Best practices for implementing team-based learning in pharmacy education.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Educational Strategies
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Colleges and schools of pharmacy are increasingly adopting team-based learning (TBL).
• Resources exist to guide instructors in implementing TBL within health professions literature.
• TBL is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes active learning and collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize best practices for implementing team-based learning in pharmacy education.
• To provide guidance for educators utilizing TBL, including those with teaching teams.
• To highlight the core elements essential for effective TBL implementation.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of published resources on team-based learning implementation.
• Identification and summarization of the 7 core elements of TBL.
• Discussion of practical considerations for applying TBL in pharmacy curricula.

Main Results:

• TBL implementation involves 7 core elements: team formation, readiness assurance, immediate feedback, problem-solving sequencing, the 4 "S" structure, incentive structure, and peer evaluation.
• The 4 "S" structure includes: significant problem, same problem, specific answer choice, and simultaneous reporting.
• Best practices encompass all core elements for successful TBL integration.

Conclusions:

• Effective implementation of team-based learning in pharmacy education relies on understanding and applying its 7 core elements.
• This paper provides a summary of best practices for educators to enhance TBL adoption.
• The principles discussed are applicable to various pharmacy courses, including those using teaching teams.