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BACKGROUND: Clinical practitioners think of frequent causes of diseases first rather than expending resources searching for rare conditions. However, it is important to continue investigating when all common illnesses have been discarded. Undergraduate medical students must acquire skills to listen and ask relevant questions when seeking a potential diagnosis. METHODOLOGY: Our objective was to determine whether team-based learning (TBL) focused on clinical reasoning in the context of rare diseases combined with video vignettes (intervention) improved the clinical and generic skills of students compared with TBL alone (comparator). We followed a single-center quasi-experimental posttest-only design involving fifth-year medical students. RESULTS: The intervention group (n = 178) had a significantly higher mean overall score on the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) (12.04 ± 2.54 vs. 11.27 ± 3.16; P = 0.021) and a higher mean percentage score in clinical skills (47.63% vs. 44.63%; P = 0.025) and generic skills (42.99% vs. 40.33%; P = 0.027) than the comparator group (n = 118). Success on the OSCE examination was significantly associated with the intervention (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The TBL with video vignettes curriculum was associated with better performance of medical students on the OSCE. The concept presented here may be beneficial to other teaching institutions.
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Clinical Competence , Curriculum , Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Educational Measurement , Students, Medical , Humans , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Female , Male , Video Recording , Problem-Based Learning , Group ProcessesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Science and health outreach activities are aimed at motivating and sparking interest among prospective students to pursue careers in these fields; however, research studies supporting this hypothesis are limited. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to organize an integrated Anatomy and Physiology outreach to examine preuniversity students' learning experiences (learning tools, activities, and facilitators) and motivation to pursue a career in health care and to gather evidence on their attitudes and perceptions of such activities. METHODS: A 2-day course on cardiorespiratory and gastrointestinal anatomical systems was presented at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore using its key pedagogies, that is, multimodal practical and team-based learning. Ninety preuniversity students from 21 preuniversity institutions in Singapore participated in this 2-day course, and their experiences were evaluated using a 4-point Likert scale and open-ended survey questions. Free-text comments were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The survey using the 4-point Likert scale was completed by 81 (92%) of the 88 participants. Most students felt that the course materials were adequate (mean 3.57, SD 0.57) and met the learning objectives (mean 3.73, SD 0.52). The students felt that the instructors were clear (mean 3.73, SD 0.52) and effective (mean 3.70, SD 0.53). They liked the organization of the outreach session (mean 3.64, SD 0.48) and were highly motivated to study medicine or allied/biomedical sciences (mean 3.69, SD 0.54). Practical and team-based learning were regarded as exceedingly satisfactory (mean 3.63, SD 0.53 and mean 3.58, SD 0.54, respectively). All the respondents said that they would recommend this course to peers. Thematic analysis revealed that the participants gained a new perspective of the human body structure and function, they liked the unique learning settings, they were motivated to pursue a career in health care, they were satisfied with the sessions, and interactions with the facilitators increased their understanding of the human anatomy and physiology. CONCLUSIONS: Structured health outreach activities provide students with unique opportunities to experience a preclinical learning environment in a medical school, deepen their understanding of human body structure and function, and increase their motivation and interest in science. Further, outreach programs may lay the foundations for potential students aiming to pursue health profession education.
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Benjamin Bloom published his Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in 1956 [1] to help educators develop learning objectives for teaching. Since then, several modifications have been made to adapt Bloom's taxonomy to various uses and disciplines [2-4]. Introduction of the idea: As social constructivist educators, the authors of this article felt the need to adjust Bloom's taxonomy to match the unique characteristics of team-based learning (TBL) in physiology courses. Outcomes: Here, we are introducing the use of TBL for teaching physiology in undergraduate physiology courses that could be easily translated into other disciplines.â¯Additionally, we are introducing the Diamond Framework for TBL, a modified Bloom's taxonomy to guide the writing of measurable learning outcomes and create assignments to help students apply their new knowledge and skills.
