Team-based learning: it takes a village

By Samuel Neher, MS, EdD
Team-based Learning Office Group Photo

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning pedagogy used in medical schools across the world. (Photo by Danny Palomba/Office of Communications)

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning pedagogy used in medical schools across the world. In TBL, students complete an independent test and then are put in a pre-determined small group to complete a group test. Faculty are able to see answers to each test in real time.

Before moving into the application phase of team-based learning, faculty experts are able to clarify questions from students after completing the independent and group tests. At this time, students are ready for the application exercise, where faculty are again able to see the answers in real time. At the end of the application, faculty experts are able to provide clarifications and answer questions from students.

McGovern Medical School has a dedicated team of faculty and staff that keep the machine running through constant review of material and operating the weekly TBL sessions in the MS1 curriculum. In order for TBL to be successful, the program also relies on several faculty experts.

A big thank you to the following:

  • Medical Professionalism: Anson Koshy, MD, MBE
  • Cystic Fibrosis: Bindu Akkanti, MD, and Myla Ashfaq, MS, CGC
  • Hypovolemic Shock: Shane Cunha, PhD
  • Diabetes: Rebecca Berdeaux, PhD
  • Prader Willi: Paul Hillman, MD, PhD, and Myla Ashfaq, MS, CGC
  • Teratogens: Daniel Felleman, PhD, Judith Smith, PharmD, BCOP, and Myla Ashfaq, MS, CGC
  • Fluid Balance: Oleh Pochynyuk, PhD
  • Myasthenia Gravis: Erin Furr Stimming, MD, and Rajesh Gupta, MD, MS
  • Opiates: Chase Findley, MD, and Gregory Hestla, MD
  • Asthma: Bindu Akkanti, MD
  • Covid-19: Bindu Akkanti, MD
  • Sepsis: Violeta Chavez, PhD D(ABMM), Gautam Sikka, MD, and Donald Molony, MD
  • HPV: Lois Ramondetta, MD, and Rachel Wiley, MD
  • Lupus: Courtney McCray, MD
  • Ethics: Rebecca Lunstroth, JD, MA
  • For leadership in all the TBLs: Hilary Fairbrother, MD

Thank you from the TBL team:
Emma Davies, Jewel Elliott, Jeffrey Actor, PhD, Joseph Alcorn, PhD, Phillip Carpenter, PhD, Richard Clark, PhD, Diane Edmondson, PhD, Hilary Fairbrother, MD, MPH, Chris Mackenzie, PhD, and Sam Neher, MS, EdD.

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