBL for tutors before stepping into their facilitator roles for the first time.

CBL Tutor Training Module

This training module was created by the Office of Faculty Development for new tutors in CBL. It goes further into tutor and student roles, and covers tutor resources and contacts. It should be completed before attending your site orientation (outlined in the section below), and is 30-45 minutes in duration.  

Preparing to Tutor

This map outlines the typical preparation process for your CBL sessions, whether you’re a returning or new tutor.

Initial program communications

The CBL program team will send instructions on where to start with your training and preparation.

Tutor training module (For new tutors only)

Regional-site orientations

Entrada CBL community

Site-specific communications

Ongoing support

Teaching Resources

The following resources are to be used for ongoing teaching support, whether you’re preparing to tutor or are already tutoring. Provincial faculty development workshops will also be available 1-2 times a year on current topics in CBL.

Pedagogy and Instruction Support

What is Clinical Decision making (CWL login required): A quick guide for CBL tutors to familiarize themselves with the clinical decision making (CDM) process.

Recognize and Respond to a Student in Crisis: Created by MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP) Student Affairs and the Office of Faculty Development, this resource helps you identify and differentiate the severity of a medical student’s distress and enables you to guide them to the most appropriate resources and supports.

Tutor Primer: CBL Language Edits (PDF) and Patient Personal Information Card Example (PDF): The CBL cases have recently been reviewed and revised to adopt more inclusive language. These resources explain the key areas of inclusive language to consider during CBL.

Inclusive Language Guide (PDF): Developed by the Office of Faculty Development & Educational Support, and the Office of Respectful environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) to support those teaching in lecture, small group, and clinical settings. Refer to guide’s inclusive language principles as you prepare to deliver materials and facilitate student and resident learning in Health Professions education. The guide focuses on key areas where language could be more inclusive, and was developed through consultation with academic leadership, faculty, and students.

Peer Support Volunteer Program: The Peer Support Volunteer Program aims to empower teachers to act on their teaching assessments to improve their teaching with the support of a peer. We are seeking both teachers who would like to act as Peer Support Volunteers AND teachers who would like to access this support.

Group Dynamics

Strategies for Optimizing Participation in CBL (CWL login required): A guide for students that tutors may also wish to review. It was created by Dr. Marcus Eccleston and Dr. Hanh Huynh, with input from many experienced CBL tutors and faculty of the program, and endorsed by the Year 1 & 2 subcommittee.

CBL Classroom Management Video Playlist: Created by UBC Medicine’s Office of Faculty Development, these video are training scenarios that cover topics like participation and technology in the CBL classroom. We recommend bookmarking this playlist to revisit throughout the cluster as needed.

CBL Virtual Facilitation: We recommend referencing this resource in the event you need to tutor a session with students virtually. Course Leadership, tutors, Faculty Development and MedIT have contributed to the development of this document by providing tips, guidance, lessons learned, and policy to help ensure CBL sessions are optimized for facilitation in a virtual environment.

Student Assessment

Tutors are responsible for assessing students on their performance in the CBL cluster. Fundamentals on the assessment format used in CBL, Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs) can be found in this short online module: CBL Assessment

All other information to support your assessment of students is located on Entrada (CWL login required), including tutor guides. 

Feedback CBL Tutors Receive

Students are also responsible for giving feedback to their tutors. To learn more about the process and the forms used to collect feedback, visit the Teacher Assessment webpage.   

When do you receive your feedback?

In Years 1 & 2, students are asked to assess their tutor at the end of each cluster via an application called One45. If a minimum of 4 assessments have been submitted by students, tutors can expect to receive their individual reports within 5 weeks after the cluster end. In addition, within 3 months of the term end, feedback received in all clusters during the term is released, given a minimum of 4 has been reached.

For answers to other common questions you may have about the process, visit the Assessment of Teacher by Learner FAQ Info Sheet for Faculty and Teachers and the Teacher Assessment webpage.

*This information is based on the Assessment of Teachers by Students Policy (022), which we recommend reading to stay informed.

Contacts

If you have any questions, please contact your CBL Site Lead and Tutor Trainer or bring questions to your weekly tutor meeting.

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