Team-Based Learning

Whitney Pittman, PharmD

PGY2 Pharmacy Resident

Children's National Health System

Team-based learning (TBL) is a form of group-learning that encourages students to prepare prior to class and then apply their learning once in the classroom. Students are assigned to a permanent team of 5-7 people which holds them accountable for each other’s learning¹. Modules are taught in a three-step cycle: preparation, in-class readiness assurance testing (iRAT), and application-focused exercise².

How To Use Team-Based Learning

Each module can either consist of a single class session or can cover material over several sessions. Students are expected to prepare for class by either watching informational videos, completing readings, or reviewing PowerPoint lectures. At the beginning of class, students complete a test individually to assess their knowledge on the material. This test is referred to the “individual Readiness Assurance Test” or iRAT¹. This encourages the student to come to class prepared. Students then get into their respective groups and complete the test with their group members. This test is referred to as the “group Readiness Assurance Test” or gRAT¹. The test is typically multiple-choice and students grade the test themselves, which fosters discussion amongst group members of why the right answer correct and why the other answer choices are not the best option. At this point, the instructor provides a mini lecture of the material and engages the class in discussion. The final part of the class session is an application activity that requires teams to make a specific resolution to a problem¹.

Four Principles of Team-Based Learning²

1.      Permanent groups should be properly formed (e.g., various intellectual capacities, members of each healthcare profession)

2.      Students are held accountable for pre-learning and working as part of a team.

3.      Teams promote learning and team development

4.      Students must receive regular feedback

Team-Based Learning in Pharmacy Schools

Thirty-three percent of pharmacy schools in the United States are utilizing TBL as part of their curriculum³.  Authors of “Team-Based Learning in US Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy” issued surveys to different colleges of pharmacy in hopes to characterize the use of TBL. Authors sought to identify factors among faculty members that affect implementation and perceptions that impact TBL. Faculty members reported that student preparation and engagement during class was increased as a result of implementing TBL³. Different measures of effectiveness include grades for the entire course, final exam grades, and summative assessments. Authors concluded that TBL enhances engagement, improves preparation prior to class, and promotes achievement³.

Examples of TBL

My pharmacy school curriculum utilized TBL in two separate courses. The first was during Pharmacotherapy Self-Care. Each week, we were required to read a chapter from the Non-Prescription Handbook and read two patient cases relating to the topic that week. When we first arrived to class, we individually took a quiz that was worth 10 points. As a class, the instructors would lead a discussion about the patient cases and potential non-prescription treatment options. At the end of class, we would take a quiz within our groups that was worth 5 points. The point breakdown held us as students accountable to do the reading prior to class and not rely on our group members. At the end of class, we took a group quiz that had different questions than the individual quiz, but focused on the same information. The whole session promoted self-instructed learning, analysis of the information, and group discussions to foster working as part of a team.

My second experience of TBL was as part of an interprofessional education course. All first-year health science students were required to take a weekly course where we were broken up into groups of about nine learners, each of various health professions. Prior to class, we completed readings or watched instructional videos pertaining to that day’s topic. We took an individual quiz immediately followed by a group quiz consisting of the same questions. The rest of the class session consisted of a discussion among groups and then an exercise where we applied the material to a scenario. TBL was the best way to teach this course because each group consisted of different members of the healthcare team and encouraged discussion of the scenario from each perspective.

At the end of each semester, both courses required us to provide feedback about our team members. This also held each student accountable because we if one person wasn’t prepared, the whole group would notice.

In conclusion, team-based learning is an effective instructional method for encouraging individual preparation, fostering working as part of a team, and application of materials presented during class.

References

1. Brame CJ. Team-based learning [Internet]. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University. Center for Teaching. [cited 2018 Sep 29]. Available from: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/team-based-learning/

2.  What is TBL? [Internet]. Huntingon, WV: Team-Based Learning Collaborative. [cited 29 S018 Sep 29]. Available from: http://www.teambasedlearning.org/definition

3.  Allen RE, Copeland J, Franks AS, Karimi R, McCollum M, Riese DJ 2nd, Lin AY. Team-based learning in US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Am J Pharm Educ. 2013 Aug 12;77(6):115.