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Background: Trauma is one of the most important issues and problems considered in most countries in today's modern and industrial society. Since pre-hospital care is the first component of a trauma care system, if done properly, it can reduce the problems associated with long-term disability and death due to trauma. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the impact of training based on a modified team-based learning (TBL) method on the skills of medical emergency personnel in managing trauma patients in 2022. Materials and methods: The present study was a two-group clinical before/after study in which 96 technicians were selected using a stratified random sampling method. The sample members were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. In the intervention group, skills for dealing with trauma patients were taught through a modified team-based learning method. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 21. Results: The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in learning skills for dealing with trauma patients (P<0.001), which were determined by examining the effect of test repetition and the effect of interaction. The changes in the studied variables in the TBL groups were significantly greater than those in the control group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results indicate that training based on the modified team-based learning method is effective for the management of trauma patients by medical emergency personnel and improves the readiness of personnel in this field.
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Collaborative methods for learning such as team-based learning, case-based learning, and problem-based learning have become leading methods for active learning within the field of health professions education. Critical thinking and exposure to diverse perspectives within a group are highlighted as important benefits of team-based learning. However, without consideration of the potential socioemotional, behavioral, and team dynamic challenges associated with this format of learning, the tenets which support a welcoming learning community can begin to deteriorate. In this essay, authors highlight the core concepts of growth mindset, psychological safety, and culturally responsive pedagogy within a framework of 1) what learners should know and 2) what educators can do, to co-create an inclusive collaborative learning experience.
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PURPOSE: Team-based learning (TBL) is an evidence-based approach to promote teamwork. Peer evaluation (PE) is an essential component to shape future team engagement and promote reflection. As PEs vary in use, implementation, and assessment, this study establishes the content and construct validity of a formative PE tool for a TBL course. METHODS: A ten-item instrument was developed based on a comprehensive review of PE literature and was critically edited by a team of experienced educators. Each student in a graduate histology course rated peers at two timepoints on a scale from Never to Always (0-3). The instrument's factor structure was analyzed by dividing the response set (D1 and D2); with D1 utilized for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and D2 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cronbach's alpha assessed internal consistency. RESULTS: Data from 158 students across four cohorts were included in the analyses (D1, D2 = 972). A three-factor solution had good overall internal consistency (alpha = 0.82), and within the subscales ranged from 0.67 to 0.81. The factor structures were resonant with existing literature on (1) preparation, (2) providing feedback, and (3) feedback receptivity and attitude. CONCLUSION: This study establishes evidence of content and construct validity of a formative PE instrument for a TBL course.
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Objectives: Team-based learning (TBL) is a student-centered method where learning can be promoted and facilitated by changing the traditional teaching lecture into an active, dynamic, and more engaging problem-solving process. The present study evaluated the student's learning experience and satisfaction using a TBL method in a preclinical oral surgery course. Methods: Twelve TBL sessions were designed for second-year dental students. Six 3-h and 2-h sessions with various preclinical topics were conducted in academic Terms 1 and 2, respectively. Teaching activities such as tests and group discussions were included in the sessions. The last post-session questionnaire sought students' feedback and satisfaction to assess four parameters related to students' knowledge acquirement, interpersonal skills enhancement, learning environment, and teacher-student relationships. Results: Most average scores of the responses agreed with the related statements in the four parameters. The results of the Pearson's correlation test revealed that there was a significant relationship (r = 0.735; P < 0.05) between the parameters of the 3-h and 2-h sessions. Conclusion: The TBL method yielded positive and high levels of satisfaction, which may be attributed to the proper implementation of TBL methodology by the teacher and students.
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INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: As an experimental teaching method, emerging learning methods including problem-based learning (PBL), case-based learning, team-based learning and flipped classroom (FC) have been widely applied in dental education. This study aims to evaluate the effect of these teaching methods on dental education performance compared to traditional lecture-based learning (LBL). METHODS: The search was carried out in April 2024 in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. All randomized controlled trials were included and the methodological quality assessment was based on the guidelines described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews, followed by a meta-analysis using Stata 14.0 software. Using standard mean deviation (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) to determine the effectiveness of emerging teaching methods and LBL in all dental disciplines. Meta-regression was used to analyse sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the stability, and Begg's analysis was used to determine whether there is publication bias. RESULTS: A total of 29 randomized controlled trials including 3502 students were included. The results indicate that emerging educational methods have a significantly positive effect on achieving higher scores (SMD = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.34-0.62, P < .001), whether it was theoretical scores (SMD = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.32-0.72, P < .001) or skill scores (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.15-0.76, P < .001). Compared to LBL, PBL (SMD = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.01-0.65, P = .045) and FC (SMD = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31-0.69, P < .001) can both significantly improve students' academic performance. CONCLUSION: Compared to LBL, emerging educational methods (PBL, case-based learning, and FC) have significantly improved the learning effectiveness of dental students. These emerging educational methods can be advocated and popularized as routine teaching methods. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study is the first meta-analysis of the effects of emerging teaching methods in dental education which shows great impact of emerging teaching methods on students' development.
