Applying Creative Tools that Facilitate Online Team‐Based Learning

Abstract

BackgroundOnline education jeopardizes many aspects of medical education. Online lecturing has the disadvantage of disengaging students, which leads to poor learning. Instructors can increase student engagement by incorporating active learning techniques into classroom discussions and interactions.Team Based Learning (TBL) has been shown to benefit students in a variety of settings. Ahead of COVID 19, TBL was used in classrooms and occasionally in blended learning environments combining online and classroom instruction.This study aims to introduce an innovative strategy for increasing student engagement through use of online TBL. We designed a TBL strategy using the Blackboard lockdown browser, breakout rooms, and Microsoft forms. The TBL framework of orientation, readiness assurance, and implementation exercises was maintained.MethodologyStudents were introduced to course material and held accountable for pre‐class instruction through the TBL Readiness Assurance tests. For the deployment of the iRAT, we used the lockdown browser in conjunction with the blackboard Respondus camera. The question type used was multiple‐choice without reporting the correct answers to the students. After submitting the iRAT, students were permitted to enter the blackboard session, where they were divided into groups for the tRAT, which took place in the breakout rooms that had been assigned in advance. The students' groups in their rooms were given a link to a Microsoft Form that was structured to look like the IF‐AT cards used by TBL, and they were instructed to use it. In order to construct the tRAT, point allocation and branching were used, and each question was entered three times into Forms and assigned a score of 4, 2, or 1 point. An automatic comment was triggered by selecting the correct response, praising the group for their effort, and awarding the required number of points. If the correct answer was not provided in the first three trials, the correct answer is provided before moving on to the next question in the series. When it was determined that all of the groups had submitted their tRAT answers, the breakout rooms were closed, and all of the students were moved to the main room with the blackboard where the session came to a close with a discussion of the answers with the instructor, who immediately provided feedback. Students' perceptions (N=203) were also evaluated using quantitative and qualitative tools, including a self‐administered questionnaire and a focus group discussion.ResultsBased on the data gathered during the readiness assurance process and the attendance of the students, it appears that the students were highly engaged in the online TBL process. The most significant themes identified by participants included increased commitment and preparedness, appropriately challenging questions, a deeper level of learning in the breakout rooms, and the ease with which technology could be used. Furthermore, students stated that participating in the online TBL enhanced their self‐confidence in order to face the examinations, offered an opportunity for a weaker student to cover learning objectives, and stimulated further motivation in them to attend these sessions.ConclusionOnline TBL is a valuable learning strategy that can be implemented to increase student engagement in online learning, provided the applications are used effectively.