Hello everyone! Our panel discussion on Implementing TBL in Health Sciences is scheduled to start in a few hours. As we begin our discussion, let’s acknowledge the increasing popularity of TBL in medical and health sciences education.
In recent years, more medical and pharmacy schools have been adopting TBL due to its significant benefits for both educators and students. We are honored to have a panel of distinguished experts, @Suzan @MSinclair and @Gustavo Patino who will share their experiences and insights on incorporating TBL into health sciences education.
If you are new to TBL or looking for resources on how to get faculty members, students, and other stakeholders on board, here are some useful resources:
Getting Student Buy-in
- Students’ Perception of Learning
- TBL Orientation for Students Video
- Getting Student Buy-in For Team-Based Learning
- Benefits of Team-based Learning for Students
Case Studies
- Case Study on TBL implementation at California Health Sciences University
- Case Study on TBL implementation at OUWB School of Medicine
Other articles
We hope you will enjoy the panel discussion. Stay tuned for more updates and resources.
During our discussion, the panelists provided valuable insights into the challenges and strategies of implementing Team-Based Learning in health sciences education. Here are some summary notes mentioned by our experts:
ENSURING STUDENT AND FACULTY BUY-IN
When discussing the initial hurdles while starting to implement TBL, Dr. Sinclair emphasized the importance of introducing TBL to students in the beginning of their studies. Every year, at Creighton University they implement a student orientation activity, guiding them through the active learning curriculum to increase student buy-in.
Talking about their experience at OUWB, Dr. Patino and Dr. Kamel-ElSayed also noted the importance of preparing students early on, such us incorporating TBL into the application interview process, along with detailed TBL orientation sessions during the first year. Panelists also emphasized the importance of triggering a mindset change on a faculty level to increase faculty buy-in.
ENSURING EFFECTIVE LEARNING
When it comes to effective incorporation of TBL in large classes, Dr. Patino and Dr. Sinclair talked about the importance of keeping team sizes manageable (max. 10 students, ideally 6-8 students). The panelists also recommended tracking team participation by using strategies to engage multiple learners effectively and keep all students involved. When working with large classes, Dr. Sinclair also suggested having multiple facilitators to effectively engage all teams. Additionally, Dr. Kamel-ElSayed stressed the importance of classroom structure to facilitate student engagement.
MANAGING COGNITIVE LOAD
Regarding managing cognitive load, Dr. Sinclair advocated for emphasizing clear learning outcomes with prework that aligns with desired knowledge students need to work on modules. She also emphasized the importance of incorporating the 4Ss when designing application exercises. Building on this, Dr. Patino highlighted the need for preparatory material to focus on essential information for skills demonstration. Additionally, he talked about the importance for facilitators to focus on students reasoning in single-choice questions, to better assess student learning. Drawing on this, Dr. Kamel-ElSayed mentioned the importance of designing TBL modules that reduce cognitive load, which can be achieved through backward design. Thus educators first need to focus on what they expect from learners. An interesting insight shared by Dr. Kamel-ElSayed is that team collaboration inherently reduces cognitive load for students.
What about your experiences? What strategies have worked well for you?
If you have any questions or would like further insights from our panelists, feel free to ask!