Team-based learning complemented by interactive response system: Application of a strategy on the course of human...

Lecture-based learning (LBL) strategy cannot stimulate learners' ability to think and learn independently. Recently team-based learning (TBL), a learner-centered strategy, gained popularity in health education. An interactive response system (IRS) assists educators in providing instant feedback on classroom activities. This study was to evaluate the TBL strategy supplemented by IRS (TBL/IRS) on the learning effects of the core course, the human growth and development (HGD), in nursing education.

A quasi-experimental study design with two-group, pretests and posttests was employed with year-one students enrolled in two HGD classes in the nursing department of a university in central Taiwan. Both HGD classes employed the LBL method at the beginning of a semester. TBL/IRS strategy was introduced to the experimental class 6 weeks later. Three scales were used to measure self-directed learning, classroom engagement, and team learning. Individual and group readiness assurance tests (IRATs and GRATs) were administered. Final exams were also compared between the groups. For thematic analysis, learners' experience with TBL/IRS was collected from learner reports and a semi-structured questionnaire designed for the study.

A total of 105 learners-48 in TBL/IRS and 55 in LBL-were recruited. Self-directed learning, classroom engagement and team learning were improved significantly in TBL/IRS whereas only self-directed learning was improved in LBL. In the TBL/IRS group, GRAT scores were significantly higher than IRAT. However, the difference in final exams between the groups was non-significant. Four themes emerged from learners' experiences with TBL/IRS: stimulate self-learning; a diverse and flexible learning method; promote high-level thinking and deepen learning results; and, cultivate teamwork and application.

This study confirmed that TBL/IRS was effective in enhancing learners' abilities to integrate concepts and skills, thereby cultivating competence in problem-solving and teamwork. The TBL/IRS strategy was cost-effective in promoting active learning of HGD in nursing students.