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BACKGROUND: Self-directed learning ability is crucial for lifelong learning. The inadequate self-directed learning ability of nursing students in China may be due to their deficiency in self-management or learning initiative. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of online learning platform (Tronclass) combined with team-based learning on nursing students' self-directed learning and academic performance. DESIGN: Pretest-posttest design. PARTICIPANTS: From March to July 2023, 69 undergraduate third-year nursing students from a university in Hunan Province were selected through a whole-group sampling method. METHODS: This study used Tronclass to carry out team-based learning in the teaching process of pediatric nursing courses. It compared the self-directed learning ability nursing students before and after courses, and juxtaposed their academic performance with those of their counterparts who graduated in previous years. RESULTS: When comparing compare motivation, self-management, teamwork and information literacy, which are four subscale aspects of the self-directed Learning Ability Scale, the post-survey scores for these four dimensions are greater than the pre-survey results. The results of the study showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05), in the students who engaged in Tronclass combined with team-based learning. Specifically, these students received higher midterm and final grades than to those who had already graduated and did not participate in these activities. (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combining Tronclass with team-based learning enhances nursing students' ability to engage in self-directed learning and improves their performance in midterms and finals, thereby fostering the development of comprehensive competence.
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Academic Performance , Students, Nursing , Humans , Students, Nursing/psychology , Female , China , Male , Self-Directed Learning as Topic , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/methods , Young Adult , Education, Distance , Group Processes , Problem-Based Learning , Educational Measurement , MotivationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Team-based learning (TBL) is a widely recognized instructional approach in medical education blending direct instruction with active-cooperative learning in small groups. While TBL is known to enhance knowledge acquisition, its impact on student motivation, particularly through situational interest, remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the development of situational interest across the distinct phases of TBL, focusing on how each phase (individual readiness assurance test; iRAT, team readiness assurance test; tRAT, and application exercise; AE) influences students' situational interest. The study sought to provide insights into the motivational dynamics underpinning TBL in a medical education setting. METHODS: A total of 88 medical students participated in a TBL session on "Bleeding during Pregnancy." Situational interest was measured after each TBL phase. A one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess the fluctuation of situational interest throughout the session. RESULTS: The analysis revealed significant variations in situational interest across different TBL stages. There was a significant increase in situational interest following the tRAT (p = .001). Post-tRAT, situational interest significantly decreased after the AE (p = .007), returning to levels observed at the session's start. Post hoc correlation analysis suggested a negative association between tRAT performance and situational interest, indicating heightened interest in response to awareness of knowledge gaps during the tRAT. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study may challenge the traditional view of TBL, suggesting a more integrated and dynamic interplay between knowledge acquisition and application phases. The results highlight the importance of the AE phase in clinical education and suggest that situational interest is one key driver in the learning process within TBL. Future research should focus on replicating these findings and comparing situational interest development between pre-clinical and clinical student cohorts to further understand the effects of situational interest on TBL in medical education.
