Understanding the early effects of team-based learning on student accountability and engagement using a three session TBL pilot

Validating the Turkish version of the team-based learning assessment scale: a psychometric evaluation

BACKGROUND

Team-based learning methods enhance course achievement, student success, and student satisfaction and are frequently used in nursing curricula. However, there is no valid and reliable tool for evaluating team-based learning in Türkiye. Adapting the Team-based Learning Student Assessment (TBL-SAI) into Turkish can provide a standardized and culturally appropriate evaluation tool, supporting nursing education practice and research. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the assessment (TBL-SAI-TR) among nursing students.

METHODS

This descriptive and psychometrics study was conducted between October and November 2022. The sample consisted of 430 nursing students. The translation-back-translation method was used to determine the language accuracy of the scale. The content validity, construct validity, item analysis, and internal consistency analysis were used as psychometrics tests of the study.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's α value of the TBL-SAI-TR was .90. The item-total correlations of the 23-item three-factor scale, validated by confirmatory factor analysis, were between .30 and .74, and the intraclass correlations were between .88 and .90.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that the TBL-SAI-TR is a valid and reliable tool for assessing team-based learning among Turkish nursing students.

Team-based learning (TBL) in clinical disciplines for undergraduate medical students-a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Team-based learning (TBL) is an evidence-based pedagogical method that has been used in undergraduate medical education since 2001. However, its use in clinical disciplines is rarely reported, and the impact of its implementation is not known. The aim of this study was to explore and map the published literature on the impact of implementing TBL in clinical disciplines in undergraduate medical education.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of Medline, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Web of Science databases was performed on November 24, 2021 and updated April 6, 2023, using relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms. Original research studies reporting on the implementation of TBL in clinical disciplines in undergraduate medical education published in peer-reviewed English language journals were included irrespective of their methodological design.

RESULTS

The initial search identified 2,383 records. Of these, 49 met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies (n = 44, 90%) described the implementation of a modified version of TBL in which one or more TBL steps were missing, and one study had undefined protocol for the implementation. The most reported outcomes were knowledge acquisition (n = 38, 78%) and students' satisfaction or attitudes toward TBL (n = 34, 69%). Despite some differences in their results, the studies found that implementing TBL is associated with increased knowledge acquisition (n = 19, 39%), student engagement (n = 6, 12%), and student satisfaction (n = 31, 63%).

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the studies reported positive results in students' satisfaction and students' engagement, whilst the results on knowledge acquisition and retention were more contradictory. In most of the studies, TBL was implemented in a modified form and diverse comparators were used. The methodological quality also varied. Thus, no unequivocal conclusions could be drawn regarding the value of implementing TBL in clinical disciplines. More studies with rigorous methodologies are needed in this field.

Understanding medical professionalism using express team-based learning; a qualitative case-based study

Medical Professionalism (MP) defined as values, behaviours and attitudes that promote professional relationships, public trust and patient safety is a vital competency in health profession education. MP has a distinctive uniqueness due to cultural, contextual, conceptual, and generational variations. There is no standard instructional strategy to probe the understanding of MP in a cohesive, structured, interactive manner. This study aimed to investigate undergraduate medical students' understanding of MP using express team-based learning (e-TBL) at both campuses of Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI). Using the key principles of a sociocultural theoretical lens in adult learning theory, we designed e-TBL as a context-learning-based educational strategy. We conducted three e-TBL sessions on cross-cultural communication and health disparities, a reflective report on clinical encounters, and professionalism in practice. We collected, collated, and analyzed the student experiences qualitatively using data gathered from team-based case discussions during e-TBL sessions. A dedicated working group developed very short-answer questions for the individual readiness assurance test (IRAT) and MP-based case scenarios for team discussions. In this adapted 4-step e-TBL session, pre-class material was administered, IRAT was undertaken, and team-based discussions were facilitated, followed by facilitator feedback. A qualitative inductive thematic analysis was performed, which generated subthemes and themes illustrated in excerpts. Our thematic analysis of data from 172 students (101 from Bahrain and 71 from Dublin) yielded four unique themes: incoming professional attitudes, transformative experiences, sociological understanding of professionalism, and new professional identity formation. This qualitative study provides a deeper understanding of medical students' perceptions of medical professionalism. The generated themes resonated with divergent and evolving elements of MP in an era of socioeconomic and cultural diversity, transformative experiences, and professional identity formation. The core elements of these themes can be integrated into the teaching of MP to prepare fit-to-practice future doctors.

