In each unit, we have five practicing clinicians act as “tutors” or small-group facilitators for our problem-based tutorials. Tutors guide students as they brainstorm known and unknown content pertaining to a healthcare problem (HCP), set learning objectives for the HCP, and then come back to share and compare the knowledge they each gained while researching the learning objectives. Below are some educational resources describing the roles and responsibilities of tutors in the McMaster SLP program (additional resources are provided to tutors prior to the beginning of each unit):

• PBL Tutor Role and Responsibilities (PDF)
• PBL Introductory Article (PDF)
• Novice Tutor Guide 2005 (PDF)

The Acting Department Education Coordinator, Lyn Turkstra, sends out calls for tutors a few times per year. We aim to add one or two new tutors into each unit and also have a range of clinical experience represented across the tutors in any given unit.

Tutors must attend twice weekly classes (each one 2.5 hours in length) and once weekly tutor meetings (1 hour in length). The length of the commitment is as follows:

• Units 1, 2, and 3: 10 weeks (5 weeks, a break for midterms, then another 5 weeks)
• Unit 4: 7.5 weeks (5 weeks, a break for midterms, then another 3 weeks)
• Unit 5: 5 weeks

All tutors must have a faculty appointment:

• Information about faculty appointments
• Application for the appointment
• McMaster CV template

All tutors must participate in the Peer Observation of Teaching process. During each 3-year term of the faculty appointment, each tutor must be observed by another tutor once and must observe another tutor once.

For more information, please contact the Department Education Coordinator, Ashley Waito, at waitoa1@mcmaster.ca.