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Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Group Processes , Motivation , Problem-Based Learning , Students, Medical , Humans , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Students, Medical/psychology , Female , Male , Educational Measurement , Young Adult , AdultABSTRACT
Background: Student-centered learning strategy increases the likelihood of graduation of competent, self-dependent, and problem-solving physicians. The University of Bisha, College of Medicine (UBCOM) adopted self-directed learning (SDL) represented by problem-based learning (PBL), and directed self-learning (DSL) represented by team-based learning (TBL). Aim: To compare the students' performance in SDL and DSL among UBCOM students. Methodology: A total of 502 multiple choice questions (MCQs) from the mid-course and final exams were collected by the relevant subject experts from nine courses during the period from September 2020 till June 2023 that adopted PBL and TBL; 247 MCQs related to PBL and 255 related to TBL. Psychometric analysis was used to determine difficult, easy, and optimum questions (≤25%, ≥90%, and 26-89%, respectively). Point biserial as <0.19, 0.20-0.29, 0.30-0.39, and >0.40 which indicate poor, marginal, good, and excellent point biserial, respectively. Finally, the number of functional distractors was attempted by >5% of the candidates. Results: No significant differences were noted for the students' performance in MCQs related to PBL (representing self-directed, small group learning tool), and TBL (representing directed-self, large group learning tool) regarding difficulty index (DI), point biserial, and distractors functionality. Conclusion: It has been observed that there is no difference in students' performance whether PBL or TBL is used for learning Basic Medical Science courses. Small group learning such as PBL needs more resources in comparison to large group learning as in TBL, therefore any institute can decide on the adopted learning strategy depending on its resources and the number of students.
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Background & Objective: Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an interactive instructional approach characterized by collaborative peer teaching in both large and small group settings. The study aims to assess usefulness of the TBL in enhancing student learning outcomes and engagement in graduate classes. Methods: This mixed method study was conducted from January 2023 till July 2023 at the Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences at Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, a questionnaire was distributed to graduate students in Endocrine and Reproductive course after TBL on 'Hormonal changes in Pregnancy'. Focus group discussion (FGD) was held with facilitator of this TBL and the students; results of both arms were then triangulated. Results: All (four) students responded affirmatively regarding guided self-preparation, quality of application exercises, satisfaction in terms of student's engagement, a positive attitude and self-accountability. Themes identified by FGD of both students and facilitators were 'Students Engagement in Peer Learning, 'Conducive Learning Environment', "Time is Capital in TBL' and 'Conceptual learning.' Conclusion: The pilot study confirmed the utility of TBL by students as well as the facilitators. Students came with prior preparation, got engaged in problem-solving activities and received feedback from peers and the expert facilitators. The conducive environment enhanced their engagement, enabled them to actively apply the content and benefit from guided supervision.
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In the United States, sexual, reproductive, and perinatal health inequities are well documented and known to be caused by a history of systemic oppression along many axes, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic position, sexual orientation, and disability. Medical schools are responsible for educating students on systems of oppression and their impact on health. Reproductive justice advocates, including lay persons, medical students, and teaching faculty, have urged for integrating the reproductive justice framework into medical education and clinical practice. In response to medical student advocacy, we developed introductory didactic sessions on social and reproductive justice for preclinical medical students. These were created in a team-based learning format and include pre-course primer materials on reproductive justice. During the sessions, students engaged with hypothetical clinical vignettes in small groups to identify oppressive structures that may have contributed to the health outcomes described and potential avenues for contextually relevant and level-appropriate advocacy. The sessions took place in November 2019 (in-person) and 2020 (virtually) and were well attended by students. We highlight our experience, student feedback, and next steps, including further integration of reproductive health equity into medical school curricula in concert with department-wide education for faculty, residents, nursing, and allied health professionals. This introduction to social and reproductive justice can be adapted and scaled across different medical school curricula, enhancing the training of a new generation of physicians to become critically aware of how oppressive structures create health inequities and able to mitigate their impact through their roles as clinicians, researchers, and advocates.
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Curriculum , Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Health Equity , Reproductive Health , Social Justice , Students, Medical , Humans , Reproductive Health/education , Students, Medical/psychology , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/organization & administration , United StatesABSTRACT
The primary goal of pharmacology teaching is to prepare medical students to prescribe medications both safely and efficiently. At the Utrecht University Medical School, pharmacology is integrated into the three-year bachelor's curriculum, primarily through large group sessions with limited interaction. A recent evaluation highlighted students' appreciation for pharmacology teaching, but students admitted to attending these teaching moments unprepared, resulting in passive learning. To address this, team-based learning (TBL) was implemented to facilitate learning through interaction, critical thinking, problem solving and reflection through six steps, from superficial to deeper cognitive learning. This study, conducted over two academic years, assessed students' perception and performance regarding TBL. Analysis of a digital questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale showed high student satisfaction with TBL as a teaching methodology. However, confidence in pharmacology knowledge following TBL was moderate. TBL attendees outperformed non-attendees in pharmacology-related exam questions, indicating that TBL has a positive impact on student performance. We conclude that TBL is an engaging and effective method for pharmacology education, positively influencing student learning and performance. This method could be broadly applied for teaching pharmacology within the medical curriculum or other biomedical programs.