Effect of prior knowledge and peer evaluation ratings on final exam performance in a team-based learning chemistry course

INTRODUCTION

Various reports have been published regarding adoption of team-based learning (TBL) in pharmacy education. However, there is insufficient published evidence on the effect of student characteristics on student learning outcomes in a TBL curriculum. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of pre-study examination results and peer evaluation ratings on learning outcomes.

METHODS

The TBL strategy was adopted for a basic chemistry exercise for first-year students at a private pharmacy school in Japan (2012-2019). For the analysis, students were divided into four analytical groups according to quartiles of pre-study examination results. The students were further divided into the high-peer evaluation rating group and low-peer evaluation rating group. We compared the final exam performance results between these groups.

RESULTS

In all four groups by quartiles of pre-study examination results, the course final exam performance was higher for the high-peer evaluation rating students than for the low-peer evaluation rating students.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the TBL framework, students with higher peer evaluation scores performed better on the final exam, regardless of the pre-study examination results.

Advancing Engineering Students’ Technical Writing Skills by Implementing Team-Based Learning Instructional Modules in an Existing Laboratory Curriculum

Technical writing is a crucial skill for engineering students’ effective written communication, which shapes and affects their professional careers. This study designs team-based learning (TBL) instructional modules that are integrated into an existing engineering laboratory curriculum and evaluates their feasibility and effectiveness in improving engineering students’ technical writing skills. The data were collected from structured survey questions distributed to student participants and from the instructor’s independent evaluation of students’ lab reports. The effect of assigning a team leader on students’ writing performances was also evaluated. Our results indicated that students who have received TBL modules perceive a greater improvement in their technical writing skills than those who did not. A strong correlation was found between students’ perception and the instructor’s evaluation of the students’ technical writing skills. Assigning a team leader in TBL instructional modules has not played a significant role in improving engineering students’ technical writing skills. The same happens with gender. Overall, utilization of TBL instructional modules can advance engineering students’ technical writing skills.

Use of Team-Based Learning Pedagogy to Prepare for a Pharmacy School Accreditation Self-Study

Ensuring adequate engagement and preparation of all stakeholders in an accreditation self-study can be challenging for many reasons, including lack of motivation and inadequate understanding of expectations and procedures. The goal of this exploratory study was to determine whether using team-based learning (TBL) pedagogy to deliver an accreditation preparation workshop could effectively prepare and engage participants. A Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to workshop attendees (n = 52) to determine whether they found TBL-based training helpful and whether it promoted engagement. Twenty-four attendees completed the survey (46%). More than 80% of participants strongly agreed or agreed with 12 statements relating to perceptions of self and participant engagement within team activities and the usefulness of team activities. More than 65% of participants strongly agreed or agreed with statements relating to the helpfulness of the TBL approach in preparing for the self-study (five questions). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in responses based on whether on not participants had previously been involved in an accreditation self study. Our data indicate that a TBL approach can be an effective way to engage and prepare stakeholders for an accreditation self-study, and that TBL pedagogy has utility outside of the classroom setting.

A flexible, group-based assessment strategy for Historically Black College and University pharmacy students

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students often have diverse educational backgrounds and learning needs. We describe the implementation of a group-based assessment (GBA) strategy within a pharmacotherapy course at a HBCU.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

Ninety second-year pharmacy students participated in the study, completing eight formative GBAs, two summative exams, and a demographic questionnaire. In this study, GBAs were administered as post-assessments after each topic and prior to an exam. Our pilot study sought to describe mean GBA scores in relation to summative exam performance. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics.

