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Team‐based learning improves performance in a physiology laboratory course
Author(s) -
Zimmerman Scott D.,
Timson Benjamin F.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a17
Subject(s) - team based learning , session (web analytics) , psychology , medical education , mathematics education , medicine , computer science , world wide web
Team‐based learning (TBL) is a classroom technique combining individual accountability with peer interactions to ensure students are prepared to use course content to solve complex problems. Our 5‐week summer undergraduate course in Human Physiology has multiple laboratory sections and uses computer simulation for most activities. It is a prerequisite to many health‐related programs. It has not been uncommon for students to attempt Human Physiology several times before passing. We assessed the effect of TBL on student performance in the laboratory portion of this course. Ninety‐eight students enrolled during the Summer 2005 academic session. An instructor experienced in TBL taught 3 sections while an inexperienced instructor taught the other 2 using more traditional pedagogy (LI). To account for instructor experience, exam scores were compared to those from the previous summer; from students taught in a traditional format by an experienced instructor (LE). Students in all 3 groups had similar grade point averages and ACT scores. First exam scores from LI were significantly lower than either LE or TBL (LI, 65.8 ± 8.0, LE, 79.9 ± 10.2, TBL, 77.6 ± 11.0%, scores are means ± S.D., p ≤ 0.05). By exam 2, TBL outperformed both traditional groups (LI, 78.0 ± 7.1, LE, 74.5 ± 9.6, TBL, 83.7 ± 9.2%). On exam 3, TBL scored higher than LE (87.1 ± 10.7 vs. 80.5 ± 10.2%) but no better than LI (86.7 ± 7.6%). Unbeknownst to the authors, the LI instructor, bowing to student pressure, began “teaching to the exam” after exam 1. Student comments suggest that TBL provides an incentive to come to laboratories prepared. This translated into higher exam scores compared to more traditional methods of teaching.