Impact and Perception of Virtual Team-based Learning in Comparison to Online Lectures in Pharmacology- A Randomised Crossover Interventional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) emphasizes small group teaching; henceforth, more innovative educational strategies are needed to stimulate student learning. Team-based Learning (TBL) is structured small-group teaching featuring student preparation out of class to acquire critical concepts. In the current study, TBL was carried out on a virtual platform using commonly available web applications. Aim: To evaluate the impact and perception of virtual TBL compared to online lectures in Pharmacology. Materials and Methods: The randomised crossover study was conducted from September 2021 to January 2022, in the Pharmacology department of Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India. The students were assigned into two groups in the ratio of 1:1 by simple random sampling. Students in group A attended TBL sessions, whereas group B attended lectures on the same topic via Google classroom for the first session. A crossover of groups was done for the second session. At the end of both sessions, a questionnaire with Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) to assess knowledge recall and Short Answer Questions (SAQs) to assess critical analysis was sent to both groups in Google forms, and responses were collected and evaluated. A validated 33 item TBL Student Assessment Instrument (TBL-SAI) was used to determine the student perceptions. An unpaired t-test was used to compare the scores of both groups to assess performance. MannWhitney U test was used to compare the student accountability, preference, and satisfaction scales of TBL-SAI. Results: Out of 130 students, 125 were taken up for analysis as five failed to attend the sessions or complete the questionnaire. TBL group scored significantly better than the lecture group in MCQs {(15.8±2.2 vs 12±2.6) and (12.7±3.5 vs 6.4±2.2)} and SAQs {(5.4±2.1 vs 2.3±1.4) and (6.1±2.0 vs 3.3±1.9)} in sessions 1 and 2, respectively. TBL-SAI subscale and total scores were higher than neutral scores in both groups, indicating a positive attitude toward virtual TBL. Conclusion: Implementation of virtual TBL in synchronous setting in Pharmacology course established proof of high student accountability and satisfaction. Students preferred online TBL to online lectures. Virtual TBL sessions were more effective than online lectures.