FINDINGS

The majority of students were female (61%), identified as either African American (37.8%) or East Asian (35.5%) descent, and claimed English as a second language. The preliminary analysis described student performance levels on Exam 1 and Exam 2 and means of each corresponding GBA. There was a general upward trend in GBA mean scores across the majority of exam performance levels with the exception of GBA 6. GBAs 1 through 4 had the lowest mean scores across all Exam 1 performance levels.

SUMMARY

This pilot study described a flexible group-based assessment format that encouraged student-paced learning among HBCU students. Frequent GBA may act as an early-warning system for these students and can engage students earlier in the course to improve academic performance on major exams. Future studies with a larger number of subjects are needed to validate the use of this GBA strategy in similar settings.

Express Team-Based Learning (eTBL): A Time-Efficient TBL Approach in Neuroradiology

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Team-based learning (TBL) is a student-centred, teacher-directed instructional method that promotes active learning. The application phase of TBL stimulates group discussion and critical thinking, which could be useful for learning radiology. We designed and evaluated two modified TBL-sessions on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging diagnostics in neuroradiology. Our aim was to examine what effects engaging students in in-class team application tasks had on student learning.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-over study was conducted, including 105 third-year medical students using two modified TBL sessions as the active learning intervention compared with two traditional lectures as a control. Student learning was assessed by results on the neuroradiology part of the end-of-year written examination. Student engagement and perceptions were assessed using the Student Self-Report of Engagement Measure and an additional four Likert-type items.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in student scores on the examination. Students reported high levels of engagement, and reported being more satisfied overall with the TBL sessions than traditional lectures. Students rated the TBL sessions higher than lectures on ability to make difficult material comprehensible, ability to engage students and to give them feedback.

CONCLUSION

The modified TBL sessions halved in-class teaching time and by omitting the readiness assurance tests, there was more in-class time to focus on problem-solving of real clinical cases. Moreover, shorter sessions may ease implementation of TBL in the curriculum and allow for more frequent sessions. Students were more satisfied with eTBL than lectures, and reported high levels of engagement.

Perception of team-based learning using the team-based learning student assessment instrument: an exploratory analysis within pharmacy and biomedical students in the United Kingdom

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate students' perception of team-based learning (TBL) amongst a cohort who was exposed to this methodology for the first time at an university in the United Kingdom .

METHODS

Between November and December 2018, 26 first year Master of Pharmacy and 90 second year B.Sc. Biomedical Science students of School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, United Kingdom were invited to participate and requested to complete a questionnaire that contained quantitative and qualitative questions. The quantitative component was based on the team-based-learning student assessment instrument (TBL-SAI) instrument. It additionally contained questions about key student characteristics.

RESULTS

The response rate was 60% (70/116), 74% (n=52) were females and 26% (n=18) males. The percentage of agreement in the TBL-SAI suggested a favourable response to TBL. The overall mean score for the TBL-SAI was 115.6 (SD 5.6) [maximum score: 140] which was above the threshold of 102, thus suggesting a preference for TBL. Statistically significant differences were not found according to demographics characteristics. Students who predicted a final result of ≥70% strongly agreed that TBL help improve their grades. Some students highlighted issues with working in teams and only 56% of students agreed that they could learn better in a team setting.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that students exposed to TBL for the first-time favour several aspects of it. However, more focused strategies including team-building exercises activities and expert facilitation skills could potentially tackle resistance to working in teams.

A critique of validity analysis from instruments assessing the affective domain

BACKGROUND

Schools and colleges of pharmacy need to show evidence that their students have internalized professional values, and many choose to do so through quantitative instruments. A review of the literature was completed to identify the evidence of validity of the scores from instruments designed to assess pharmacy students in the affective domain.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched to identify instruments. Basic information regarding the instruments, the facets of validity assessed, and the evidence for validity were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the studies identified, 25 focused on assessing the affective domain and reported evidence of at least one facet of validity. Most reported evidence of validity from two or more sources, and most reported evidence concerning test content and internal structure (i.e. internal consistency reliability or factor analysis). Other sources of validity were missing from most studies.

IMPLICATIONS

More research is needed to investigate the validity of the scores of instruments developed to assess pharmacy students within the affective domain, especially regarding relations to other variables, response processes, and consequences of use.