Pedigree Analysis: A Team-Based Learning Activity

Regardless of their specialty, physicians, particularly those practicing primary care in rural areas, typically encounter genetic conditions. Therefore, it is important to incorporate genetic principles into medical training prior to students' clinical rotations.

The advance preparation assignment for this team-based learning (TBL) resource includes lectures and directed study assignments on the following topics: Mendelian genetics, sexual genetics, population genetics, and pedigree analysis. Students then demonstrate their understanding of the content through a formal TBL lesson utilizing a gallery walk for group application exercises.

Course evaluations clearly indicated that students enjoyed and learned from this TBL. Student performance on the team readiness assurance test and the summative exam scores showed significant signs of improvement when compared to individual readiness assurance test performance.

In this TBL module, students develop an understanding of basic genetics, pedigree analysis, and calculation of risks for inheriting autosomal recessive and X-linked recessive diseases. This TBL can be easily adapted to other allied health programs.