Hybrid team-based learning in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy in higher education

Abstract

Background: Today’s modern and future cardio-respiratory physiotherapist are, and will be, presented with ubiquitous and uncertain complex problems in professional life. Yet, to date, teaching approaches lacks robust scientific evidence of optimal learning to stimulate student’s active cognitive engagement of higher order skills beyond knowledge and skills transfer and are only focused on graduation. For past two decades, pedagogy recommends use of active learning strategies to enhance authentic student engagement, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. In recent years, team-based learning (TBL) is emerging as a popular student-centred active collaborative learning strategy that promotes individual and team learning in medical and allied health education. Objective: This paper reports on the design and impact of a novel “Hybrid Team-Based learning' (H-TBL) on students’ engagement and perceptions of their learning experience in a Year 2 undergraduate physiotherapy Cohorts. Study Design: A retrospective study. Methods: In 2019, a keynote lecture on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was taught using novel “hybrid team-based learning' (H-TBL) comprising phases 1-4, delivered in two sessions (COPD1 and 2) to our year two (n=136), undergraduate physiotherapy students. Results: Of 136 students, 82% engaged in Phase 1, 80% attended the Phase 2 and 3 of COPD 2 session and 74% engaged in phase 4. 72% provided their perception on their learning experience. Conclusion: Majority of our students valued the learning experience in H-TBL design. This study confers that H-TBL supports students’ active engagement and self- efficacy. Future randomized studies are mandated to explore the validity and specificity of H-TBL in physiotherapy curriculum.