ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Project-based learning (PjBL) is a teaching methodology designed to engage students in solving real-world problems, acknowledging that students are active agents of their learning process. This methodology has historically been popular in architecture and industrial sciences; however, its use in teaching veterinary anatomy is scarcely published. METHODS: Using information and communication technologies, the PjBL methodology was implemented in a first-year veterinary anatomy course. The methodology included teamwork and the selection of a routine object in the veterinary clinic at the beginning of the academic semester. The project's goal was to analyze the object and associate it with both a domestic animal species and an anatomical region, along with making and presenting a video or a simulation model about the object. RESULTS: More than 80% of students prefer active learning classes compared to traditional classes. In addition, 66% and 86% of students indicate that PjBL allowed them to improve their understanding of theoretical content for the first and second years of post-implementation, respectively. Students' self-assessment indicates that more than 80% of the students (first and second year post-implementation) felt they were responsible for the execution of the project, able to conduct research, and able to develop autonomous learning skills. After 2 years of PjBL implementation, failure rates in the course decreased by 21%. DISCUSSION: In general, PjBL results show that veterinary students prefer active learning activities that allow them to learn in a team-based learning process as well as to develop soft skills such as self-learning, responsibility, and teamwork. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01205-1.
ABSTRACT
This study explored the use of team-based learning (TBL) in a Clinical Anatomy course taken by third-year veterinary medicine undergraduate students at the Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile. While research has shown that active learning methodologies yield improved student learning outcomes compared to lecture-based teaching, the incorporation of new pedagogical strategies is complex and its success depends on a range of contextual factors. This study sought to understand the strengths and weaknesses of using TBL in a specific subject (anatomy), discipline (veterinary medicine), and country (Chile). Students in the course had not been previously exposed to TBL. At the end of the semester during which TBL was used, the research team collected student satisfaction survey data and conducted a focus group in order to understand students' experiences with TBL in the course. We found that overall, students were satisfied with TBL and appreciated that it increased the amount of feedback they received, reinforced key concepts, and helped them to build skills they would need in their future professions. There was also a certain level of dissatisfaction, which may have been caused by negative experiences with team members and difficulties reading the preparatory material, which was in English. Given our findings, we discuss modifications that could be made in order to improve veterinary medicine students' experiences with TBL.
