Improving Pharmacology Standardized Test and Final Examination Scores Through Team-Based Learning.

Abstract

Team-based learning (TBL) is a collaborative teaching and learning strategy emphasizing student engagement and application of knowledge. The purpose of the study was to compare the differences in scores on pharmacology course final and standardized criterion-referenced examinations between students taught in a traditional lecture-based approach and those taught under the TBL approach. Using a before-and-after design, 338 prelicensure students were taught pharmacology using either a traditional lecture-based approach or a TBL approach. Significant differences on course final and standardized examination scores were found between the groups, with students taught using TBL scoring higher than students in the traditional lecture-based group. Team-based learning had a positive impact on learning outcomes. Moreover, TBL may be a more efficient approach to teaching, as students in the TBL group had only 3 credit hours of content versus students in the traditional lecture-based group, who had 4 credit hours.