Introduction of Team-Based Learning Strategy for Teaching Medicine to Undergraduate Medical Students in a North Indian Medical College

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Newer methods of teaching which are student centered and using “active learning” techniques are being explored with a broader goal of application of knowledge than only acquisition of knowledge. This study is an effort to explore the use of one such active instructional strategy – team-based learning (TBL) to promote better education. Materials and Methods: The project was carried out in the Department of Medicine, Army College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Participants included the 2nd year MBBS students of 2015 Batch. One week prior to the study, the students were sensitized and were divided into seven teams. The first step was preclass preparation (learning resources for guidance given by the faculty), followed by Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT) by MCQs. The final step was discussion of these questions as a team and scoring in the Group Readiness Assurance Test (GRAT). At the end of session, the students were given a feedback questionnaire to obtain their perceptions, attitudes, and acceptance of the TBL method. Results: A total of 56 MBBS students participated in the study. The scores obtained by GRAT were significantly better compared to IRAT. Furthermore, 83% of students reported that solving real-life clinical scenario questions helped more in retention of knowledge than by didactic lectures. TBL classes were acceptable and desired by 67.9% for future. However, 71.4% preferred the mixed method of both didactic lectures and TBL sessions. Conclusion: The study concluded that TBL is viewed favorably by medical students. It encouraged active participation of the students in group discussions resulting in improved performance in the class. However, a combination of traditional didactic lectures and TBL was preferred to didactic lectures or TBL alone by the students.