Long-term Outcomes of team-based learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Learning Science
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Team-based learning (TBL) is recognized for enhancing immediate academic performance.
• The long-term knowledge retention effects of TBL compared to traditional methods remain under-investigated.
• This study evaluates TBL's impact on short-term understanding and long-term retention in a haematology course.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of TBL, traditional small group discussion (TSG), and no small group reinforcement on student learning.
• To assess the impact of these teaching methods on both immediate post-course understanding and long-term knowledge retention.
• To determine if TBL offers superior long-term retention benefits over TSG.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study design was employed, assessing knowledge via pre-course, immediate post-course, and 14-month follow-up tests.
• Participants were students enrolled in a haematology course, with some topics transitioning from TSG to TBL for direct comparison.
• Knowledge assessments measured understanding and retention across the three pedagogical approaches.

Main Results:

• All teaching methods significantly improved knowledge from pre-course to post-course levels.
• TBL demonstrated a statistically significant advantage in immediate post-course scores (87%) compared to TSG (78%) and no small group (76%).
• At 14-month follow-up, no significant differences in long-term retention were observed between TBL (75%), TSG (67%), and no small group (70%).

Conclusions:

• While TBL enhances short-term understanding, it does not yield superior long-term knowledge retention compared to traditional methods.
• The benefits of TBL for short-term performance may support student well-being and competitiveness for residency.
• Findings do not support adopting TBL solely for its purported long-term retention advantages, though its value in modeling clinical practice skills is acknowledged.