Using scenario-based learning to teach clinical diagnostics

Abstract

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Psychology or a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours at James Cook University have not had the experience during their undergraduate training of being on placement with organizations (like Community Mental Health) which offer psychological services. In order to currently register as a Psychologist in the State of Queensland, Australia, graduates from a 4 year degree can either do two years of supervised practice with a registered Psychologist or undertake further training at Masters or DPsych level where the requisite supervision and placements prepare the student for psychological practice. As such, graduates with a four year degree may see clients with a range of psychological disorders for their first time upon graduating.

Apart from reading and learning about the different disorders in textbooks, these Bachelor of Psychology graduates have no direct experience with persons who have these conditions. This is largely a result of the restructuring over time of degree courses due to too few placements being available in regional areas to accommodate the large number of undergraduate student enrolments.

The author used scenario-based learning (SBL) to compensate for the lack of undergraduate psychological placements and in order to link theory with future practice. This paper reports on the use of problem-based scenarios to teach diagnostic skills using the Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV-TR (DSM IV-TR).