A Comparison of Team‐Based Learning Formats: Can We Minimize Stress While Maximizing Results

Abstract

Team‐Based Learning (TBL) is used at the University of Louisville School of Medicine as a collaborative teaching method in which students solve challenging physiology problems. Students take an Individual Readiness Assessment Test (iRAT), Team Readiness Assessment Test (tRAT), and Individual Summative Assessment Test (iSAT). While educational gains of TBL have been shown, some student evaluations negatively assessed the teaching method with complaints regarding question difficulty and stress levels. Thus, during implementation of TBL in the School of Dentistry, two changes were made: (1) TBL questions were cognitively aligned with unit exam questions (2) Scratch‐off, lottery response cards were used to create a fun, game‐like environment. This revised TBL format, compared to the original TBL format, resulted in similar student performance during iRAT and tRAT sessions. However, the revised, low‐stress format had significantly higher scores on the iSAT (n=119‐161, p<.05). Furthermore, on Likert‐scale surveys, students participating in the revised TBL format subjectively reported higher effectiveness of the learning format, higher levels of perceived fairness, and lower stress levels. These results suggest that the qualitative experience of students, when using a new teaching format such as TBL, may be an important consideration that should be carefully evaluated during implementation.