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Student engagement while learning a new, unfamiliar vocabulary is challenging in health science courses. A group role-play activity was created to teach students medical terminology and learn why its correct usage is important. This activity brought engagement and relevance to a topic traditionally taught through lecture and rote memorization and led to the development of an undergraduate and a stand-alone introductory course to teach students medical terminology. The undergraduate course was designed to be a fully online medical terminology course for health science students and a face-to-face course for first-year dental students founded in active learning and group work. The course's centerpiece learning activity focused on using published case studies with role-play. In this group activity, students are challenged to interpret a published patient case study as one of the members of a healthcare team. This course models the group work inherent in modern health care to practice building community and practicing professional skills. This approach gives students the capacity to work asynchronously in a team-based approach using our learning management system's wiki tool and requires students to take responsibility for their learning and group dynamics. Students practice identification, writing, analyzing, and speaking medical terms while rotating through the roles. Students in both classes self-reported a 92% to 99% strong or somewhat agreement using a five-point Likert scale that the course pedagogy was valued and helpful in their learning of medical terminology. Overall, this method has proven to be an engaging way for students to learn medical terminology.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Role-play can engage students and encourage learning in identification, pronouncing, writing, and understanding medical terminology in multiple course formats.
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Terminology as Topic , Humans , Role Playing , Learning , Problem-Based Learning/methods , Curriculum , Education, Distance/methodsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the application and effect of team-based learning (TBL) based on network platform in teaching surgical abdominal emergency. METHODS: A total of 80 fourth-year medical students from our university's 5-year clinical medicine program were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group (n = 40) used the online large class teaching method and the experimental group (n = 40) used the online TBL. The teaching effect of web-based TBL was evaluated by collecting the subjective evaluation of the experimental group and the objective test results of both groups through a questionnaire. RESULTS: Online TBL was well-received by most students. More than 80% of them found the teaching method interesting, and more than 90% of them gave a high rating to the improvement of their learning ability with online TBL. The experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group in the objective tests (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The network-based TBL is preferred by most students. TBL curricula are more conducive to medical student learning and engagement and have better learning outcomes.
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Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Humans , Male , Female , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Students, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Students, Medical/psychology , Young Adult , Education, Distance/methods , Computer-Assisted Instruction/methods , Curriculum , Surveys and Questionnaires , Internet , AdultABSTRACT
Interprofessional education (IPE) and research enhances learning, team-based communication, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, which can result in higher quality care for older adults. Despite the importance of IPE, it remains underutilized in higher education, demonstrating the need for extracurricular IPE opportunities. This study describes an interprofessional research project that brought together faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from several health and social science disciplines to design and deliver a 15-week healthy aging program for older adults living in the urban Circumpolar North. Five faculty and one graduate research assistant led the project while eight students team-taught weekly, 1-hour sessions in the community focusing on healthy lifestyles within a framework of Persuasive Hope Theory. This paper describes the project, the student training procedures, and reports the results of the student satisfaction survey regarding their involvement with the research. Using a student self-assessment survey, students report gains in thinking like a scientist, increased confidence conducting research tasks, benefits from teamwork, and greater consideration of the needs of older adults in their field of study. Despite a small sample size, this study also suggests that students may be more likely to consider a career working with older adults if given hands-on experiences.
