Opening the black box of team-based learning (TBL): A study of verbal interactions in online application sessions.

CONTEXT: In team-based learning (TBL), an instructional strategy that encourages in-depth team discussion and deep learning, interactions in terms of sharing, co-construction, constructive conflict and procedural interactions are important. Since TBL has also been applied online in recent years, the question is whether these interactions are sufficiently present in an online setting. AIM: Gain insight into the nature and extent of these types of interactions in online TBL application sessions and to what extent these vary between teams and sessions. METHODS: We made audiovisual recordings of 12 TBL teams in two online application sessions during assignments. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using a framework derived. RESULTS: Teams spent more than 85% of their time on all four types of interactions in both sessions. The largest proportion of time was spent on sharing and co-construction. Constructive conflict occurred to a limited extent. We observed variation in proportion of time spent on and the distribution of the four types of interactions between teams and sessions. DISCUSSION: All interactions important for achieving deep learning occurred in online TBL application sessions. However, the effective use of these types of interaction should not be left to chance.

Team-based learning (TBL): Each phase matters! An empirical study to explore the importance of each phase of TBL.

CONTEXT: In Team Based Learning (TBL), it is, based on theory, assumed that knowledge development in each phase contributes to the subsequent phase and to learning performance. However, there is no empirical evidence for this assumption. AIM: In order to find support for the relation between TBL and the underlying theory, we determined to what extent each phase of TBL is associated with the knowledge development in the next phase and with the total learning performance. METHODS: We measured the scientific concepts recalled by 56 second-year undergraduate medical students before TBL, after each of the three phases and after TBL. We used multivariate regression analysis to determine the statistical association between the phases as well as the total learning performance. RESULTS: Results showed that in each phase, students produced new concepts in addition to those previously recalled. Regression models showed statistically significant explained variance ranging from 0.19 to 0.26, between the three phases and the total learning performance. DISCUSSION: Each phase of the TBL is significantly associated with knowledge development in the subsequent phase and with the total learning performance, and therefore matters. This study contributes to the scientific underpinning of TBL and offers leads to more elaborate research and interventions to improve TBL.

Enhancing the effectiveness of flipped classroom in health science education: a state-of-the-art review.

BACKGROUND: In a flipped classroom, students acquire knowledge before class and deepen and apply this knowledge during class. This way, lower-order learning goals are achieved before class and higher-order skills are reached during class. This study aims to provide an overview of the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and how these factors can be stimulated. The effectiveness of the flipped classroom is conceptualized in this study as test scores, the achievement of higher learning goals, and student perceptions. METHODS: A state-of-the-art review was conducted. The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were consulted. The timeframe is 2016 till 2020. The studies were qualitatively analyzed according to the grounded theory method. RESULTS: After screening the studies based on the inclusion-and exclusion criteria, 88 studies were included in this review. The qualitative analysis of these studies revealed six main factors that affect the effectiveness of the flipped classroom: student characteristics, teacher characteristics, implementation, task characteristics, out-of-class activities, and in-class activities. Mediating factors are, amongst other factors, the learner's level of self-regulated learning, teacher's role and motivation, assessment approach, and guidance during self-study by means of prompts or feedback. These factors can be positively stimulated by structuring the learning process and focusing the teacher training on competencies and learning-and teaching approaches that are essential for the flipped classroom. CONCLUSION: This paper provides insight into the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and how these factors could be stimulated. In order to stimulate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom, the positively and negatively affecting factors and mediating factors should be taken into account in the design of the flipped classroom. The interventions mentioned in this paper could also be used to enhance the effectiveness.

Students' approaches to medical school choice: relationship with students' characteristics and motivation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to examine main reasons for students' medical school choice and their relationship with students' characteristics and motivation during the students' medical study. METHODS: In this multisite cross-sectional study, all Year-1 and Year-4 students who had participated in a selection procedure in one of the three Dutch medical schools included in the study were invited to complete an online survey comprising personal data, their main reason for medical school choice and standard, validated questionnaires to measure their strength of motivation (Strength of Motivation for Medical School-Revised) and autonomous and controlled type of motivation (Academic Self-regulation Questionnaire). Four hundred seventy-eight students participated. We performed frequency analyses on the reasons for medical school choice and regression analyses and ANCOVAs to study their associations with students' characteristics and motivation during their medical study. RESULTS: Students indicated 'city' (Year-1: 24.7%, n=75 and Year-4: 36.0%, n=52) and 'selection procedure' (Year-1: 56.9%, n=173 and Year-4: 46.9%, n=68) as the main reasons for their medical school choice. The main reasons were associated with gender, age, being a first-generation university student, ethnic background and medical school, and no significant associations were found between the main reasons and the strength and type of motivation during the students' medical study. CONCLUSIONS: Most students had based their medical school choice on the selection procedure. If medical schools desire to achieve a good student-curriculum fit and attract a diverse student population aligning the selection procedure with the curriculum and taking into account various students' different approaches is important.