In modern medical education, lecturers serve as tutors who facilitate students in developing clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and learning independence through problem-based learning.

Grounded in this need, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta held a Problem Based Learning (PBL) Tutor Workshop, attended by lecturers and laboratory technicians of the Medical Study Program on Thursday (9/7/2026) at the Faculty of Medicine. The activity forms part of the university's strategy in preparing for the operation of the Medical Study Program while ensuring that the first cohort of students receives a learning experience aligned with the standards of modern medical education.

The workshop featured a team from the Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) as the accompanying university. All material was designed not only to strengthen conceptual understanding of Problem Based Learning, but also to equip lecturers with the skills to become tutors capable of guiding students' thinking processes in a systematic manner.

Opening the workshop, Prof. Dr. dr. Tri Nur Kristina, D.M.M., M.Kes., explained that modern medical education has shifted from teacher-centered learning toward student-centered learning. Through this approach, students are encouraged to actively identify problems, analyze cases, engage in discussion, learn independently, and reflect on the knowledge they have acquired. This paradigm shift positions the lecturer not as the primary source of information, but as a facilitator who guides students in discovering knowledge and building their own clinical reasoning.

“Students do not only know what needs to be studied; they also understand how to study it and why that knowledge is important,” she explained.

She affirmed that the success of Problem Based Learning implementation is greatly determined by the quality of tutors in facilitating the learning process. Tutors are not required to provide answers, but must be capable of stimulating curiosity, directing discussion, and encouraging students to think critically and systematically when confronting a clinical problem.

This deepening of the tutor's role was further developed through a presentation by Dr. dr. Neni Susilaningsih on the Seven Jumps in Problem Based Learning, the tutorial discussion stages that form the primary framework in medical education.

She explained that the learning process unfolds through seven interconnected steps: clarification of terms, identification of problems, analysis based on prior knowledge, the formulation of hypotheses and concept maps, the setting of learning objectives, independent learning, and the synthesis of learning outcomes. These stages are designed to train students to think logically, systematically, and on the basis of scientific reasoning.

The success of this method, she argued, depends greatly on the tutor's ability to maintain the dynamics of discussion without taking over the students' thinking process.

“A tutor is not a lecturer, not an answer-provider, and not an examiner. The tutor's role is to guide the learning process, pose open-ended questions, maintain discussion dynamics, and serve as a model of professionalism and ethics,” she said.

Meanwhile, dr. Ryan Halleyantoro, M.Si., M.ed., Sp.Park., highlighted the importance of preparing case scenarios (problem setting) in Problem Based Learning. The quality of the scenario, he explained, determines the quality of the students' learning process.

A good scenario, he argued, does not merely present a clinical case; it must be capable of prompting students to identify problems, formulate hypotheses, search the scientific literature, and integrate multiple disciplines in resolving the challenges they face.

“A scenario is not simply a question or a clinical story; it is the primary trigger that drives students to think critically, identify problems, search the scientific literature, and build knowledge independently,” he explained.

The workshop went beyond the delivery of presentations, continuing with a simulation of a Problem Based Learning tutorial. In this session, one lecturer played the role of tutor while the other participants took on the role of students. Through the simulation, participants directly practiced techniques for facilitating discussion, managing group dynamics, posing prompting questions, and providing guidance without dominating the students' learning process.

This practice-based approach gave lecturers genuine experience of PBL implementation as it will be applied in the learning process of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Medical Study Program students.

The strengthening of lecturer competency as tutors and facilitators forms one of the important foundations in UIN Sunan Kalijaga's academic preparation ahead of the commencement of Medical Study Program lectures.

Through this workshop, the university ensures that the learning process is not only oriented toward knowledge mastery, but also toward the formation of clinical reasoning ability, critical thinking, collaboration, and independent learning, competencies that serve as the primary provisions for students to develop as professional, adaptive doctors capable of meeting the ever-evolving challenges of healthcare delivery. (humassk)