Incentive structure in team-based learning: graded versus ungraded Group Application exercises.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pedagogy
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Team-based learning (TBL) is a well-established pedagogical approach in medical education.
• Previous research highlights TBL's benefits for engagement, satisfaction, and academic performance.
• Modifications to TBL's incentive structures, particularly grading, remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of removing grades from Group Application exercises in TBL.
• To examine student preferences regarding graded versus ungraded TBL components.
• To assess student perceptions of TBL outcomes under modified grading conditions.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 175 second-year medical students over two academic years.
• Students compared TBL with graded Group Application exercises (year 1) to TBL with ungraded exercises (year 2).
• Data collected included multiple-choice and open-response questions assessing perceptions of TBL.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in general TBL assessment, participation, communication, and skill development between graded and ungraded conditions.
• A strong majority (83.8%) of students preferred ungraded Group Application exercises.
• Only 7.2% of students preferred graded exercises, with 9.0% having no preference.

Conclusions:

• Ungraded Group Application exercises represent a successful and "student-friendly" modification to TBL.
• This change effectively maintains the core objectives of active learning and teamwork skill development.
• The findings suggest a viable strategy for enhancing TBL implementation in medical curricula.