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Introduction: Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) may be promoted in underrepresented student populations by implementing an authentic inquiry-team-based learning (ITBL) STEM laboratory course design. Methods: Between Spring 2021 and Spring 2022, the research team compared junior and senior undergraduates enrolled in an ITBL-based pharmaceutical science lab course to a comparative student population enrolled in a traditionally designed biology lab course. At the end of either STEM lab course, students completed the experimentally validated Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) survey and an open-ended question asking them to recount a moment that validated or questioned their science identity determined the effect of the ITBL STEM lab course design on factors that may impact underrepresented students' indicators of science identity formation and persistence in STEM. Results: Students taking an ITBL-based pharmaceutical sciences lab course demonstrated higher scores on the persistence in the sciences instrument compared to students in the traditionally designed biology lab. Interestingly, different underrepresented student communities scored differently among the six factors. Multiple mechanisms of validating science identity were cited by students such as through gaining confidence in individualistic laboratory performance, collaborating through learning barriers, and fostering confidence and societal impact in a future career in pharmacy. Conclusion: The pharmaceutical sciences ITBL lab offered a collaborative, growth-promoting environment with experiments that are authentic to perspective pharmacists, which resulted in students reporting higher persistence in the sciences scores indicative of feeling like a pharmacist such as project ownership content/emotion, science identity, and networking across various student demographics.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of 2-stage collaborative testing (CT) on academic performance of pharmacy students and to characterize pharmacy student perceptions of CT. METHODS: Two-stage CT was piloted in a 2-course patient assessment sequence within a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Students were randomly allocated into 2 groups and further divided into teams of 4 to 5 students. Student teams alternated taking section examinations in a traditional 1-stage (individual) and 2-stage CT (individual then team) format to establish an experimental design. Near the end of each semester, students individually took a post-test to facilitate assessment of CT on academic performance. A 12-item, anonymous survey instrument assessed student perceptions of 2-stage CT. The group differences in academic performance and survey responses were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: There were 128 students enrolled in the course sequence, 123 of whom met the inclusion criteria for assessment of academic performance and 100 of whom completed the survey (response rate = 83%). Generally, students performed better on post-test items initially assessed through 2-stage CT (retention marker) and on post-test items that were answered incorrectly under 2-stage CT conditions (learning marker). Approximately 9 in 10 survey respondents preferred 2-stage CT over traditional 1-stage individual testing, with an equivalent proportion reporting it helped them learn from their mistakes and retain what they learned. There was high-level agreement among respondents that 2-stage CT improved their ability to work as a team and think critically. CONCLUSION: The implementation of 2-stage CT in a patient assessment course sequence was associated with improved learning and retention and was well-received by students.
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Academic Performance , Education, Pharmacy , Educational Measurement , Students, Pharmacy , Humans , Education, Pharmacy/methods , Educational Measurement/methods , Surveys and Questionnaires , Male , Female , Cooperative Behavior , Curriculum , LearningABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: This study compares pharmacy students' performance using face-to-face (FTF) team-based learning (TBL) vs. virtual TBL across multiple courses and different academic levels while accounting for student demographic and academic factors. METHODS: The study included pharmacy students from different academic levels (P1-P3) who were enrolled in three didactic courses taught using FTF TBL and virtual TBL. Multiple generalized linear models (GLMs) were performed to compare students' performance on individual readiness assurance tests (iRATs), team readiness assurance tests (tRATs), team application exercises (tAPPs), summative exams, and total course scores using FTF TBL vs. virtual TBL, adjusting for students' age, sex, race, and cumulative grade point average (cGPA). RESULTS: The study involved a total of 356 pharmacy students distributed across different academic levels and learning modalities: P1 students [FTF TBL (n = 26), virtual TBL (n = 42)], P2 students [FTF TBL (n = 77), virtual TBL (n = 71)], and P3 students [FTF TBL (n = 65), virtual TBL (n = 75)]. In the P1 cohort, the virtual group had higher iRAT and tRAT scores but lower tAPP scores than the FTF TBL group, with no significant differences in summative exams or total course scores. For P2 students, the virtual TBL group had higher iRAT and tRAT scores but lower summative exam scores and total course scores than the FTF TBL group, with no significant differences in tAPP scores. In the P3 student group, the virtual TBL group had higher iRAT, tRAT, tAPP, summative exam, and total course scores than the FTF TBL group. CONCLUSIONS: Students' performance in virtual TBL vs. FTF TBL in the pharmacy didactic curriculum varies depending on the course content, academic year, and type of assessment.