Team Based Learning: An Introduction

Abstract

Team Based Learning (TBL) is an educational design pattern that was originally developed by Larry Michaelsen of the University of Oklahoma in the late 1970s. TBL has a compelling evidence base which indicates that is can be a suitable approach for helping students to achieve learning outcomes, develop critical thinking skills, and develop teamworking skills (see Liu and Beaujean., 2017; Swanson et al., 2017 for meta-analyses on TBL and learning). Characteristics of TBL The TBL approach has a number of hallmarks: Permanent Diverse Teams: TBL involves diverse, lecturer selected permanent teams of students who work together throughout a whole module. Module organised into TBL units: A module is organised into a number of “units” (usually 4 to 8) within which a TBL “cycle” is facilitated over the course of 1 to 3 weeks. Within each TBL cycle, there are four phases: Phase 1 – “Readiness Assurance Process” Phase:

Students commence the TBL cycle by independently engaging in pre-class preparation, be it reading, video, recorded lecture, H5P or other activity. Pre-class material introduces students to the key concepts associated with the TBL unit. Once students arrive at class, they complete an individual Multiple-Choice Quiz (MCQ) on the content. This is followed by a Team MCQ: the exact same quiz, but this time in their teams. Naturally, the team quiz promotes peer learning as students clarify concepts with one another as they complete the quiz. By monitoring the scores in the Team Quiz, the lecturer can then provide targeted clarification on the areas that may be causing confusion for students