Using team-based learning in a problem-based learning medical course to improve transition from a pre-clinical to clinical learning environment

Abstract

Many medical schools choose between using either a problem-based learning (PBL) or a team-based learning (TBL) approach to curriculum to teach pre-clinical students the foundational sciences needed to understand disease processes. This study explores whether it is possible to combine the strengths of both approaches to better prepare medical students for the transition from a pre-clinical to a clinical learning environment. While PBL allows students to identify gaps in learning and then apply new knowledge to an established problem, TBL gives students the opportunity to apply their learning to multiple new clinical problems thus providing opportunities for knowledge transfer. We used the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) to run modified TBL sessions that were designed to fit within the normal lecture program. Iterative development of the intervention over five years based on staff and student feedback has delivered positive educational outcomes.